A charity that is very near and dear to my heart, Rainbow Dreams, is in need of your help! My wonderful mother in law and sister in law have banded together along with other great people in their community to help provide children in need with appropriate bedroom furniture, paint, books, etc. They are currently looking for help with raising funds to provide for three different families living in Livingston County, Michigan. You can read about them below:

3 Families (8 Children) Waiting in the Wings

 

1. An 11-year old boy lives in Hartland  is unable to attend school due to 2 very serious, life threatening, diseases that prevent him from leaving his home. Catching the smallest illness from other students puts him at great risk and could be life threatening. The family’s dream is to convert one of the rooms in their home into a classroom in hopes that the child will be  inspired and continue his love of learning.  His father suffers from MS and the medical bills for both of them are astronomical, therefore they do not have money that they can devote to the dream of a converted school room. Although this is not a typical project for Rainbow Dreams, we would love to help with this project. Our hearts go out to this family and our love for continued learning is a match!

 

2. We also have a 1 year old baby, living in Howell, whose mother has a brain injury and struggles with long & short-term memory. She has lost many of her organizational skills but would like to be taught these skills once again. The baby is sleeping is a pack-n-play and needs a permanent bed. Rainbow Dreams would like to purchase a bed, bedding,  additional furniture as needed, and some child development toys/books. We also want to help the mother to organize the home while teaching organizational skills.

 

3. Our third family includes 6 children living with retired grandparents. Dad is not in the picture and mom is a drug addict who lost all parental rights to her children. Two of the children, ages 3 years &  4 1/2 years, share a bedroom with an older aunt who was homeless until she moved in with grandparents.  Both toddlers are sleeping in baby cribs and ready for toddler or twin beds but grandparents are barely able to provide food and basic clothing for the 6 children.  They do not have money to purchase additional beds and bedding for the toddlers. Our primary goal is to create a bedroom appropriate for the toddlers which will include new beds, bedding, dressers, bookshelves with books, new paint, and decorations. We never go into a home and help only 1 or 2 of the children. If there are additional siblings, we also provide them with any needs that are identified by our board of directors. If no needs are identified, we provide the other children with a special gift that matches their special hobbies or special interest.

 

Rainbow Dreams typically spends about $1,500 – $1,700 per room depending on the needs of the children. We purchase all new furniture and bedding. In addition, we purchase paint, painting supplies, rugs, decorations, bookshelves, books, and even a new set of pajamas.Before agreeing to take on a project, our board of directors visit the home and complete a full interview. Follow up visits after the project is completed are made to be sure the children continue to benefit from the bedroom make-over.

 

I know that Lily Shine fans are some of the most generous and caring fans out there, and I’m asking for your help! I have joined forces with several amazing boutiques that have donated some pretty fabulous items towards the charity auction found on my facebook page. If you aren’t interested in purchasing any of those items, you can donate directly to Rainbow Dreams on their website. I am hoping to raise enough money to help at least one of those families above, I know we can do it!!!!!

And, because a picture says a thousand words, head over to the Rainbow Dreams photo gallery and see photos of Rainbow Dreams founders in action, putting together bedrooms for some of their families in need!