DECEMBER, 2016

Graceworks Board of Directors: (from left to right, front)

Robin Lyall, Mary Salgado,

Dr. Susan Njemanze, Sharon Portman,

Alison Conard,

(from left to right, back)

Jacqueline Adams, MSW,

Dr. Darrell Dudley, Jay Bauman DDS

(Robert Meaux not pictured)

As the New Year approaches ever so quickly, please consider a holiday gift to Graceworks.

Your donation will help orphans and vulnerable children in Kenya and here in Orange County to have a real chance at success.

Dear Friends of Graceworks, Wow! Can you believe the holidays are here again? Well, they are, ready or not! As we send our wishes to

you all for a joyous and blessed season, we also extend a huge Thank you! for your support throughout

the year. At this time of year, gifts are exchanged to express love and caring. At Graceworks, we believe that

access to education is one of the most important gifts that we can give to a child. It will help point the tra-

jectory of their lives in a positive direction. This is particularly true for orphans and vulnerable children

striving to break the cycle of poverty and despair. With your help, we have been able to continue to give

this precious gift to children in Kenya. Here in Orange County, we have worked to give the gift of much

needed respite and a token of appreciation to the relatives who foster children in need.

Please enjoy reading our program updates and success stories. I hope that you will be

motivated to continue to support Graceworks in these efforts and even encourage your friends to become

engaged as well.

I and the Graceworks Board of Directors are extremely grateful for your past and continued

support. We know we could not do this without you.

Blessings,

Susan Njemanze, Graceworks President

HOLIDAY GREETINGS!

the children are currently wrap-

ping up their 2016 academic

activities. As part of that proc-

ess, in October, the Kenya pro-

gram social worker completes a

special visit to all the commu-

nity schools where our children

attend.

He meets with all the students

who are awaiting exams to

move to a new level. Eighth

grade students will take the

KCPE, Kenya Certificate of

Primary Education exam, and

Form Four (end of high school)

students are waiting for their finals

for the Kenya Certificate of

Secondary Education (KCSE).

He delivers to the children suc-

cess greeting cards with messages

on behalf of the Graceworks pro-

gram, encouraging them to take

their examinations confidently and

to produce good results. They can

then join secondary schools (in the

case of those passing KCPE), or

colleges and uni-

versities for those

who pass KCSE.

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This year, Graceworks has

continued to provide support to

approximately 100 children and

youth in the rural community of

Rwika in South Eastern Kenya.

Ages range from preschoolers

to University level.

While our program remains

very focused on education by

providing school fees and sup-

plies, children also receive food,

needed medical care, counsel-

ing, and emotional support.

The school year in Kenya runs

from January to December, so

KENYA

Meet a few of the amazing Graceworks children who, with your help and support,

have against all odds, remained in school to reach this milestone.

THEIR EYES ARE ON THE PRIZE!

Risper (14) & Mary (13)

READY FOR THE KCSE! Ready for college!

Ten Class 8 students

READY FOR THE KCPE!

Ann, Dorcas, Wincate, Ann, & Janet

Sharon (14), Duncan (14)

& Ann M.(13

Judith(13) & Fridah (13) Isaiah (14) & Maureen (13)

Ann N. (14)

CAROLINE MURUGI

Caroline, a Graceworks child, graduated high school in 2015 with a grade of B

in her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (K.C.S.E.). This year, she

joined Presbyterian Teachers’ College-Rubate, Chuka to pursue a

diploma course in teacher education.

OBADIAH MURIITHI

Obadiah is a Graceworks child who graduated high school in 2015 with a grade

of C in his K.C.S.E. He has been admitted to Vision Empowerment Training

Institute in Nairobi to pursue a Diploma in Community Health and Nutrition. He

will be reporting for classes in January 2017.

TWO COLLEGE AGE YOUTH SUCCESS STORIES

OTHER HAPPENINGS

USA Outreach– A note from our partner, Olive Crest

Dear Graceworks leaders, supporters, volunteers,

I would like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank each of you for investing in

children being raised by relative caregivers through your partnership with Olive

Crest. Nearly 1 of every 10 children in Orange County is being raised by a relative,

and often these relatives need extra support services. That’s where Graceworks has

come in to bring help and hope to families.

Graceworks has helped Olive Crest to host four respite events on Saturdays. At

these events, caregivers can drop off their children for fun and games with Grace-

works volunteers while the caregivers take a much needed break.

Graceworks has also sponsored our Bless-a-Family program, providing Christ-

mas gifts and necessities for three families last Christmas. This December, 200

relative caregivers and their children will attend a Christmas party complete with

a taco dinner sponsored by Graceworks.

Over and over, we have been blessed by the partnership with Graceworks which has

provided funding, volunteers, and loving support for our Kinship Support Ser-

vices Program. To date, more than 150 children have benefited from this partner-

ship. We are grateful for your support, your prayers, and your care and concern

for relative caregivers and their children. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Sincerely,

Wendy McMahan Director of Foster, Adoption and Kinship Orange County Region

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St. John’s volunteer with a child

Grandmother caregiver with Susan

Olive Crest staff at petting zoo

August 2016 Kenya Trip Angel Schaffer is a medical doctor with Kaiser Permanente in Southern California who had a

lifelong dream of going on a mission trip to Africa. This past August, Angel’s dream became a

reality. She and her 16 year old daughter Kennedy were among eight Americans that joined the

annual mission trip to visit the Graceworks program in Rwika, Kenya.“ I was delighted to see

that donations to Graceworks go directly to support the children.” By chance, Angel met a

young girl who needed a sponsor and decided to sponsor her. “My daughter also found the trip

life changing and she fell in love with the children,” added Angel.

Annual Fundraiser Celebration On September 11, 2016, Graceworks held its ninth annual “A Little Bit of Africa” event at the Wyndham

Hotel in Garden Grove. The theme was “The Elephants in the Room.” Through Video clips, speeches and

photos, we learned that those who help needy and vulnerable children are like elephants who, in the wild,

come together to save and protect orphaned or struggling baby elephants.

The “Fund a Need” project focused on supporting construction of a new kitchen for the Kenya program.

With your generosity we are on target to do that next year.

The fundraiser and celebration put Graceworks in a good position to continue to bring hope to orphans and

vulnerable children.

Sponsor a child One way that Graceworks ensures consistent educational support for the children in our Kenya program is

through our sponsorship program. We are delighted to report that 2016 was a greatly successful year in the

number of children sponsored – 17! But we we still have many more children who need sponsors!

$50 per month primary school $100 a month secondary school College fund-any amount welcome!

Four easy WAYS TO HELP GRACEWORKS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON Sponsor a child. Sponsorship starts at $50 per child per month. We ask that you commit to at least

one year of sponsorship for a child

Become a Graceworks Hope Network Hero. Commit to a specific monthly gift to help us

reach out to more orphans and vulnerable children providing resources and services.

Volunteer your time and talents. Find out how you can volunteer locally in Orange

County and internationally. Visit our website at www.graceworkshopenet.com

Amazon purchases. Let Amazon donate to Graceworks! I’ts easy! See insert.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR

NEXT YEAR, SEPT. 9, 2017

Enjoying dinner Jim Nye, auctioneer extrodinaire, getting

some help from a young guest Sponsorship table

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