Spread the Joy: Advent 2025: Day 3

Based on some recent comments made by a certain Commander-in-Chief about a sitting governor of Minnesota, I've shifted my Advent features around. Today's featured charity is now Reece's Rainbow and here is my bride to talk about it...

Reece's Rainbow, founded in 2006, provides adoption grants to promote the international adoption of children with Down Syndrome and other special needs.  Many of these children would otherwise be shunned and spend their lives in orphanages, sometimes receiving the most minimal of care.  In addition to being hard to place due to their special needs, the children face the additional barrier of the exorbitant costs associated with international adoption.  Through Reece's Rainbow, families can build their own family through adoption or can financially help other families do the same.  

In their 19 years of existence, Reece's Rainbow has brought over 2400 children from 26 different countries into their forever homes with almost $20 million in adoption grants.  According to Reece's Rainbow, "our hope is to put ourselves out of business by changing the world's perception of children with special needs.  

So if you are going to use an "r" word this Holiday Season, use two of them-Reece's Rainbow.  You can donate to a family who has found their child and is raising the money to bring them home.  Or you can donate to a child who needs a grant to make it that much more likely they will be chosen.  If you know someone with Down Syndrome or other special needs, you know the gift they are and the joy they bring.  Meet some of the waiting children here: https://reecesrainbow.org/thechildren.

If you wish to help a family or a specific child, donations can be made here.

According to Google, Merry Christmas by Third Day is often cited as a Christmas song with themes relevant to adoption, which can be interpreted as r'elating to the bond between parents and children, including adoptive parents.' Well, that sounds as fitting as anything. So, as our Advent present to you today, here's Third Day with their 2006 holiday tune. 

Enjoy!