This giveaway is now over! All of the winners have been notified by email, and are also announced within this post. Thank you all so much!
A few days ago, I received a tearful phone call from a friend directing me to the blog of our mutual friend, Lisa DeNardo. I have been reading Lisa’s blog and gotten to know her over the past couple of years. Her family has really been struggling financially for some time now, and she has shared some of that on her blog. Over the past few weeks things reached a crisis point, as the DeNardo’s were told that the house they have been living in was being sold, and they must move out by mid-December. They had been living in this home as caretakers for the past eight months. The DeNardo’s have five young children, including a three month old infant. They are now packing up to move in these days before Christmas, struggling to make ends meet, and trying to feed a family of seven on as little as eighty dollars a week. It’s not working. So here is where this giveaway comes in. Many of my sponsors have generously donated gifts in hopes that together we can all give a little, and help the DeNardo’s through this rough patch. I think that this is one of the most beautiful things about the blogging community. We can come together, each doing a small part, to do something really big. The details on how to help the DeNardo’s and enter the giveaway are at the end of the post. Please say a prayer for their family!
One $100.00 gift card to Stubby Pencil Studio
{the winner is Anita R.}
Two winners will each receive a $50.00 gift card to Stubby Pencil Studio
{the winners are Tess F. and Nicole H.}
One $50.00 gift certificate to Gypsy Forest
{the winner is Carrie N.M.}
One $50.00 gift certificate to The Vermont Branch Company
{the winner is Nicole Sch.}
One $30.00 gift certificate to Wooly Moss Roots
{the winner is Anne F.}
Two winners will each receive a ten volume set of Alphabet Glue
{the winners are Amanda H. and Kimberly C.}
One skein of yarn, winners choice, from Brambleberry Yarns
{the winner is Michele F.}
Two winners will each win a $25.00 gift certificate to Mamma 4 Earth
{the winners are Meghann and Penelope R-M}
One $20.00 gift certificate to Luna Grey Fiber Arts
{the winner is Vanessa W.}
One $25.00 gift certificate to Connected in Hope
{the winner is Ruth T.}
One $20.00 gift certificate to The Sitting Tree
{the winner is Jessa from Riotous Living}
One $20.00 gift certificate to Maya & Ruhi
{the winner is Susan M.}
One $50.00 gift certificate to Dandelion Dream
{the winner is Lesley A.}
One set of three handmade leather elephants from Made by Alejandro
{the winner is Eve M.}
One Cheer! Holiday Gift Collection from Lusa Organics
{the winner is Tricia M.}
How to enter the giveaway:
I am handling this giveaway a bit differently than I usually do. There are a total of 18 prizes, and there will be 18 winners! Rafflecopter is an online service that supports giveaways, I am using it to enable you to earn more entries than usual. You have the opportunity to earn entries several ways. Typically my giveaways require you to leave a comment for your chance to win, but not this one. Because my hope is that this giveaway will raise funds for the DeNardo family, entries are earned a bit differently. The first step is to login to Rafflecopter (below) using either your email address or your Facebook information. You will then be directed to your first way to earn entries. There is a mandatory donation of five dollars which earns you five entries. You can donate via Paypal by clicking on the “Donate” button below this paragraph. All donations go directly to the DeNardo family. After you submit your donation, you will be directed to a screen that gives you a confirmation number. Copy that confirmation number and paste it into the Rafflecopter widget (it will prompt you.) This will give you five entries, and open up other options for earning more entries. You can earn additional entries by blogging about this giveaway, tweeting it, sharing it via Facebook, and by “liking” Small Things on Facebook as well. You have options to earn extra entries every day, and the giveaway will be open until December 18th. It sounds a little complicated, I know. But once you get started, it’s really easy, and you will be prompted along the way by Rafflecopter. If you have a problem, just contact me.
I want to add, that the five dollar minimum donation, is just that, a minimum. Rafflecopter will prompt you to enter your confirmation number, but the donation can be for any amount over $5.00. You also have the option of donating $10.00 to earn 10 entries, but the giveaway is set up so that you first have to confirm a five dollar donation. You can donate every day to earn more entries. You can tweet and share on Facebook everyday for additional entries as well.
Thank you all so much. I appreciate you all, and the DeNardo’s are so grateful for your support. A huge heartfelt thank you to all of you who donated prizes for this giveaway!
Pam says
I did not see where you paste in your confirmation #, I have donated twice. What did I miss. I am grateful to help this family in a small way. May they be blessed by this community. Thank you Ginny.
Becki says
I would love if you link this up as a prayer request on my site. http://organicaspirations.blogspot.com/2012/12/song-sunday-add-your-prayer-request.html
I will be praying! Great idea!
grace says
What a nice idea!
Ruth says
Praying mightily for this family. God bless you!
Claudine says
Ginny,
Thank you for coordinating this amazing response to Lisa. While I don’t know either you or her personally, I’ve occasionally read your blogs and feel connected to you through this community of creative Mamas. This is the best of what blogging can be.
Thank you for being the face of Christ to Lisa and her family, and to all of us.
Hugs,
Claudine
Marie says
Ow. I can’t take part in it, cause I live in France, but my prayers go to this family.
In our country, we have what we call the “trêve hivernale” (winter respite), which allows families to don’t be thrown in the street during this hard time, so I often forget that many people don’t have this “privilege” (haha).
I apologize for my poor English, I’m French and that’s many times I didn’t practice it.
Thanks for your blog, it’s really a daily candy in my life!
Orando pro invicem!
Dawn says
Marie, in this country, or at least in my state, you can’t put people out when it is cold or rainy. As a landlord it can be frustrating to endure a nonpaying, property damaging tenant because it is too cold or wet to put them out. We have been through months of court cases trying to evict a tenant who has cost us thousands of dollars in legal fees, not to mention thousands in back rent. We won’t even go into the damages to our rental. We are not wealthy people, the money these tenants cost us is hard earned money taken from my family of seven.
I don’t think that is the case with this family. They are moving because the house has sold and they need to vacate. It is a bad time of year but I doubt they want to make an issue and demand to stay in a house where they aren’t welcome. I am sure that legally they could demand to stay, but from reading the blog it seems that these are kind people who are following the landowners wishes and doing the right thing.
Marie says
Ok, thanks a lot, Dawn, I better understand! I’m reassured, it’s not as cruel as our national media would like us to believe about real estate in your country.
My parents had the same misadventure as you as a landlord, I know how it can be hard to endure it.
But really, thank you so much for explanation.
Jordan says
What a difficult time to have to move a family of five. It is right before the holidays and one of the worst times of year to have to set up a new home. This is sure to help them out. Prayers are going out to the family.
Andréann says
Lisa is a wonderful person and worth every penny you can send her to help her family!
Gail says
I’d also like to send along a few small things. How can I do this?
Let me know. Also, so sorry for posting twice; I’m an Internet idiot.
Gail
Mandy says
You’re doing a good thing! Prayers to this family and to yours, Ginny!
Mandy says
lol…prayers FOR this family and FOR yours 🙂
Camille says
Prayers going out to that family, and all families in thier time of need. Reminding myself of Joseph and Mary’s stay in the manger with their newborn babe and their flight to Egypt soon thereafter. Trusting the Lord will lead us, even when the path is scary and unknown is so hard.
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
Mackenzie {WhiletheWaterBoils} says
Oh goodness, I haven’t looked at her blog for a while. Thank you for organizing this Ginny! Sending prayers that this leads to a fabulous next chapter for their family. We had an unexpected (unwanted) move this summer too, and even though it didn’t look like it at first, in retrospect it was definitely the best thing for us… Lots of love to everyone who offered the prizes too!
Becca says
This is awesome! what a great idea Ginny! I’ve entered & will write something up on my blog soon.
Becca
meghann says
What a lovely thing you’re doing, Ginny. You are a good friend. xo
Missy says
Ginny, perhaps we could send Christmas presents to them via you? It would be fun to give small, hand crafted ones to the family.
Ginny says
Hi Missy! Just send me an email and we can talk details! Thank you!!!
Penny says
Is it possible to donate directly to them without entering any giveaways? Like a paypal donation button or something? I’ll check their blog too.
Penny says
Found it! There’s a button on her sidebar 🙂
Ginny says
Great! Thank you so much! The donate button here goes to the same place, and donating doesn’t automatically enter you in the giveaway. I am sorry for the confusion! I was confused just trying to explain it all!!
Gail says
Ginny,
I’m so sorry this family is carrying this cross. My heart goes out to them and will, of course, pray for them.
thank you, too, for organizing this.
Gail
Gail says
Am so sorry this is happening tot his family. Will of course, pray for them and my love goes to them. Thank you, too, for organizing this.
teresa c says
It is a huge rial for this family, as it is for many others… I’m glad there are peple like you, willing to reach a hand and help.
The Barefoot Crofter says
Sending love too them – and to you for arranging this. We will be praying for them here xx
Nahuatl Vargas says
I can do little but I hope it will help.
Send them all my good hopes.
amy@tolove says
Oh my heart goes out to them. We were forced to move out of a house a week before Christmas a few years ago and it was so difficult (we also had five at the time and I was eight mos. Pregnant with number six). I know this hardship and will be praying. Bless you for being a wonderful friend.