christmas united 2010

If you've been in the store recently, you may have noticed some handmade wares from Uganda for sale on the shelves. These items were available for purchase to support a UK-based charity called Retrak Uganda. They work with children in Africa that are living on the streets and give them a real alternative to life in poverty. These children are often abused or violated on the streets and are considered 'barely human' by society. Retrak's goal is to help these children realize their full potential and discover their inherent worth.

Retrak recently took part in an event called Christmas United 2010 and we were humbled to find out that the support money Buddy Brew Coffee raised in store was used to allow 20 children and 2 supervisors from Retrak to attend this Christmas event. Christmas United 2010 was an initiative set up by Tukutana, an organization that provides support to individuals and church-based organizations that are committed to meeting the spiritual, physical, emotional and educational needs of Uganda's orphaned and most vulnerable children. Christmas United 2010 gave 280 children the chance to experience their best Christmas ever. They were treated to a theatrical performance of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," given food and drink, and they were given a drawstring bag filled with gifts and food.

Again, we are so thankful that we had the opportunity to help an amazing organization like Retrak. A special thank you to all of our wonderful friends who gave money in the shop and to Tukutana director, Roxanne Robbins, for e-mailing us pictures of the event. If you would like more information about Retrak and Tukutana and how you can help, please visit their websites:

http://www.retrak.org

http://www.tukutana.org

We hope that you all have a very blessed Christmas!

Dave & Sooz

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