Throughout early October, the TMF headquarters was abuzz in preparation for this year’s medical trip to India. As the deadline approached and the days got busier, the TMF staff was greatly relieved when, on Friday, October 15, six women from the Global Voices Summit volunteered to help with the numerous tasks that needed to be completed in time for the Ambassadors’ October 22 departure.

The Global Voices Summit (GVS) is a platform “to connect and empower women to transform our worlds.” This year, the First Baptist Church in Austin hosted GVS’s annual gathering. The two-day event allowed participants to volunteer within the community and to attend sessions led by local, national and international leaders who are tackling women’s issues. Our founder Caroline Boudreaux was one of the featured speakers, participating in a seminar entitled, “Calling to Compassion.”

The GVS women were a huge help, as they rolled up their sleeves and instantly got to work. While some helped update TMF’s databases, a fearless few logged and packed artwork and letters for our children in India, braving countless glitter-filled envelopes! The artwork and letters were submitted by sponsors, students from Round Rock Montessori School and Fern Bluff Elementary School in Round Rock, and a local Bible Study group. Dr. Sujata Jerre even held a letter-writing party at her house to ensure that every one of our children felt loved and appreciated.

Some of the highlights can be seen below.

In addition to the beautiful letters and artwork for our kids in India, we also received thousands of handmade baby blankets, booties and balls provided by Craft Hope.

Craft Hope, founded by Jade Sims, is an organization focused on “spreading seeds of hope one stitch at a time” (Craft Hope, 2009). Learning of TMF’s cause and our need for baby items, Jade posted a blog on her web site.  Shortly afterwards, she and her many followers got to work. Their efforts produced 2,800 items, which they donated to The Miracle Foundation. One of our dedicated volunteers helped sort through and pack up the beautifully handmade baby items for transport to the children in India.

We would like to send out our heartfelt thanks to the women of the Global Leadership Summit, Jade Sims and Craft Hope, and all of our amazing volunteers. Every one of you played an important role in helping us to prepare for the October Medical Trip. We absolutely couldn’t have accomplished all that needed to be done without each and every one of you!