some good stuff is cooking in the change the truth kitchen

Hopefully, you just received the latest CTT newsletter. It lists the three upcoming CTT fundraising events. (If you do not get our email newsletter and would like to, just drop us a note with your name and email address.) The events at Gordon-Biersch, Ten Thousand Villages and Boulevard Brewery are going to be lots of fun and will provide wonderful opportunities to raise funds for the kids at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage. If you would like to help plan the big March 14th annual event at Boulevard, we'd love to hear from you. Just drop us a note with your contact info. If you or any of your friends/family have items to donate for our silent auctions, we would be delighted to take them off your hands!

Hot off the press is the new CTT t-shirt. It's a delicious chocolate American Apparel shirt with a colorful CTT logo on the front and a quote by Mahatma Gandhi on the back: "Be the change that you wish to see in the world." The shirts are available in men's S,M,L, and XL and cost $20. If you would like one, please let us know (nice holiday gifts for your friends and family members!?).

Everyone who has ever been to St. Mary Kevin Orphanage with a CTT team knows Nelson. Nelson is one of our sponsored students. He is making quite a name for himself at Makerere University in Kampala as a computer whiz and has been working on developing an app to detect clean water. Nelson has been invited to present his idea at a tech conference in Williamsburg, Virginia. It will be his first trip outside Uganda. You can imagine how excited he is! This is an amazing opportunity for young Nelson, one that will surely have a major impact on his future in computer technology. Would this have happened without support from CTT? Nelson would say "no way."

Team 7 has started packing their duffel bags as they get ready for their December trip. They are still looking for items such as new or gently used backpacks (for our sponsored students), jump ropes, soccer balls, art supplies, pencils, ball point pens, cough drops, ibuprofen, small tubes of toothpaste, decks of cards and gently used digital cameras. If you can help, please let us know.

Violin lessons continue at SMK, thanks to the wonderful groundwork laid by Strings for Uganda, who volunteered through CTT at the orphanage in August. Gardens are flourishing, thanks to seeds that were donated. Tutoring, paid for by a grant from a CTT friend, is giving the children a leg up in their studies. Donated laptop computers are making it easier for them to find their way in school. All of these things, and more, have been provided by CTT.

There is a lot of good stuff happening! This would not be possible without the time, creativity, energy, talent and monetary donations from our wonderful CTT family. It does take a village, and we thank you for helping make our particular village such a special one. We are truly making a difference in the lives of Tina, Joan, Francis, Scovia, Brian, Nahia, Claire Faith, Billy, Samarie, Caleb, Issy, Tony, Rose, Oscar, Evelyn, Sheila, Fiona, Rosette, Rachel, Rosemary, Vincent, Nelson and so many others.

If you're not involved in these endeavors, think about changing that! There are so many ways to help. We can use assistance planning and working at fundraising events, rounding up donated items for silent auctions, collecting things to send to the children, spreading the word by telling friends and family about what we do, writing to pen pals, making the decision to sponsor a student, asking us to speak at your school or church or deciding to become a member of one of our teams that travel to Uganda.

A young family recently brought in a jar full of coins they'd been collecting for the kids at the orphanage. The jar sits on a table by the front door, and they drop their spare coins into it each day. We counted $62.14 in pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. That money will go a long way toward purchasing hygiene items for the kids at SMK. The family took the jar back home to do it again because they realized it is so easy. And it makes them feel so good!

The kitchen is fired up. Come on in and stir a few pots with us.