Hi Everyone,
 
I had the privilege of volunteering with Division 25 - a class of incredible kids at Strathcona Elementary School in the downtown Eastside of Vancouver this year.  These kids suffer from a variety of things from physical, mental, and/or sexual abuse; mental health issues; substance abuse in the home; poor nutrition; neglect; and poverty. The team of adults that work with these children are so dedicated to these children but are limited in their resources to help these kids. Our government has made such deep cuts to our education and these kids suffer the most. 

We have an opportunity to help these neglected children and many more all over the lower mainland. United is a mentorship-based program for high risk youth. We're excited to finally be able to launch a program in our own backyard.  We need your help to make it happen.
 
All we need are votes. It's a popularity contest and we need anyone and everyone who supports us to cast a vote. You can vote 15 TIMES. Once per day.  We need to make past Round 1 (then 2..then 3).
 
If we make it to the end, we will be awarded $50,000-$100,000 and all the money goes into our United program. Most of you know about the remedial class of high risk kids I spoke of above. This grant will directly impact each and every one of those kids  - and kids like them all over the lower mainland.  Every single penny from this grant will go to them as both donations to the classrooms and free programs designed specifically for  these kids.

With all the support we've had and people who care about what we do, there's no reason why we can't score one of these amazing Aviva grants.

Please check out our Aviva page, cast a vote or 15, and pass this email on, tweet about it,  and post it on facebook or on your blog. These kids deserve the best: http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf10916












Have a great day,
Lamaro Holly Elissa

Note from e-Team: if you have a Facebook account, voting is even easier as you can just log in via FB. Literally takes you a few seconds!

Hello there folks!

We here at Caleb's Hope would love it if you would please click on this link, and have a look at our bid at the Aviva Community Fund.

The funding that we would gain if we succeed in our bid would go a long way towards helping our United project. So please, vote for us when the time comes!

We need volunteers for the Be Here Now gala this Sunday, November 14th at Sugar Studios in Vancouver. You get to work towards a great cause helping us raise funds for women and children in Northern Uganda, you'll get to enjoy a great launch party and you get to bring a friend who'll be issued a complimentary ticket to the party! A pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

So, if you're in Vancouver, or know of anyone who might be interested, please spread the word. Sign-up sheets and details available here.

Re-post from Facebook:

Caleb's Hope would like to borrow your batteries and memory cards!

If you can part with them, at least temporarily, your donation will help us document Project Build volunteers in action in Atiak, Northern Uganda, where electricity, among other things, is scarce. We'd like to borrow the following batteries and memory cards:

- Sony BPU60, BPU30 (for Sony PMW-EX1, with chargers if possible)
- Canon LP-E6 (for Canon 5DmII,7D)
- Nikon EN-EL3e
- Sony SxS cards
- CF Cards (4,8,16 or 32GB, pref 133X or faster)
- SD HC Cards
- Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo Cards

Dates needed: November 15 to December 20, 2010

Everything will be insured and will be in the hands of an experienced motion picture camera assistant while in Africa. We can arrange pick/up and drop/off via fb message or email.

Alternatively, leave a comment here on LJ and we'll get you sorted.

Due to unforseen events the much anticipated 2nd Annual "Be Here Now Gala" has been moved to Nov 14th. This night of silent auctions, raffles, and unveiling of a campaign exhibit all while celebrating with our celebrity supporters is promising not to disappoint. To all our friends of Caleb's Hope we thank you for your continued support and are excited to see at the Gala in November.

The new date is set to Nov 14th. Further details will be available at a later date. Meanwhile, if you have further questions regarding the tickets or the event, please email events@calebshope.org

 Official Press Release:

CALEB’S HOPE AND ‘CORNER SUITE BISTRO DE LUXE HOSTING 1ST ANNUAL ‘WE BUILD HOPE’; A DINING BENEFIT FOR REFUGEE WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN ATIAK, NORTHERN UGANDA.

VANCOUVER, BC – September 2010 - Multi-talented Canadian actor and Caleb’s Hope founder, Holly E. Dignard will play host to the upcoming Caleb’s Hope dining event, WE BUILD HOPE alongside ‘Corner Suite’ proprietor Steve Da Cruz taking place Tuesday, October 19th, 2010 at 7pm at acclaimed Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe in the heart of downtown Vancouver. Caleb’s Hope, a registered non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for vulnerable women and children affected by war, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. Caleb’s Hope’s focus is helping women develop business and community building skills by creating goods and/or services that are sustainable, eco-friendly, fair trade and competitive on a global scale while providing assistance to their children via art therapy and education programs.

WE BUILD HOPE: Caleb’s Hope is proud to be apart of the rebuilding process in war-ravaged Atiak, Northern Uganda. Project Build is fuelled by Canadian volunteers, Ugandan university students, and local leaders and villagers in Atiak. Architecture for Humanity Vancouver (AFHV) has graciously partnered with CH by hosting design charrettes and facilitating the donation of the Canada Place sails.

‘We Build Hope’ is a dining benefit with all proceeds going to the Project Build initiatives. ‘We Build Hope’ is an intimate dining experience where guests will mingle with Ms. Dignard, Mr. Da Cruz, Linus Lam of AFHV, as well as Caleb’s Hope Program Director Oneka Richard from Northern Uganda.

ABOUT PROJECT BUILD:
After 23 years of war with rebels, Atiak region in Northern Uganda is destroyed: homes and farmlands wipe out and millions of lives either lost or displaced. This year, government has forced closure on the IDP camps. Most people have gone home however the most vulnerable – women and children – are left behind. They have no funds to re-build, nor the physical strength due to AIDS, physical handicap, or the simple fact that some are children. They are left in the camps where safety, famine, health and education are of primary concern. Project Build works hand in hand with Caleb’s Hope Nyara Project – a business development program for vulnerable refugee women in Atiak. Project Build is proudly fuelled by Canadian volunteers, Ugandan university students, and local leaders and villagers in Atiak. It’s truly a historical moment with Canadians and Ugandans are working together to build these women homes, farmland regeneration for income, and schools for their kids while ensuring the continuation of their business development training via the Nyara Project.

Help us make it happen. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Caleb’s Hope Dining Benefit: We Build Hope
Where: Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe, 850 Thurlow Street, Vancouver, BC
Date: Tuesday, October 19th 2010
Time: 7:00pm – 12am

RSVP Mandatory: please email events@calebshope.org or info@thecornersuite.com for reservations and more information.

Holly Dignard, Steve Da Cruz and Linus Lam are available for interviews and photographs upon request.
For more information and media requests, please contact:
Kyla Beech, Event and Marketing Director – kyla@calebshope.org
For more information on Caleb’s Hope, please visit: www.calebshope.org
For more information on Corner Suite Bistro De Luxe, please visit: www.thecornersuite.com
Architecture for Humanity – www.afh-vancouver.org | Canada Place – www.canadaplace.ca

Hey everyone!

I have a new fund raising project, seoirse_1013  pointed out that it would be a good idea to post it here, seeing as it is CH related!

What I plan to do is to walk 50 miles in one week. That's at least 7 miles a day starting Saturday 2nd October, and ending Friday 8th October. It's an achievable target, and tests my endurance more than one long walk.

The money that I raise will be split between two causes.

Two thirds of the money will go to Project Build, a project run by Caleb's Hope, which aims to send a team out to Atiak in Uganda at the end of this year to:
- Build sustainable homes and rebuild communities for refugee women and children
- Prepare farm land to restore food security and cotton production based on a model of fair trade and sustainability
- Build a much-needed school (the school in Atiak is currently a bench under a tree)

I've been volunteering with Caleb's Hope for over a year now and I really support this project with all my heart.

The other third will be donated to a friend of mine, Shelley Templar, who I have been helping raise funds for her 'The Celebrity Design Project', which she's been working on at college.
Her current goal is to raise funds in order to get her to Vancouver for a photo shoot with some of the celebrities that have signed onto the project. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I'm going to do my best to help get her there!

So, it would mean the world to me, and to many other people involved in both projects, if you could support me in this by donating money to this endeavour!

Every little helps, as they say, and I will be extremely grateful for any money you can spare.

If you can't donate, then please help me by spreading the word!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Peace.

FACEBOOK | DONATE

Project Build's very first Charity Poker Tournament takes place on Saturday September 25th at the very chill & awesome Kitsilano Yacht Club at 6pm.

Come out for a great cause and for some good fun while overlooking Kits Beach and the glorious English Bay (and we'll have the hockey game playing and a gamer corner!)

Help us raise funds to get refugee women and their children in Northern Uganda HOME.


Backstory:

CH Nyara Project beneficiaries in Northern Uganda are all refugees living in an IDP camp. The government has closed the camps and the women and their children need to get home, and fast. Problem is, the women have no home to go to.

Project Build was launched by Caleb's Hope to assist the women of Nyara Project at this very crucial time. The conditions in the IDP camp puts their healthy, safety, and overall well-being in great risk - especially now with them being deemed as "closed" with no aid in site. There is an ongoing famine crisis and access to water and medicine is scarce.

A team of volunteers are going over to help rebuild the women's villages, farmland and a much-needed school for the kids. These volunteers will be working side-by-side with Ugandans: students, teachers, and people in the community.

The deets:
$30 buy in upon arrival, 6:30pm start
Cash bar on premises
Non-players welcome

1st place: 50% cash (50% goes to the CH Build Volunteers)

2nd place: Pair of Canucks tickets

3rd place: $100 restaurant gift cert

RSVP IS MANDATORY. Email events@calebshope.org or let us know over at our Facebook events page.

Hope to see you there! If you're not in Vancouver, or can't make it out that night, you can alternatively help the cause by donating here.

"I never expected this and every body is so shocked with the bombing. It's so painful seeing human beings killed in such a bombing. In fact, right now I am in Mukono just about 10 kilometers after Kampala. I know this is so bad news for our build team and the support but all is calm in Kampala today and businesses are taking place normally. Northern Uganda is safe and we remain hopeful that the situation will remain calm.

Thanks for your prayer and being with us in this painful moment.

Regards to all the team and every one should reamin calm,
Richard"

You can send Richard well wishes, questions, prayers, thoughts and all good things at his site:

www.onekarichard.com

The even will be held on this coming Tuesday, July 6th, from 8 pm onwards. 
VENUE: Cranes Hollywood Tavern, 1611 N. El Centro, 90028, Hollywood, CA.

*Crane's is located between Hollywood Blvd. and Sunset Blvd. just north of Selma between Gower and Vine*

Hosted by founder Holly Dignard with the always awesome Leah Cevoli ('Rock and Roll Report TV', 'Hollywood Unsigned').

With Special Guests:
Jason Charles Miller (www.jasoncharlesmiller.com)
Jim Ranger (www.myspace.com/jimranger)
Justine Warrington (www.justinewarrington.com)
Gary Melvin (www.garymelvin.com)
Chemistry Class
The comedic stylings of Daniel-Ryan Spaulding

and more to come...

Artists coming together to help the women and children who have survived the LRA war in Northern Uganda.

Join us for some live performances, drinks, food, and all around good times while raising some much needed coin for the women and children in Northern Uganda.

Sweet Nyara beads and cool T-shirts for sale!

100% of your donation will support Caleb's Hope's work in Northern Uganda.

~ $10 Suggested Cash Donation At Event ~
~ Money Orders are payable to Caleb's Hope ~
~ PayPal Donations: MySupport@calebshope.org ~

A very chill and casual night with some very chill and casual peeps at a very chill and casual joint.