NYC Fundraising Event
Jim Miller • September 12, 2019
In celebration of the Ethiopian New Year, and to support the orphaned and vulnerable children that M.O.R.E. has sustained for more than a decade, a very special event was held in New York City on September 11.
Over 60 guests attended an evening reception at the famed West Harlem restaurant, Settepane located at 196 Lennox Ave. Settepane’s owner and M.O.R.E. Board of Directors member, Leah Abraham was the host for the evening, along with fellow M.O.R.E. Board members Jennifer Baxter and Yodit Amaha.
This date was selected for the fundraising event to show our gratitude for the many years of successful service by all of our donors and friends… and to welcome the New Year with hope, love and peace for everyone involved in the truly wonderful community of hundreds of kindhearted people who have been so generous in providing life-saving and essential care for over 2,000 orphaned and vulnerable children of the MSC program in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The event’s highlight was the screening of a wonderful New Year’s festivity video message from a group of the children who are supported by M.O.R.E, along with a greeting of appreciation and warm wishes from Sister Mariam Senkenesh, the Founder and Director of the Medhen Social Center (MSC).
New Years (or Enkutatash) marks the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the Spring sunshine with daisies blossoming everywhere. The lyrics of the song welcome the New Year with hope, a wish for a better year to come, and gratitude for the past year. The yellow color of the daisies represents peace, hope and love.
I want to give special thanks to Leah, Jen, and Yodit for their amazing work putting together the delightful event, along with Nino (Leah’s husband and Settepane co-owner). Also my deep appreciation to Executive Committee Members of the M.O.R.E. Board: Nancy Holland, Bob Holland and Dr. Sam Parsia, for their essential support of the event and their deeply heartfelt remarks provided to the crowd. Not able to attend, but providing great support from afar were our other M.O.R.E. Board Members, Dr. Leelie Selassie, Dr. Ashley Meredith, and Dr. Asqual Getaneh.
Also special appreciation goes out the Bekele Mekonnen, the artist and filmmaker, and his students Daniel and Yosef, for shooting and producing the video and to Jack Baxter for all of his technical assistance.
Lastly, I want to thank all of those generous souls who provided contributions - your gifts will help “MORE’s” children welcome the New Year with hope for future opportunities.
Sister Senkenesh Gebre-Mariam has devoted her life to uplifting the children and community at the Medhen Social Center. She is an icon of love and compassion, and a role model to many. Here are three things you may not know about our Sister: 1. She trained her whole staff to see people beyond their labels. Instead of focusing only on needs, she helps her team use asset and strength-based care, recognizing people’s gifts and stories, not just their challenges. 2. Her vision helps to serve thousands of people a month, and she believes in partnership. Real change happens with one another. 3. She leads with love in action, and unwavering tender care is what guides everything she does. Celebrate Sister and her impactful work with a gift on this Tender Tuesday. Visit www.morechildren.org to find out MORE!
The staff members at the Medhen Social Center (MSC) are truly exceptional. They are dedicated people who work with compassion and determination to help the children and their families every single day. From the social workers to the teachers to the administration and beyond, every staff member exemplifies the definition of tenderness. They are not only committed to the well-being of the children and families they serve, but they also build strength within the entire community as well. During a conversation with one of the social workers, he mentioned he will often stop by to check in and say hello to the some of the families, even during days where he is not “working”. He let us know he does this because he genuinely enjoys what he does, and because he wholeheartedly wants to. His heart is immersed within the community, and thus inspires all of us to share and spread the love. May this Tender Tuesday bring you a sense of warmth, joy, and of course, tenderness.
Hello there, Tender Tuesday. What do physical health, intellectual growth, and emotional well-being all have in common? Every child assisted by MSC receives attention to all three, benefitting from a network of home-based care that pairs kids needing families with families that have love to give. MSC’s unique model offers a loving and holistic approach that is essential for children to grow and thrive. Support for programs that nurture children’s psychosocial growth, emotional well-being, mental health, and MORE is made possible by donors like the parishioners at Good Shepherd Parish in New Jersey. Last month, they laced up their shoes and walked with purpose, raising over $10,000 for M.O.R.E.! Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for ALL the love and support we’ve received.
The word tender carries many meanings, including caring, warmhearted, kind, and compassionate. Starting today, Giving Tuesday, M.O.R.E. launches “Tender Tuesdays” to share snippets of stories surrounding the incredible impact that donor dollars have in providing the most tender care to orphaned and vulnerable children and youth in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Thank you so much for your support – an important reminder of all the goodness that exists in this world! A recent flood this fall brought a lot of damage near and around The Medhen Social Center (MSC). The caring, responsive, and prepared staff members at MSC quickly jumped into action to rescue 15 families, including infants and children. They were able to rapidly provide them with food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities that may have been lost. In moments of crisis, tenderness became action, and compassion became the bridge that carried these families back towards hope.
Board Member Visits to Medhen
Despite a global health crisis, rising inflation, and civil war, MSC perseveres.
A conversation with longtime M.O.R.E. supporter, Lynn Devereux
Board member, Nancy Holland, is featured on New York Fox 5 as the Everyday Hero for April 2, 2021. Her work with CardsForMORE , and other contributions to the children of Medhen, are featured.
The emotional account of the loss of Rakbe's parents amid the aftermath of the disastrous dump collapse at Koshe, and how MSC helped Rakbe to pick up the pieces of her life and move on.
The inspiring story of Mebratu's journey to Addis with his mother and grandmother, and the transformative services that they received from the Medhen Social Center upon their arrival.