As many of you already know, South Africa is a nation that has quickly become overwhelmed by the number of children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Few services are available for these children, whose number is estimated to be approaching 2 million.

It is the aim of Acres of Love to raise the bar for the standard of orphan care in South Africa, giving each child the same level of medical care, shelter, clothing, nutrition and love that we give to our very own. With each child that enters one of our homes, we are reaching this goal and simultaneously encountering hope amidst the rubble left in the wake of HIV/AIDS. Children that have been abused, thrown away, and left to die are experiencing restoration that seems impossible against the statistics, images, and forecasts.

On behalf of all at Acres of Love, we thank you for your continued love and support.

Best wishes and warm regards,

This Christmas will be unlike any other at Acres of Love! Throughout the months of November and December, a small team of seasoned staff and volunteers have been traveling one by one to South Africa loaded with treasures from Santa’s Workshop. This “Christmas Crew” has been transporting over 200 gifts so lovingly purchased for each individual child living in our Forever Homes. Along with lots of Christmas shopping, volunteers have kept their sewing machines stitching at full speed to make the 120 stockings waiting to be filled with surprises for Christmas morning.

While at Acres of Love in South Africa, these volunteers will be trimming each Forever Home with a Christmas tree, twinkling lights, ornaments made by our little ones and a frenzy of cookies and frosting! On Christmas Eve each home will be visited by the “Christmas Crew” for a telling of the real Christmas story – one so much like each of theirs – a child, born with so little, noticed by so few, who shone as a glimmer of hope in the midst of the surrounding darkness, and became the Light of the World.

As the holiday season approaches, you will be searching through catalogs for an appropriate gift to show your appreciation to clients, associates, and colleagues. But remember this, paperweights gather dust. Gourmet baskets are quickly consumed and soon forgotten. Flowering plants bloom once, and then shed their petals.

Acres of Love offers a meaningful alternative to gifts that have no lasting value; present the people on your list with a donation made in their name that will provide for the care of an abandoned child in South Africa. We will send an announcement to each person or corporate entity in whose name you have made your donation, explaining how, together, you and they are rescuing these children from a terrible and lonely fate. For more info please contact kelli@acresoflove.org or donate online.

You can make a difference in the life of a child. Please consider giving monthly or a one time gift, knowing that each gift is an investment in the lives of these children and an opportunity to change history, to restore justice, hope, and childhood to an entire generation.

Your Christmas Gift With A Purpose will help to provide for the ongoing needs of the children at Acres of Love including: new layettes purchased with the arrival of each sweet baby, the life-saving ARV medication and medical treatment critical for many of our children, and the educational costs associated with tuition and uniforms for each of our little scholars!

In amongst all of the golfing and Christmas planning, the Acres of Love team was privileged to attend an incredible event hosted by our partners in Santa Barbara, California. On the evening of October 28th, acclaimed jazz musician Warren Hill provided a musical backdrop for the Santa Barbara Party With A Purpose.

This incredible seaside community has joined together to open two forever homes across the ocean, effectively saving the lives and forever changing the futures of 20 amazing children.

This single evening raised the funds needed to support these homes for a large part of the coming year. Our deepest thanks go out to all whose love and effort made this Party With A Purpose such a memorable and successful event.

On Monday, October 30th, 29 golfers and several volunteers gathered at the El Niguel Country Club in Laguna Niguel to participate in the First Annual Acres of Love 100 Hole Golf Marathon. They started early in the morning and played golf literally all day and had a fantastic time!

The day culminated with a dinner celebration where we announced the incredible amount of funds raised as a result of each golfer securing financial pledges for their day of golfing (a special thanks goes to Scott Thomas who raised almost $35,000! – wow!)

Thanks to all of you who supported this event with your contributions – the funds raised will allow Acres of Love to rescue and care for more children in the days ahead.