Welcome to our Blessing Hands Blog

Thanks for visiting our website and learning about our charity that helps impoverished children stay in school.

Friday, August 28, 2015

Zhang Gongwen wants to be a teacher.


Zhang Gongwen Tells Her Story. 

Zhang Gongwen Will be a Primary Teacher
Zhang  Gongwen  张功雯
Zhang Gongwen 张功雯
Gongwen Tells Her Story
My home has four mouths to feed. My grandmother is aging and my father's body is ill. Each operation can't completely clear the gallstones in his body. For two years he has had expensive operations that take him from our family for a long time. He also has to take medication regularly and always has a high fever. He frightened us to death in the middle of the night. It was really terrible. My mother's body is not good either. She picks fruit for a living, but she cannot earn much. She is very diligent to help the family eat. 
Since I have graduated from high school and want to go to college my family's pressure has increased. To be honest, I have thought that I would not study but work to make their lives not as hard. It is my parent's heart to send me to school, however. Thank you for helping my family for 10 years. You made our winter family warm. 
Zhang Gongwen
Mike Writes about Being Chen Jiqing's Sponsor

Mike Rayburn
Mike Rayburn
I was thinking after I emailed you --- what an opportunity for someone like me, with not that much money, to perhaps be instrumental in helping someone become a doctor--- with all that might lead to in the future!   I hope she'll be successful... and I can't really promise right now, but I'll tell you now that if I possibly can do it, I would be happy to help Chen Jiqing every time she has a need until she can graduate.
I wish there were some way to persuade more people to contribute to Blessing Hands.  I can't imagine being involved in this process and not having the desire to continue.  Knowing something of the kids, the schools, their families, makes it so personal that it feels so much better to me than donating to organizations that I'm sure use the money for good purposes---but in a way that leaves me just having to trust that somehow they are using my contribution for the benefit of those who need it --- and sometimes wondering if maybe there is a lot of waste or corruption that is eating up what should be going to those in need.  With Blessing Hands, I know where the money goes---and I can have a real sense of how important --- perhaps essential --- even my small contribution is to someone whose life might be forced onto a completely different path without having that opportunity to go on to school and a brighter future.
 I'm thrilled that you are there -- for me to have the opportunity to help kids in China who I could never find on my own.
 Mike Rayburn
It is sponsors like Mike who have given scholarships to Chen Jialing  and Zeng Aihua, who were featured in our last newsletter. It is indeed more fun to give than to receive. 
 $45 a month will add up to a scholarship. 


Like Mike, you can change Zhang's life and the lives of many primary students.
hang Gongwen in 2006
Zhang Gongwen in 2006.   Now she wants to be a   primary teacher.

Betty Cutts with Zhang Gongwen
Betty Cutts with Zhang Gongwen
                                
Gongwen has been one of our students for 10 years. She has worked hard to help herself and others. Please help her finish two years at the Teacher Institute of Guilin Normal College and become a primary teacher. She needs $650 s year. That is just $54 a  month with an automatic bill pay from your bank. 


Send checks to: Blessing Hands, 106 Timber Lane, Morehead, KY 40351

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

College Dreams

Our first three featured students now have scholarship sponsors.  
Their dreams have come true.  We are featuring two more girls  with dreams.  

You can give the gift of success!

Chen Jialing Wants to Be an Accountant
She Presents Her own Case in English.
Chen Jialing Presents Her Need in English. Hear Her Own Words.
Chen Jialing Presents Her Need. Hear Her Own Words.
 
Chen Jialing  is from Yangshuo High School
Chen Jialing

Chen Jialing needs your help.
Chen Jialing needs
your help.
"There are five people in my family. My grandmother is about 79 years old, and she can't work now. My father is a farmer who works day and night to offer me and my sister life. Unfortunately, my mother suffered a traffic accident last year. She is a farmer too. My little sister is only 11 and good at studying. 

I have a heart disease and had an operation last summer. It cost too much, and it is difficult for my family to live, but I still love life. It was difficult to study last summer for the college entrance exam because of my operation, but I scored well (498) and want to be an accountant. 

I believe that if I can gather help, I could study well, and reward those who help me."

Thanks,
Chen Jialing

Chen Jialing was given a second chance with the heart operation she had last summer. Now she needs to do something with the life returned to her. Help her to succeed as an accountant. 

Pick your donation for Chen Jialing at this link.  She needs a $650 scholarship, but you can give any amount to help her. 

You can also send checks to Blessing Hands, 106 Timber Lane, Morehead, KY 40351


Will Zeng Aihua get a Scholarship?

Zeng Aihua
Zeng Aihua


Zeng Aihua Nicknamed Herself Dreaming

Dreaming of Becoming a Doctor or Teacher
"One year ago my father died from a illness and my trouble began. My mother and father were already divorced, and I live now with my 8 year old brother and 83 year old grandmother. She cannot take care of herself, so I have to take care of her at home. We have no income and depend only on government help of 300 yuan every month. It is not enough for life and study. I try my best to make the best use of it. Fortunately, Blessing Hands gave me help to graduate from high school, and I thank you very much. 

I made a good score on my college entrance exam, and now I am dreaming of my college life. I am afraid my college dream will be difficult for me complete, but I will never give up. I want to be a doctor. I want to try my best to help others in the future. I would appreciate it if you would give me a hand." 

Yours, 
Zeng Aihua

Aihua (Dreaming) has only her brother and grandmother in her family now. Her father  was
Zeng Aihua with Betty Cutts
Zeng Aihua with Betty Cutts
paralyzed from an accident and was in bed for awhile before he died. They spent a lot of money on his treatment. Her parents divorced last year before his death.   She says in her video that they are very, very poor. 

Without our help she would not have finished high school. She is a very good student and will work hard to fulfill her dreams. She was accepted by Guangxi Teacher Education University, a four year university in Nanning. She will not be a doctor, but she can be an elementary teacher and still help others.  Help her dream of a college education come true.

Give any amount for her $650 scholarship

Send checks to Blessing Hands, 106 Timber Lane, Morehead, KY 40351
College Scholarship Are a Valuable Investment.
$650 will completely change a life.

Love Will Make a Way

Betty Cutts 
Founder and Director of Blessing Hands

Jack wants to fly

Zhang Changjie  is going to fulfill his dream. 
Changjie Zhang
Changjie Zhang with Betty Cutts
Changjie has always wanted to be a pilot.
He has been accepted into the 
Civil Aviation Flight University of China.
Zhang Changjie attended Yangshuo High School
Zhang Changjie attended Yangshuo High School

"I have worked very hard."

Soon Changjie (Jack) will enter the Civil Aviation Flight University of China. Due to family poverty, he needs a scholarship to pay for his college education. He has been one of our students since 2008. 

"When I was four years old, my father died. After that my mother left my older sister and me and remarried. We have never seen her again."

 Jack was raised by his grandparents, who are farmers, but they are 82 and 77 now and have no income. His older sister is earning only $1,948 a year.  His dream is to be a pilot. He made a good score on his college entrance exam, but he needs a scholarship to help him attend the university. Please listen to his story and help him. 

Jack asks for help to be a pilot.
Jack asks for help to be a pilot.

Checks can be sent to Blessing Hands, 106 Timber Lane, Morehead, KY 40351


Wednesday, August 05, 2015

Kroger Reward in Kentucky

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You Can Help Kids by Shopping 
Community Rewards 
For Blessing Hands!

August is the Annual 
Re-enrollment 
Month for Kroger 
Community Rewards.




This year 18 households have given $560 to Blessing Hands just by swiping their Kroger Plus Cards. 
You can give 4% of what you buy to Blessing Hands with no expense to yourself. Give a steady income to Blessing Hands just by buying items at Kroger through their Kentucky  Community Rewards Program


When you re-enroll in Community Rewards sometime in August, Blessing Hands can continue to be given 4% of all you spend in a Kentucky Kroger. All you have to do is shop at Kroger and swipe your Plus Card

Re-enroll online with this link.

Enrolled supporters that need help re-enrolling can call 1-800-KROGERS FREE FREE, Option #3, for assistance. Also, any newsupporters can also call 1-800-KROGERS FREE FREE, Option #3, for assistance in enrolling the first time if needed. 

Go to Kroger.com and register if you don't have a Kroger Plus card or login if you have one. 
  • To register your Plus card, click the register tab and fill out your information. Be sure to put in your Kroger Plus Number.
  • If you have already registered, click on community rewards/enroll now.  Then put in Blessing Hands or our Kroger no. 75706.
  • After completing this registration, every time you swipe your Plus Card, 4% of your total buys will go to Blessing Hands. 
Thank you for helping our kids. 

Betty Cutts
Blessing Hands 
606 207 4785

Sunday, August 02, 2015


Volunteering Changes People
Manman 曼曼
 and Qin Zuchu 覃祖初
LOVELY  VOLUNTEERS
    My Experience of Volunteering in Wuxuan 
    Sitting beside the window of the train, seeing the scenery moving fast outside the window, I couldn't help thinking of the experience I have gone through during the past two days. Just like a film it played in my mind.
Manman 曼曼 with her sponsored boy,  Qin Zuchu 覃祖初
Manman 曼曼 with her sponsored boy, Qin Zuchu 覃祖初
    
    It is indeed the first time that I took part in a volunteer activity, but I think it will not be the last time; because what the other volunteers have done greatly encouraged me to do it also. Despite the burning hot and dazzling sunlight in summer, all the volunteers (even the youngest volunteer, who was only 4 years old and came with his granny) arrived at the children's houses, bringing gifts along with their loving care. 

 
      What impressed me most was not the anxious eyes and the big smiles on the children's faces, but how the volunteers tried to make them smile. Betty Cutts, you were so careful and considerate in arranging everything from big events to small tiny stuff, like selecting the proper sticker for each child. 
     
Wang Hongying 王宏英,  gave gifts to all the children.
Wang Hongying 王宏英, gave gifts to all the children.
     Wang Hongying, who is a farmer as well as a volunteer, spared her valuable time to show us the way to every child's home. In China, Chinese farmers seldom get involved in voluntary work because they have to spend all their time doing farm work. It was she and other volunteers that found the 12 children from one village to another by bicycle or motor bike (because they have no car) and got all the children's information we needed before we arrived.

 

       Shasha, (elder sister Shasha is what she wants us to call her) is active and experienced, for she has been involved in other charity activities for a long time. Not only did she find a van to carry the rest of the volunteers, but she also introduced her unusual experiences of volunteering in Rongshui County to us.

 

Volunteers from Wuxuan found the children and Blessing Hands found the sponsors.
Volunteers from Wuxuan found the children and Blessing Hands found the sponsors.
       Tina is a hard-working interpreter. In fact, she had to switch between Mandarin, the local dialect and even English when we visited with the local people and other volunteers from different districts. Many other unknown volunteers were there, who were so friendly and warm-hearted.

 

       I really feel the feeling of happiness when I give a hand to those who need it. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to help them-the lovely children. Thank you for giving me the great moment to be with you - all the volunteers-my dear friends. 
 
-- By Manman Shi 来自施曼曼
A Chinese volunteer

 

Manman gave gifts to her child.
Manman 曼曼 gave gifts
to her child.
      Manman 曼曼 wanted to meet her sponsored child in Wuxuan County, Guangxi, China. She asked if she could come along as a volunteer on our summer team. She also wanted to meet her friend's sponsored child. She had such a good time she wants to come back next year. Meeting her sponsored child was very rewarding to her.

 
Enjoy the video below of another family we visited.
The Happy Qin Family
The Happy Qin Family
See Pictures of Our Volunteer Experiences
Our Volunteers Spent 2 days with the Miao Families

Eric Zhang, a board member of Blessing Hands, asked us to help in Yunnan, his home province.
Eric Zhang, a board member of Blessing Hands, asked us to help in Yunnan, his home province.
Blessing Hands began helping Miao village children in the fall of 2014. We started with 10 children and added more as we found donors to sponsor them. By the spring of 2015, we were helping 30 students and their families. We plan to add 5 more this fall. 


    
Matthew Liu, Eric Zhang and Betty Cutts with  Zhang Minjuan and her mother.
Matthew Liu, Eric Zhang and Betty Cutts with Zhang Minjuan 张敏娟 and her mother.
The Miao students were shy but glad to meet our team. We had small gifts like pencil cases to give them. No other charity is aiding the Miao in that area, so we are really welcome. We help Miao primary and lower middle school children with school supplies each semester. Even the small Children attend boarding schools during the week and go home on weekends. 

Use this Link to see more Yao pictures or click on any photo.

Miao parents need help sending their children to school.
Miao parents need help sending their children to school.
Ms. Zhang visits all the homes  for us.
Ms. Zhang visits
 the homes for us.
     

Families were very hospitable.
Families were very hospitable.

Our team needed two vans the first day.
Our team needed two vans the first day. Sometimes we had to get out and walk because the bumpy dirt road was so steep. 

Volunteers Visited Lin Wang School  林旺小学 and Wei Senbao 韦森宝.

Wei Senbao Update
Wei Senbao 韦森宝
 Update Video
           
They even have two basketball goals in the new school yard.
Suzi Deng helped us talk to
Dr. Dai, who is our volunteer administrator there. 
We found Wei Senbao韦森宝and Lin Wang School 林旺小学 much improved since our last visit. You can barely see the scars from three surgeries on his birth defect. The school has a new building including a kitchen and teacher's dorm room. The teacher lives there during the week and goes home on weekends. 

The one-room classroom has ceiling fans, a wide screen TV, a new blackboard, and metal desks. The new concrete playground even has two basketball goals. 

The kids no longer show signs of malnutrition since the government began a school lunch program. With their own cook they get protein and rice for lunch. Their hair is a rich black now instead of brown. 
The kids got small gifts from volunteers.
The kids got small gifts
from volunteers.
 
Several volunteers joined us to help translate and give out gifts. The steep narrow road to Lin Wang drops off to a deep valley below. We had to get out and walk up steep hills. 

The students speak Yao, but learn Mandarin when they go to school. This school is for K- 3. Blessing Hands collects small change in jars at Chinese restaurants to give school supplies and sports equipment to three Yao schools in the Longfu Township. 

Allen Chen volunteered as a translator. His parents brought their car and traveled for several days with us.
Allen Chen volunteered as a
translator for several days. 
Charities are very dependent on volunteers since we are non-profits. We are grateful for the wonderful volunteers who serve Blessing Hands both in China and in the USA. We have a wonderful board of directors and many friends and sponsors, who have been very helpful to our students. This year more people joined our team for various lengths of time than ever before. 

Thanks and blessings, 

Betty Cutts 
Director of Blessing Hands



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