Uganda Bound! Endless thanks

Tuesday, July 30th, 2013

Tomorrow morning bright and early our team heads off to Uganda.  Why am I up so late then writing this blog?  Simply to thank everyone for their support and love for this cause.  Without your support we would not be able to go and make a difference with clean water in thousands of people’s lives.  THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!

Special thanks goes to the Taste of Loomis event and all who sponsored, came as vendors, attended, volunteered or helped in any way.  This event helped raise the largest portion of funds for this project.  We also want to thank Shannon Tobin and Tess Conrad for their “Flow for Water” event that also helped raise support for 22 water filters for Uganda.  Thanks to all of our monthly donors.  Thanks to Granite Bay Rotary for your international funds towards this project and thanks to the Hoehl Family Foundation for the grant for this project.  Kids gave up birthdays to help raise funds, small kiddos gave coins out of their piggy banks to help other children receive clean water and the list goes on and on.  There are so many people getting involved and helping in whatever way they can. I love this amazing support and I’m blessed to see it impact people’s lives in such positive ways.

THANKS SO MUCH TO OUR AMAZING FOA VOLUNTEERS!!!  YOU ARE ALL SO SPECIAL AND WE CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH!!!

We feel and appreciated the support from everyone and it travels with us to Uganda.  Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers while we are on this journey.  We look forward to sharing the work with you all along with pictures and stories when we get back home. – Carrie Beth

Meet Our 2013 Uganda Team

Wednesday, July 17th, 2013

I am so excited to be heading to Uganda, Africa with an amazing group of people.  Our volunteers both at home and the ones that go and serve make this organization so special to be a part of.  I feel blessed to have these wonderful individuals join FOA on this trip.  We have a full schedule while in Uganda and the travel is a bit insane but I know our team will work great together to make this trip a very successful one.  Shana and Michael will be working on shooting film for the documentary as well as assisting us with the water project.  We are thrilled to have them joining us. Thanks for everyone’s continued support for this work.  We appreciate all of your thoughts, prayers and positive energy for us as we prepare for this mission. – Carrie Beth

Shana Nunez, Carrie Beth, Anna Morrison, Laura Mason, Michael Corey

Shana Nunez – Just over a year ago a friend asked if I wouldn’t mind helping design a logo for For One Another Foundation. I began following along with their projects and became inspired by the work they are doing. They are a real story of how anyone with passion can truly make a difference. I’ll be traveling with the group to Uganda to both volunteer and shoot video of the project to create a documentary about the need for clean water around the world and the work that For One Another is doing. I’m excited and honored to be a small part of the amazing work they are doing.

Shana Nunez

Anna Morrison – I only recently heard about For One Another but was so inspired by the people I knew who were involved, and with the organization’s focus on the basic necessity of water, I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. To be able to go to a part of the world that tourists rarely see, and to actually assist in creating clean water systems for people without is going to be an incredible experience and one that I am extremely lucky to be participate on.

Anna Morrison

Laura Mason – I have been involved with For One Another for the past few years, fundraising and helping to plan events.  It was truly been a privalege to be a part of Carrie’s organization and witness the good work that is being done for those so desperately in need.  I am currently working towards my nursing degree and am excited to contribute first hand to the efforts of For One Another in Uganda.  I am humbled by this opportunity and hope to learn from the amazing people of the Karamoja region of what it means to truly appreciate God’s blessings.

Laura Mason with her husband Nich

Hair Goes to Locks of Love in Preparation for Africa

Wednesday, July 10th, 2013

Before….

Wow! All of my hair in a ponytail!

Sara Hunt and I after she cut my hair off!

After!

In preparation for Africa I felt compelled to make a big change in my life.  I decided to chop off my hair.  I felt nervous and excited all at the same time.  I have had long hair for the last 5 years and I knew it would be quite a change.  I had so much hair that I was able to donate it to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs for children that have lost their hair to chemo and other illnesses.  What a wonderful day!  Now I will have less hair to take care of while I am in Africa.  While we will have showers where we are staying there is a chance of not having water on some of those days.  There were several days last year in Uganda that we didn’t have enough water to wash our hair or take showers.  Having short hair will be a lot easier to manage.  So this decision became a win/win for a child in need of a wig and for my hair not to become one big dread lock while traveling in Africa.  Yay!!!

CAUSES OF HAIR LOSS

Locks of Love is devoted to helping every child suffering from medical hair loss, thus we do not discriminate as to the cause of hair loss. We list the following information in an attempt to explain types of hair loss and specific needs of individual recipients.

Alopecia Our largest number of children live with alopecia. Alopecia is an auto-immune disorder that causes the hair follicles to shut down. This disease has varying degrees and affects 4.7 million people in the United States alone. Alopecia areata affects both sexes equally and may, but does not always, progress to significant hair loss. Currently, there is no known cause or cure for alopecia. The degrees of alopecia are as follows: Alopecia Areata Ophiasis-loss in bands along the scalp margins Alopecia Areata Sisaipho-loss of all scalp hair except along the scalp margins Alopecia Totalis-loss of all scalp hair Alopecia Universalis-loss of all scalp and body hair Cancer Cancer constitutes the second highest percentage of our recipients. Every year approximately 2,200 children under age 20 are diagnosed with brain tumors. Radiation treatment to the brain stem as a treatment for cancer can cause permanent hair loss. Chemotherapy may also cause hair loss to be long-term depending on the length of treatment needed. Other causes of hair loss account for a small percentage of our recipients. Ectodermal Dysplasia-A heritable disorder that affects the formation of the ectoderm. Extremely sparse hair can be a result of ectoderm abnormality. Loose Anagen Syndrome-An abnormality where hair is thin and normally does not grow beyond the nape of the neck. Trichotillomania-Compulsive and repetitive hair pulling. Telogen Effluvium-Diffuse but excessive shedding related to sudden stress. Trauma-burns, accidents, dog attacks, etc. For more info go to locksoflove.org