Each bag contained hygiene products, school supplies, and small toys. All gifts were donated; volunteers traveled to Nicaragua at their own expense.

"It wasn't so much the gifts," says one volunteer. "For the children, it was that someone, somewhere, cared about them. Many of them had never in their lives received a Christmas gift from anyone. Christmas was just another day with more poverty, more misery. You should have seen how they lit up when we handed them a gift bag. Imagine a toothbrush or a little plastic toy creating such joy. It's changed Christmas for me forever, seeing their happiness over receiving what to us is so little."

Our many thanks to these hard-working volunteers and to the many donors who are responsible for helping "bring hope to the kids" in Nicaragua this Christmas season:

Gold Sponsors of the 2007 Christmas Bag Project
Melissa & Buzz Auvil
Doris & Jerry Berlage
Big Lots, Cincinnati, OH
Blue Ash Presbyterian Church
Pam Branam & Family
Colgate, NY
Dudley & Charlene Farrell
John R. Greene Intermediate School Students
Fred & Sherrie Heyse
Kenwood Baptist Church
Madeira-Silverwood Presbyterian Church
Matthew 25 Ministries
Russ & Peggy Monjar
Montgomery Community Church
Mother Teresa School
PAX
Betsy & Mark Phillips Familyv
Mary & David Pommert
Procter & Gamble Company
Queen of Peace School
Mr. & Mrs. Stephen H. Rabe
Daniel G. Rector, Attorney at Law
St. Joseph Consolidated School
St. Julie Billiart School
St. Michaels Church
St. Peter in Chains School
Sacred Heart of Jesus School
Deborah Schaller
Lee & Mary Schneider
Madeline Smith & Family
Staples, Windham, NH
Sycamore Presbyterian Church
Linda & Don Teasdale
Upside Promotions, LLC
Walton Christian Church
Randall & Julie Watson

A special thanks to:

* Betsy Phillips who organized and worked side-by-side with the many volunteers
* Pam Branam who solicited companies and individuals for donated goods
* Madeline Smith, a teenager from Windham, NH, who spearheaded the collection, delivery, and preparation of items for over 1000 bags
* Matthew 25 Ministries for the use of warehousing space and sharing much-needed hygiene items and school supplies

And, last but not least, we give a BIG thanks to the hundreds of volunteers who worked hours and hours sorting and assembling the bags. Many of these volunteers also added their own financial gifts and donated items so that the poorest-of-the-poor children in Nicaragua could have a joyous and meaningful Christmas.