Tuesday, November 23, 2021

a brief review of 2020-21


First, I must start with a big THANK YOU to all our supporters, any way you support us is meaningful and helpful. Thank you for praying, giving, and sharing! Keep it up! Here are a few things of note from the past two years:

  • August 2021 marked FIVE years since Sent from Heaven started! Woo hoo!
  • In 2020, 22 care packages were delivered by mail or picked up by the requestor. This number was down from 51 in 2019, our highest number of packages in a year to date. This was expected considering the vast effects of the pandemic.
  • So far in 2021, 20 care packages have been delivered. 
  • Three modified care packages were sent overseas to Asia, and I know at least one has arrived!
  • Financial support has remained steady, allowing us to continue sending care packages by mail when needed. However, the price to send a flat rate medium box has gone up again to $16.25!

 What can you do for us?

  • Pray for our reach and the grieving families. Pray these families would be able to see hope in the midst of their great pain.
  • Give financially. You can do this online or by sending a check with "Sent from Heaven" in the memo to Sierra Baptist Church in Visalia. 
  • https://paypal.me/sentfromheavenca?country.x=US&locale.x=en_USWe could use a little help with our online presence, if anyone has ideas or wants to pitch in with that.
  • Spread the word about Sent from Heaven however you can--online or in person! If you'd like some of our business cards and/or postcards for passing out, we would love to get some to you.
  • If you're on Facebook, please navigate to our page and leave a review.

We hope you have a peaceful and blessed holiday season!

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Friday, November 8, 2019

It's been busy lately!

The end of summer and beginning of fall has been a busy and blessed season for Sent from Heaven. In August we celebrated our THIRD birthday. I set up a table at a Women's Health Day in Visalia where 100s of women saw our table and talked to us. They even awarded us with the best decorated table, which was very sweet.
On the last Sunday of August we invited everyone in town to join us for coffee at Component Coffee Lab, and they had a better than average Sunday! They graciously donated 15% of the profits to us, totaling just over $500. I also hung out there for much of the day, allowing me to connect with tons of people, including a local midwife at the Visalia OBGYN office. We are beyond grateful for all that Component owners Jon, Greg, Mikayla, and Miguel have done for us! Go support them!

In September, the shirt Faith over Fear shirt orders came to us with a $55 donation! After totaling up all donations from August and September, we received around $1000! What a blessing for us! We were able to use that to restock the beautiful books and memorial jewelry we include in our care packages, as well as all the other smaller items. If you would ever like to donate specific items to us, you can shop our Amazon Wish List! All items from the list are sent directly to us so you don't have to go to the store or even get the items to us.

October was Child Loss Awareness Month in which we shared about on social media. We also attended the Legacy of Love Dinner and Memorial Candle Lighting. This event is nicely done, free, and family-friendly. It happens near Oct. 15th each year, so plan to come next year if you can! Legacy of Love is a local support group for moms and dads who lose a child during pregnancy or the first year of life. Also, on October 15th, we delivered our 100th care package! While we mourn the loss of so many children, we are grateful to be able to offer hope to all these families during a most difficult time.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR US?

  • January: We will launch a child loss support group in Hanford, CA that will meet monthly. If you know a place we can meet for free, please let us know!
  • Spring: annual Always in Our Hearts silent auction. I think this is going to be a little different than the past two years. More details to come. We would love to include weekend getaways and tickets to amusement parks in the auction this year. If you know how we can get these, please contact us.
  • Becoming a stand-alone non-profit: Currently we are a ministry of Sierra Baptist Church and this has been a great relationship but we don't want to take advantage of this either. To become a non-profit it costly and we need to establish a board of directors. This means we need a few people (4-5) who can commit to monthly meetings, volunteering as needed, and inputting ideas. CAN YOU DO THIS?? We would love to consider adding you to our circle of influence. 
  • For now, we won't be sending out special emails but posting all information on the website, Facebook, and Instagram. We don't have the time or right person currently to help with emails and social media. However, we will try to add everyone who receives emails to our website subscriber list so you can still keep up with us.
Thank you, as always, for your prayers and support! Keep spreading the word!
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Thursday, August 8, 2019

All the ways you can celebrate our THIRD birthday!

We have a lot of options for you to help! Additionally, you can always shop our Amazon Wish List or make a donation of any amount.

Right Now...You can shop online and a portion of the proceeds will be given to us!

Shop all sorts of skin care, body care, and make up (including LipSense) at Jessica's Senegence shop.

Order a FAITH over FEAR t-shirt in rosy pink or grey for $25, and $5 will be donated for each shirt ordered. Fill out the order form on our website. You can also see the designs on the order form.

Saturday, August 17

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Saturday, August 3, 2019

Faith Over Fear Shirt Ordering

Sweet and Sassy Vinyl Creations in Tennessee is graciously supporting us by donating $5 to us for EVERY one of these shirts that's ordered during August!! Why August?? August is our birthday month, and we're turning THREE!!! Fill out the form below and Sweet and Sassy will you send you a PayPal bill shortly. These are made to order and will likely be shipped in September.

Wear these shirts to:
  • Honor your child in heaven
  • Show solidarity with men and women who have lost a child
  • Support Sent from Heaven and families who have lost a child
  • Bring awareness to child loss (especially during the upcoming Child Loss Awareness Month in October) 
  • Remind yourself and show the world that FAITH can overcome FEAR
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Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Spread the word about us!

We're looking for Sent from Heaven ambassadors! What's that? It's a simple commitment to spread the word about us and what we do. The people we reach are wholly dependent upon word-of-mouth referral. We don't advertise anywhere and we're still working on getting our information in local hospitals. So YOU are our best way to spread the word about us right now. 

This could take many different forms, including but not limited to:
  • Share our social media posts (super simple!)
  • Create an original post about us on your social media or blog
  • Give our cards to people you know
  • Bring it up in conversation with anyone you do business with like your hair stylist or barista. This could be as simple as, "Have you heard of the organization Sent from Heaven?" and then share what we do in a sentence or hand them our card.
  • Tell your pastors about us and our desire to partner with churches
  • Tell your OB, pediatrician, and general care doctor about us
You don't have to share in all of these ways; you can just choose what suits you. The point is just getting the word out. If you'd like to be an ambassador, fill out the short form below and we'll get a stack of our business cards to you with some basic information about the organization for anyone who has questions. You'll also get insider information about us and tips for sharing about what we do.

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Saturday, March 16, 2019

dreams for the future

When I founded Sent from Heaven about 2.5 years ago, I really wasn't sure what would happen. Up to this point, we have created nearly 70 care packages! They were all FREE, too! I have been trying to expand our reach by getting in touch with churches and hospitals. Sometimes this has been profitable, but often it has not. But I think there are other ways to expand our reach, so here are some dreams for the future:
  • Hire a social media guru (an intern or volunteer would be great!)
  • Create a board of directors that meets regularly and volunteers to help with what we're doing
  • Hold memorial services for families who have received baskets at least twice a year
  • Hold an annual couple's retreat for those who have lost a child
  • Learn more about the grieving process
  • Advocate for bereavement days at work after miscarriage
  • Open other Sent from Heaven chapters around the nation
Are you interested in any of this? Send me an email at sentfromheavenvisalia@gmail.com
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Wednesday, January 9, 2019

Always in Our Hearts Silent Auction 2019

YOU'RE INVITED!

Join us for our annual Always in Our Hearts silent auction

Friday, February 8, 2019 at 7pm

Merryman Station in Exeter

LIVE MUSIC - DELICIOUS FOOD - FRIENDS - FUN

Your Name

This event was fantastic at Merryman Station last year, so we're holding it again there this year. The same fabulous band, led by my father-in-law Bruce Lamb will be playing again! We're also going to have plenty of finger foods and desserts available. Please come support us at our biggest event of the year, and bring your friends! Get your tickets below before they sell out! (Enter your name in the box above the "Buy Now" button and then click the button). You can also pay Amanda in-person for tickets before the event to ensure a spot for yourself.
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Monday, September 24, 2018

What items can I give that will go in care packages?

As you can see, no two care packages are exactly alike. Each one is assembled based on the grieving family's need. There are some staples for every basket though, so if you'd like to get items to go directly in a basket, here's what we need:
  • Individually-wrapped and non-perishable snacks for adults and children that are more healthy
  • Boxes of tissue
  • Packages of pocket tissue
  • Meal gift cards of at least $25
  • Herbal (non-caffeinated) tea
You may also purchase coloring book sets for $10 each from my friend Jaime who's an Usborne representative. More info to come on this!

Why these items?
When the idea of this organization was formed we sat and brainstormed about items we would have wanted or did receive that we really appreciated. Many of these items are chosen particularly to help with the immediate grief. Other items are chosen to hopefully help families heal, like books about grief and memorial jewelry.

All donations are tax-deductible.
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Wednesday, September 19, 2018

What can you donate for Child Loss Awareness Month 2018?

$25 purchases a journal, tissue, snacks, and more for a care package
$50 gifts jewelry for several grieving mamas
$100 sponsors our October Balloon Release for package recipients
$200 pays for marketing materials and supplies
$350 helps us reach our grieving community
$500 sponsors our silent auction event
$1,000 gives hope to many who need it


Approximately 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage. Many couples suffer this loss silently.

Depression, anxiety, and guilt often follow after the loss of a child. And who is there to help? We are.

Many marriages end in divorce after infant death. There's a lack of community and resources for them. We want to help change this.

In the next year, Sent from Heaven desires to build a community with those who receive our care packages to help fill many of the needs described. We have created an online community for these families and will be having regular events for them. They need to know they're not alone.
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