Dan Vos Construction Company sponsors the Vietnam Project

A pillar in the community, recently finishing their 150th church building, Dan Vos Construction knows the value of a good foundation. For families in Vietnam, a cow can be the foundation of a successful dairy business that will make the difference between struggling to survive and success. Dan Vos Construction's sponsorship will help us raise the necessary funds to offer these families fresh hope and a strong beginning.

Thank you, Dan Vos Construction, for continuing your commitment to community service in a way that will touch the world.

Grand River Physical Therapy sponsors the Goat Booth

We would like to thank Gail Braun of Grand River Physical Therapy for agreeing to sponsor our Goat Booth. Physical Therapists specialize in relieving stress and promoting success in overcoming obstacles. By sponsoring the Goat Booth they will be doing both for families in need.
Grand River Physical Therapists offers a comprehensive list of services in a beautiful and well-stocked facility.

Thank you, GRPTS for helping us get our goat!

You Really Got Our Goat, Trophies

We are excited to announce that the organization and the individual who bring in the most change for our Change for Kids Challenge will receive our fabulous--"You Really Got Our Goat!" Trophy.
The five inch trophy with gold-colored goat on a black and marble-grain base is sure to add a special something to any mantle.
Of course, anyone who helps change a child's future is a winner in our book. We hope you'll do your part to make sure that we really do "Get Our Goat!"

Our Guatemalan Project is the destination for our Change for Kids Goat

GUATEMALA Food Security/Q’eqchi
23-0102-02

A total of 112 Maya Q’eqchi families from the regions of Carcha, Chicojl, and Cojal in north-central Guatemala will participate in this project in partnership with FUNDAMENO (Q’eqchi’ Mennonite Foundation of Guatemala). It will improve the nutritional and economic situation of the participating families by providing rabbits, turkeys, and goats. Families will be trained in animal management and in the production of organic vegetables. This project will improve overall agricultural production by incorporating worm-composting and diversification of crops, while promoting the conservation of natural resources through the establishment of tree nurseries and sustainable agriculture practices.

This project is special because it is the destination of our "Change for Kids Challenge" goat. Kids from Grand Rapids will be raising funds to purchase a goat by saving their change in our special "Ark" banks. We need a business to sponsor this special project. If you like helping "kids," this could be the one for you. Contact us at heiferhappening@gmail.com.

Living Gift Markets: A Growing Phenomenon

Holding a Living Gift Market isn't limited to Grand Rapids, there are many gift markets held around the country. I've been doing a little research and here's a few I found online.
North Manchester, IN has held a LGM since 1988 and they have managed to raise 310,000 dollars in that time span. This year they raised over 20,000 dollars.
Wright County, MN holds a Baby Animal Fair each year. This year 3,000 people attended and 13,000 dollars were raised.
West Hartford, CT has a sixth grade class that raised 18,500 dollars at their Living Gift Market in 2006.
Our Living Gift Market is a growing event, each year we get a little bigger and we go a little further. Now is a great time to get involved.

Vietnamese Dairy Production in the Mekong Delta

VIETNAM Promotion of Dairy Production
22-0775-07

This project will provide 50 dairy cows to 40 families in the Mekong Delta to increase the project family's income. Four dairy cooperatives will be set up in four villages to promote small scale dairy production and to improve the animal health in these areas.

Heifer Viet Nam will implement this project through the four dairy cooperatives which will be set up in these four villages. The animals will be distributed through the cooperatives to individual families. Training and other technical services will also be arranged through the cooperatives. Men and women equally share the leadership roles and responsibilities in the cooperative groups. Passing on the Gift will be managed by the cooperatives and the groups will also assist individual members with milk marketing.

Grass seeds will be distributed to the farmers to grow feed for the cows. Families will receive young seedlings to build living fences, which are fences made by growing trees, especially nitrogen fixing trees. The living fences will provide shade, fencing, animal feed, firewood and also prevent soil erosion.

This project is sponsored by Dan Vos Construction. If your business would like to sponsor one of our remaining projects, please contact us through our email, heiferhappening@gmail.com.

Judy Huynh's Read to Feed Table for Teachers

Karen Merchant takes a moment to chat with Judy Huynh at our Read to Feed Booth.

Judy Huynh works at our Read to Feed table. When I asked her about Read to Feed her answers were so good I'm going to let her speak for herself.

Read to Feed is a curriculum developed by Heifer to teach young people about sustainable solutions toward ending poverty and hunger in the world and to help them learn that they can make a difference in the world.The curriculum integrates all content areas. Teachers can choose to do one lesson or all the lessons. They may choose to have students involved in gathering pledges for books read to raise money for Heifer, if they wish.
Read to Feed benefits children here because they become better readers and global citizens; they understand that they can make a difference in the world by how they live their lives, and they can help children around the world to have better lives. If they choose to collect pledges for the books they read and send it to Heifer, that money will help children in the places where the money is sent to have food to eat and the opportunity to get an education. Even if students don't participate in the collecting of money for books read, they learn about the causes of hunger and poverty in the world, and they learn to make better choices in their own lives, which will impact children all around the world.
I just received a letter last week notifying me that I have been selected to serve as a member of Heifer's new School Programs Advisory Council. As a member of this council, I will be providing comments, feedback and expertise on the development and implementation of the new elementary/primary grade program for Read to Feed. Our first meeting will be a conference call on June 18th. I'm really excited about participating in this.
I have done presentations on Heifer and Read to Feed at county, state, and national conferences for teachers. I have also done workshops on Heifer for 4-H. Lynda Richter, Olga Albert, Pam Trevan and I have presented twice together in Ionia County in costume! Pam has a chicken costume, Olga has a lamb costume, Lynda has a chicken costume, and I have a cow costume! It's really fun.
To learn more about Read to Feed visit Heifer's website, readtofeed.org.

Brann's Steakhouse's Bull and Heifer Make a Great Pair!

We are thrilled to announce that Brann's Steakhouse and Grille will be sponsoring this year's cow booth. Sponsoring animal booths is another way that local businesses can support the Living Gift Market.
Cows are Heifer International's signature animals and not just because of the inspiration they provided Dan West. A single Heifer cow can deliver up to four gallons of protein-packed milk every day. Giving one of these cows to a hungry family changes their lives.
These four gallons of milk provide children with the nourishment they need to head off to school. A school that many children are able to attend only because of their Heifer cow. Income earned by selling surplus milk pays for tuition as well as medicine, clothing and better housing.
Heifer cows can help crops grow. They are after all a natural fertilizer factory.
Because a healthy cow can have a calf every year, a cow can eventually help an entire community move from poverty to self-reliance.

Thank you, Brann's for your gracious support.

St. Mary's Zambian Youth Dairy Project

ZAMBIA St. Mary’s Youth Dairy Project
21-0118-02

The project is located in the Monze district, in the southern province. St. Mary’s area is characterized by large families, high unemployment rates and poor household food security. Members of the group are youth organized by the Catholic Monze Diocese to encourage positive behavior. Some 15 youths were initially assisted with dairy cattle in 2000. Heifer Zambia will provide an additional 40 high-producing dairy heifers to an additional 20 youths, to increase income levels through the sale of excess milk and improve household food security.

This project is sponsored by Dr. Linda Satterlee.

Our Gracious Host, Wesley Park United Methodist Church

For the third year in a row, Wesley Park United Methodist Church has agreed to host Heifer Happening. Located at 1150 32nd St. SW in Wyoming, this vibrant congregation makes space for us not just on the day of the event, but they also host our planning meetings.
Wesley Park has a commitment to the community that shines through in it's many ministries. My favorite Wesley Park idea is their recycling efforts. What a great way to honor our stewardship of this planet. They are also hosting the worship experience U2Charist which features the music of U2, and the work of the One Campaign.
Take some time to explore their interesting website and get to know this fascinating church.

Pigs for a Polish Orphanage

POLAND Swine Project for Eagle's Nest Orphanage
27-0634-01

This project is designed to improve the nutrition and financial situation of the children in the Marwica orphanage through pig breeding and organic farming. The Eagle’s Nest Orphanage in Marwica is a state-owned institution financed from public funds. It suffers from a shortage of resources, and headmaster Dariusz Wasinski and other staff must constantly seek additional sources of financing. Most of the 70 children (between the ages of 3 and 18) in the orphanage are “social orphans,” given up by their parents because of financial hardship or removed from their homes by the court order due to lack of proper parental care. Most of them came from rural areas and have been exposed to farm activities in the past. Eight sows will be provided to the orphanage farm, as well as training in pig breeding and organic farming. This will not only improve the children’s nutrition, but will teach them practical skills that may prove useful in their adult lives. Moreover, farm activities will involve them in meaningful work which may ease their emotional problems.

Quality Industrial Services has agreed to sponsor this project.

Our Project Display Designer, Ashley Gerou

We are thrilled to announce that Ashley Gerou, a student at Kendall College of Art and Design has agreed to create our Project Displays. Ashley says she was inspired to become an artist by her great-grandmother. The two of them used to bond over art projects. Ashley cites her great-grandmother and Claude Monet as the artists that have had the most influence on her style. She says "those two artists have more of a classical approach and a subtle elegance which I like to portray in my works."
When I asked Ashley what drew her to volunteer to help us, she said that many organizations just make donations of money, but Heifer actually helps these countries produce their own income and that aspect made our gift market seem like a good project to help out. She hopes that her designs are "an appealing showcase of what is being done so it will help others understand, relate and contribute to the organization in a simple, yet eye-catching manner."
Ashley desires to work in the fashion industry doing graphic design for magazines when she finishes her studies. We are sure we'll be proud to say we "knew her when...."
Thank you, Ashley for your donation of time and imagination.