|
|
|
|
|
This is an update for both Sheep Not Goats, our 501(c) (3) charitable organization, and Sheep Dreamzzz Baby Blankets, one of its charitable projects.
|
|
Combining the two makes sense since it's Giving Tuesday. We want the Sheep Not Goats crowd, including our current donors, to know that giving a baby blanket is another great way to support our work. And we want those who have engaged with Sheep Dreamzzz to know about our other work and that we are not just selling baby gifts online but are actively engaged on the ground in Nicaragua with the people there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sheep Dreamzzz
|
|
You probably won't be hearing from Target, BuyBuyBaby, and the other factory-made baby blanket suppliers on Giving Tuesday, but here's why we're different:
|
|
|
When you buy a blanket, we've already bought the yarn and paid the knitter. From a financial perspective, a blanket purchase has the same impact as a donation - straight to the bottom line. And none of it goes to anyone "administering" things in the US!
|
|
So if there's anyone in your life who has a baby or toddler, will soon have one, or who IS one, please consider adding a Sheep Dreamzzz blanket, lovey, or gift set to your gift-giving plans this year! That's How You Can Help #1
|
|
Latest Review - from Roberta, 10 days ago
|
The perfect gift!
This is the third Sheep Dreamzzz blanket I’ve purchased and it’s just as beautiful as the others. I love all things handmade and I love the idea that my purchase is not just a blessing to the recipient but to the crafter. Well done, Sheep Dreamzzz!
|
|
Roberta bought a 60% cotton handmade blanket just like the one below. We also have this exact same blanket in teal and coral.
|
|
|
Build a Home
|
We want to build a small house (~300 sq ft) for an older woman who has worked on the farm since her husband died some years ago. Her name is Alejandra and since her husband Alejandro died she has wandered from place to place. Her current spot is basically a tin roof supported by 4 poles with some plastic and rusted metal as the "walls." Dirt inside and not very close to the farm.
|
|
Just imagine how she felt when 2 hurricanes came across Nicaragua this year. Luckily they were relatively minor.
|
|
|
It will cost about $2000 to carve out a small corner of our farm for her and build a small brick structure. We'll tie her in to our solar-powered electricity so she won't face that expense, but put her on city water for which she'll be responsible.
|
Alejandra is in the state she's in because in Nicaragua the spouse of a deceased husband has few rights. Her husband's family kicked her out almost the minute he died and has nothing to do with her. On our farm she walks it Saturdays and Sundays just to show a human presence when nobody else is working.
|
|
You can help by making a donation and telling us it's for this project. Alejandra will never worry again about having a place to live. We're happy to entertain the idea of someone with some building skills (masonry or welding probably most helpful) coming down if they or someone else find funds for the building materials.
|
|
Help Us Online
|
This one's a bit of a freebie. Help us with our Sheep Dreamzzz web presence. We've made great progress this year: we're on page 1 of Google search results for searches like handmade baby blankets, lightweight baby blankets, handmade baby girl blankets, and others.
|
Help us by linking to sheepdreamzzz.org from your own web site. That increases our "domain authority" and tells Google that we matter. Link to our home page or whatever other page you like. Links from social media like facebook are nice but don't help in the same way.
|
|
Of course engaging with us on facebook and instagram helps as well as it tells others that you find us interesting.
|
|
|
|
Buying Beverly Hills
|
We're sharing this just because it's a little interesting and shows some progress with Sheep Dreamzzz awareness.
|
|
Multiple people contacted us to say they saw one of our blankets on the Netflix show Buying Beverly Hills. And it turned out to be true. We know we've sold a couple of blankets because of this.
|
|
|
|
|
Huevos Rancheros?
|
|
In June we put chickens in the gallinero (henhouse) we'd just finished on the farm in Nicaragua for egg production. We are excited about the potential for great income for our workers from this.
|
|
|
|
The photo above is from day one, and 4 months later we're getting more and more eggs each week. It's income like this that will enable us to rely less and less on donations in the future.
|
|
|
|
Not a stock photo - these are our eggs! Also we can confidently report that, from our experience, the chickens come before the eggs.
|
|
Help with Chickens
|
When we were last in Nicaragua we built a second henhouse - all except the floor, feeders, waterers, and of course the birds, including their medicines and food.
|
|
Give $500 and we'll be able to finish up and double our egg production early in 2023. And free omelets whenever you are in Nicaragua!
|
|
Christmas Blankets
|
|
We have some blanket options that are tailored for Christmas. What baby do you know that is about to experience his or her first Christmas?
|
|
|
|
Both the lovey above and the gift set below come with a super-soft baby reindeer doll (OK, it's a regular deer fawn but he dreams of being a reindeer).
|
|
|
|
Yes, that's a lamb, not a deer because if we don't sell this one (that's all we have) for Christmas then it's just a colorful baby blanket gift set. Ask for the deer fawn and we'll send it.
|
|
Don't Like Our Blankets?
|
|
We can vary the size, yarn, or colors for you, add a back to it, satin border - you name it. We've made blankets for people supporting a certain sports team.
|
|
|
|
Just ask! We should be able to get your custom blanket to you by the end of January. We welcome the challenge.
|
|
Become a Donor
|
We need funds for various needs on the farm such as purchasing more fruit-producing plants. We have lots of guava but need to fill in spots with perhaps 50 more. And it's always a challenge to keep up with our fencing.
|
Any one-time gift helps but if you aren't one already, please consider becoming a monthly donor at any amount!
|
|
All donations happen here.
|
|
Another Way to Help
|
We know people who have hundreds of thousands if not millions of frequent flyer miles. If you are willing to help us with our (infrequent) trips to Nicaragua that would have a direct impact.
|
We are not asking you to transfer them anywhere, just to be open to a call asking you to book a flight using your miles when the need arises. We know that mileage requirements vary by date and are very flexible as to precise dates.
|
We often have to include a night at the Best Western in Managua, so those points would help also.
|
|
If you can help in this way, let us know here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
