FROM PATTI RAYNER IN LOS ANGELES

I wanted to share about the wonderful Los Angeles service project we held on Saturday, April 15th, 2006 in honor of the Easter and Passover holy days. The event was specially for the children living at the Maryvale Home for Girls. These girls, aged 6-18, have experienced significant traumas and are healing and recovering while at Maryvale.

Heartfelt and its 40 volunteers gave them just that kind of day — a day of peace, fun, safety, beauty, and abundance. There were beautiful arts and crafts projects of making ribboned Easter baskets for their egg hunts, and festive photo frames for their special photos with the Easter Bunny Himself! The Easter Bunny’s unexpected appearance and presence filled everyone with joy and amazement! Through face painting and tatto-decorating we shared healing love. Live baby bunnies, lambs, goats and chicks delighted the girls and opened their hearts. A picnic lunch on the lawn (assisted by Subway and IHOP) was a great treat as they listened to entertainment provided by beautiful singers. Three raucous egg hunts helped dispel the sugar rushes, and ended with a quiet and loving gift-giving to each girl on the rambling lawn.

Goodbyes were filled with loving appreciation from everyone present. And the girls’ faces were transformed into joy and upliftment, as were ours.

FROM TERI WUNDERMAN IN FLORIDA:

We had a lovely Heartfelt Easter project at the Children’s Crisis Shelter in South Florida on Easter Sunday. Eight Heartfelt volunteers showed up for a pizza party, coloring, playing ball, decorating Easter bags, having an Easter egg hunt, blowing bubbles, and lots of cuddling. We gave gift bags to the five staff on duty that day, and they all shared in the fun and love. The shelter was nearly full with sixteen children between the ages of 8 months and 11 years, so it was a very full day of joy and loving. To help put this on, we received cash donations from folks throughout South Florida as well as donations of homemade cookies, juice boxes, crayons and other goodies. Just imagine lots of tender smiling faces — the children, staff and Heartfelt volunteers.

AND MORE FROM FLORIDA
Here is a precious photo of loving in action from the Florida Children’s Insight Seminar in April. This little loved one who lives at the Children’s Crisis Shelter is reading a note written by a child in the seminar which was enclosed in a personally-decorated and blessed lunch bag complete with a sandwich, juice, cookies, and fresh flower.

When the Shelter children learned that the lunch bags were prepared by their fellow children and sent with love, peace and joy, they applauded and cheered, twice, and then devoured their goodies and, as you can see, savored their loving messages.