Fundraiser for Gertie!

Please read the whole thing--ways to help if you don't have money are included!

"Gertie" is a little girl waiting in an orphanage in Eastern Europe for a family to adopt her and bring her home. (Gertie is a fake name because of privacy laws.) She was recently listed on the website of Reece's Rainbow, a non-profit organization that raises funds for international special needs adoptions (reecesrainbow.org). Gertie turns five in September. She is currently in a "baby house", but once she turns five, she will be eligible for transfer out of the baby house, and it is very likely that she will not receive adequate medical care in the new place. She may be in a facility that is not designed for young children and in which she is not kept safe. Gertie's special needs are a heart condition, kidney problems, and a gall bladder problem. I don't know the details, but it's very likely that these problems need medical attention that she will not get in an orphanage, but are fairly standard in the US.

It will probably cost about $25,000 to adopt Gertie, and she only has $22.50 in her fund right now. I have committed to being her Guardian Angel, which means that I have promised to fundraise for her and raise awareness of her in the hope of finding her a family and reducing the financial impact on that family. In honor of her birthday, I am having the following fundraiser:

Electronic Change Round-Up
The basic idea here is that for the month of September, you will donate a small amount of money for each purchase you make. Here's how it works:

Every time you buy something, look at the receipt and figure out how much money you would need to round up to the next dollar. Remember that number. At the end of the month, add up all the numbers (or keep a running total through the month if that's easier) and make one lump sum donation to Gertie's grant fund.

Here's an example: I bought gas yesterday for a total of $36.09. That's 91 cents for Gertie. Then I bought coffee later that afternoon: $1.06. 94 more cents for her. Today I bought more gas (I drove about 450 miles this weekend--I don't usually spend this much on gas!): $36.52. 48 cents. So far I owe Gertie $2.33. Make sense? (If you're feeling faint at the thought of that much adding and subtracting, commit to give a flat amount, such as a dollar, per purchase instead. It will cost you a little more, but it's for a good cause and the math is easier.)

To donate to Gertie's grant fund, go here.

If you don't want to participate in this fundraiser, but you would like to donate, please do that at the same link. If you want to help, but you have no money, please share this fundraiser with your friends! And whether you donate or not, please pray that Gertie will be taken care of and that she will soon be adopted into a loving home.