Thank you for visiting my fundraising page! I have chosen to support Cherish Our Children International (COCI) because they help the world's most vulnerable children.  I know that if I saw a small child all alone picking through garbage so that they could feed their hunger, I couldn't pass them by without ensuring that they would be safe from harm.

Likewise, knowing that children in the United States and around the world are living in desperate situations where they are in war torn areas or being beaten, raped, living on garbage dumps, and being abandoned without anyone to care about them tears at my heart. I cannot turn my back on them and I ask you to search your heart as well.

COCI is working hard to develop and fund projects and programs that provide a brighter future for the world's most vulnerable children. For example, the "No More Victims (NMV) program in Texas provides tutoring and counseling to high-risk children of incarcerated parents." Children with at least one parent in jail makes them twice as likely as other children to experience abuse and display violent disruptive behavior. Eight out of 10 of these children will end up incarcerated as well. "NMV focus is to assist risk children in preventing the continuing cycle of addiction, abuse, violence and incarceration by providing a safe facility for them to go."

Brittany, the girl in the picture, is a NMV success story. Before she got involved with the NMV program, she was living in a home where she was sexually abused and was getting into trouble.  Fortunately for Brittany, her participation in NMV turned her life around. She learned the importance of getting an education, how to be a responsible member of society and how to be a leader in her community. Her life is now altered and she has aspirations of getting a college degree and of being a performer.

COCI is creating miracles for these children - our children - and needs our help so they can reach even more youngsters. Children are our future and every donation, no matter how large or small, adds up. Please consider helping.

Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.

Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!

Love,

Liz