It is that time again. The fifth time to be exact. The fifth mission and fundraiser to help The MERCY Center in stocking up on food and supplies for the orphan and at-risk children is now under way. Your help is requested to once again make this a success.

The missions to support The MERCY Center have become semi annual events which progressively are gaining wider support from friends and donors all over the world.

Background:
Two years ago I, by coincidence, discovered that The MERCY Center (a home for orphan and at-risk children) was in dyer need of help as their shelves were literally empty. I initiated a fundraiser which yielded just over $1,000. Together we managed to give them a much needed boost and get them just a bit ahead of the curve. Each subsequent fundraiser has grown a little bigger and the last drew in just shy of $2,000. EVERY mission is followed by a detailed report that I post on here on OrphanKids.com. Please take a moment to review the reports on the Orphan Kids web site, and I am convinced that they will motivate you to take part and take a bit of ownership in the next mission.

Reports: http://www.OrphanKids.com/reports.htm

So far OrphanKids.com and its supporters have raised US$7,069, which with various exchange rates were converted to a total of 236,445 baht. The goal is for this fund raiser to cross the $2,000 mark for an aggregate total to exceed 300,000 baht. For The MERCY Center this is not chump change. Based on the average rate of contributions from us, we now fund approximately 20% of the household expenses and as far as periodic support we rank number two with The MERCY Center, only surpassed by the wonderful efforts of Cobra Gold which does the same one a year.

When I first started these missions I gave all donors two promises.
1. There would be no overhead (I even cover credit card expenses); 100% goes to the children.
2. I wound personally go to the stores with MERCY personal pay for the goods purchased; other than residual change no cash would be handed over.
There just aren't many opportunities to see your donated money go to this good use and without extra expenses.

So let’s help each other cross the $2,000 mark and set another mile stone. Personally I will match every dollar of the first $1,000 by 50%. It does not take much, but it may take many. Any little bit helps whether that be $10, $20 or some other amount you can spare.

About The MERCY Center
The MERCY Center is a home currently housing 25 "At-Risk" and Orphan children aged 1 to 14. "At-Risk" means that the children were removed from their home, often in the slums, because of any number of factors that made it unsafe to stay there. This may include abuse, parents are in jail, a thread to life or health, etc. The ultimate goal is for these children to return home, but for many that may never be an option. Others have no known parents and are technically available for adoption, however, that is not likely in Thai culture and international adoption is near impossible.
What makes The MERCY Center different than other like institutions is that they aim to provide a home that is as family-like as possible, rather than just a shelter.  Al children go to school and receive extra curricular education, including English. While there is no substitute for a real family and a real home, these children are likely to be a step ahead of their piers when finishing school and becoming adults.
In addition to caring for orphan and "at risk" children the center also provides basic food, milk and clothes as well as medical care for a number of children in the slums. Beyond that, the mission helps with simple scholarships sponsored by donors and single parent support.