Don't Cry...I'm Here

Girls…Boys…Dolls…Bears…for Arrive Ministries Refugee Children in Minneapolis

Delivery to Arrive Ministries --7 totes-1....12-01-17dDelivery to Arrive Ministries --7 totes-2....12-01-17dDelivery to Arrive Ministries --7 totes-3....12-01-17dDelivery to Arrive Ministries --7 totes-4....12-01-17dDelivery to Arrive Ministries --7 totes-5....12-01-17dDelivery to Arrive Ministries --7 totes-6....12-01-17dDelivery to Arrive Ministries --7 totes-7....12-01-17d

We delivered a mixture of 7 Doll and Bear Tote Bags to Arrive Ministries today. What a pleasure it is to make these deliveries. Arrive Ministries is so excited to see what we have in their boxes. Today the Buddy Bear Tote and the Baby Doll Tote were brand new….so that especially exciting for them…..and exciting for me to deliver. These totes will be in the hands of 7 boys and girls very very soon!! These are all spoken for.

3 Little Refugees….3 Comfy Beds….3 Lovable Dolls

A SPECIAL TREAT!!
I received a very special email today from our Lutheran Social Service-Refugee Services-Minneapolis resettlement contact that I delivered the dolls to on Monday. These pictures are of the beds of the 3 little girls that arrived this week from Afghanistan. LSS placed our Doll Gift Tote Bags on their NEW beds. The beds look so comfy…I’m sure they were exhausted after their long journey to the US….and as they went to their beds… they found their dolls…..brand sparkling new….waiting for their loving arms.
 
Leah wanted me to share with you guys….that the girls LOVED the dolls, and were so excited to see them on their beds.
 
Another SUCCESS story!!Lutheran Social Service-Refugee Services-Minneapolis -Dolls on Beds...2...11-27-17
Lutheran Social Service-Refugee Services-Minneapolis -Dolls on Beds-11-27-17

Lutheran Social Service-Refugee Services-Minneapolis Receives 3 Doll Gift Tote Bags from Don’t Cry…I’m Here

Delivery to Lutheran Social Service--Refugee Services-Minneapolis - 11-27-17 A

I delivered 3 Doll Gift Tote Bags to Lutheran Social Service-Refugee Services-Minneapolis today.  This photo  is of the 3 Middle Eastern Doll Gift Tote Bags for 3 little Afghan girls that are arriving in Minneapolis tomorrow. Their Doll Gift Tote Bags will be on their beds when they arrive to their new home. What a surprise they will have when they take the first look at their new beds with the dolls on them.

“Don’t Cry…I’m Here” Receives A Very Generous Donation from the Edina, Minnesota Target Store

NEWS!!! Yesterday we received a very generous donation in the form of a gift card from our Edina, MN Target store to be used to purchase dolls and doll related items for our Doll Gift Tote Bags. Target has really gotten on-board with our charity and we have been supported by several of their stores in our area. A HUGE Thank You to Target!!Target 7000 York Ave S Edina MN gift card $20.00 11-10-17

“Don’t Cry…I’m Here” makes a special delivery of a Doll Gift Tote Bag to Arrive Ministries for a little Afghan Girl

Arrive Ministries Doll Gift Tote bags delivered - 1- 11-10-17Arrive Ministries Doll Gift Tote bags delivered - 2- 11-10-17Arrive Ministries Doll Gift Tote bags delivered - 3- 11-10-17Arrive Ministries Doll Gift Tote bags delivered - 4- 11-10-17

I would like to share with you some photos of today’s delivery of Doll Gift Tote Bags to Arrive Ministries. Arrive Ministries is such a positive and welcoming feeling resettlement organization. We delivered 1 Middle Eastern/Muslim doll that will be going to a little Afghan girl that arrived in the United States about 2 weeks ago.

So we have 1 more Doll Gift Tote Bag delivered….and will be with her new mommy shortly.

 

Doll Gift Tote Bag #34 Middle Eastern Muslim

“Don’t Cry…I’m Here” will begin work with the Lutheran Social Services Refugee Resettlement office in St. Cloud, Minnesota

I just want to let you all know that we will now be working with the Lutheran Social Services Refugee Resettlement office in St. Cloud, Minnesota. We were connected with a St. Cloud Immigration Attorney’s office through little Anfa (the little Kenya girl with our doll in the KSTP News story about a month or so ago). This attorney and her legal assistant contacted me and would like to help us in any way that we need to help “Welcome” these little refugee children to St. Cloud. St. Cloud has a large refugee population and there has been a huge struggle of acceptance of the refugees in their city. And that struggle has even been covered on our Minneapolis/St. Paul news stations. We need to “WELCOME” these little children and let their families know that there ARE people in this country that “Welcome” them with open arms.

So, I am working out details with them. This may create an up-tick in our needs…so let’s do our best to keep busy and get our Doll Gift Tote Bags and Boys Bears and Buddy Dolls to these little children as they arrive in the United States.

Sorry for the lengthy post…..just needed to get this word out.News-9

“Don’t Cry…I’m Here” receives Support from the OTSEGO, MN Target Store

NEWS!!! Today we received a very generous donation in the form of a gift card from our Otsego, MN Target store to be used to purchase dolls and doll related items for our Doll Gift Tote Bags. Target has really gotten on-board with our charity and  we have been supported by several of their stores in our area. A HUGE Thank You to Target!!

 

Target 15800 87th St NE Otsego MN gift card $50.00 11-2-17

Target Store in Crystal, MN supports “Don’t Cry…I’m Here” with a Gift Card

A HUGE thank you to the Crystal, Minnesota Target store for supporting our charity. They sent us a gift card that we can use to purchase items we need to complete our Doll Gift Tote Bags.

Target has been very supportive of our charity. This is the second Target store in the Minneapolis/St Paul area that has donated to “Don’t Cry…I’m Here”.Target 5537 W Broadway Ave, Crystal, MN $25.00 10-25-17

Arrive Ministries in Minneapolis receive 5 Doll Gift Tote Bags from “Don’t Cry…I’m Here” to “Welcome” Refugee Children

I would like to share with you some photos of today’s delivery of Doll Gift Tote Bags to Arrive Ministries. This is a very, very beautiful charity that works with the refugee families which begins by meeting the families at the airport….through helping them adapt to this country by providing a volunteer host family that helps them through their first months in the United States. They try to find them a place to live before they arrive in the States…but said sometimes that is difficult because they don’t get much notice of when they will arrive so sometimes employees of Arrive Ministries or volunteer families welcome them into their homes until housing is established.

So we have 5 more Doll Gift Tote Bags (4 girls and 1 boy) delivered….and will be with their new mommy’s or daddy shortly. One of the resettlement workers said they have a family of 5 arriving from Afghanistan tomorrow night and they have a little girl. So….one of the dolls will go out to this girl after they get a chance to rest after a very exhausting and stressful journey to the United States.

Thank you to everyone that is helping to make this work a reality. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to realize this charity IS INDEED doing what we are hoping to do.Delivery to Arrive Ministries 1--24-17 aDelivery to Arrive Ministries 10-24-17 bDelivery to Arrive Ministries 10-24-17 cDelivery to Arrive Ministries 10-24-17 dDelivery to Arrive Ministries-10-24-17Doll Gift Tote Bag #29 - Boys Bears and Buddy Dolls-Somali AfricanSomali boy doll in in Traditional Somali male clothing.

 

Doll Gift Tote Bag #30 African non-muslimAfrican girl doll in Traditional African clothing.

Doll Gift Tote Bag #31 African MuslimAfrican Muslim girl doll in Traditional Hijab and clothing.

 

Doll gift Tote Bag #32 Karen AsianKaren doll in Traditional Karen clothing.

 

Doll Gift Tote Bag #33 Middle Eastern MuslimMiddle Eastern Muslim doll in Traditional Muslim Hijab and clothing.

Our Mission at Don’t Cry…I’m Here is all About Smiles….and Smiles We See

Lutheran Social Service-Refugee Services Doll Donation #3

Here is a special treat for you! These 3 beautiful little girls received a “Don’t Cry…I’m Here” Doll Gift Tote Bags. Leah from Lutheran Social Service-Refugee Services sent me this photo this morning and I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I was to see these 3 girls with such HUGE smiles on their faces holding their dolls. How wonderful it must feel for the girls to have a doll that looks like they do and that wears clothing that matches their culture. It validates their culture and allows them to be proud of their culture. So….here is another success story. Let’s keep all of this great work going. Thanks everyone!!

Permission was given by Leah at Lutheran Social Service and the parents of the girls to share this photo with our group. Thanks so much Leah.