Sign up for new Kroger rewards

Every purchase you make at your local Kroger could be helping Tin Roof Foundation. Register your Kroger Plus Card today and Kroger will donate a percentage of your purchase to benefit the Tin Roof Foundation. Best of all, the only cost is a few minutes of your time.

Visit: www.krogercommunityrewards.com and follow these steps:
1. Register your Kroger Plus Card online at www.krogercommunityrewards.com
2. Click on Sign in/Register
3. Click on Sign up today in the New Customer box
4. Enter zip code, click on your favorite store, enter your email address, create a password and agree to the terms and conditions.
5. You will get a message to check your email. Go to your email and click on the link within the email message.
6. Click on My Account, log in and proceed to the next step.
7. Click on Edit Kroger Community Rewards and input your Kroger Plus card number
8. Update or confirm your information
9. Enter Tin Roof Foundation or select it from the list, click and confirm.
10. Plus cards are available at the customer service desk at any Kroger Store.
11. Currently Kroger requires participants to re-enroll each April.

Your purchases will benefit the Tin Roof Foundation once you have registered your card. If you use your phone number at the register, call 877-576-7587 to get your plus card number. Thank you for registering and applying community rewards to the Tin Roof Foundation. To participate, you MUST have an email address. If you do not have a current email address and need assistance to register your Kroger Plus card for this program, please call Diane Douglass at 513-631-7553 and she will complete the process for you.

REMEMBER:
• This program replaces the previous one that required you to put funds on a debit card which was then used for payment for groceries, gas & gift cards.
• The new program provides no rewards for gas purchase.
• The Tin Roof Foundation is registered in the Cincinnati Division which covers all greater Cincinnati stores, Dayton, parts of Northern Kentucky, and Batesville & Connersville & Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Only Kroger stores in these areas will be awarding rewards to Tin Roof Foundation.

Kroger rewards changes

Attention to all who support The Tin Roof Foundation using the Kroger Neighborhood Rewards Program.  (The Kroger Debit Cards)

This program is being replaced by a new rewards program on May 1, 2012.  We encourage everyone to load up their cards by April 30 to give Tin Roof the full 4% reward.  Please consider your grocery shopping and fuel needs for the next month and add that amount to your card now.   Your cards will remain active until funds are used, so you will not lose any amount left on the card after the April 30 deadline. 

The new program will work through your Kroger Plus card (the one that is scanned when you check out at Kroger) and once registered, all you will need to do is swipe that card when you shop.  This will be a much simpler process which we hope will generate as much or more for our work.  More info to come on this new program.

Wilder is on his way home!!

We received Wilder’s last test results yesterday. It has been confirmed... no lymphoma, no kidney rejection, nothing critical. His anti-rejection drugs have been adjusted, with good results. He will be flying home this afternoon to rejoin his son, Andrew, and his wife, Elba. We thank God for His hand in Wilder’s recovery. We thank each of you for your prayers and support.

Wilder Update

Wilder had his colonoscopy Monday. We will have the result of the biopsies next week.  

His anti-rejection medicines have been adjusted and he is beginning to gain weight. Unfortunately, his white count is still very low. Dr. Huang has recommended that he see a hematologist for additional testing before returning home. Therefore, it was necessary to cancel his return flight to Nicaragua (scheduled for tomorrow).  

In spite of missing his family (his son, Andrew celebrated his first birthday this week) Wilder is in good spirits. He is especially happy to see the sun shining and the temperature climbing. 

Thank you for your prayers and continued support. We will keep you updated.

Music Workshop video

A highlights video of the Music Workshop held by the team who returned from Nicaragua a few weeks ago.

Wilder Medical Update

As many of you know, Wilder returned to Cincinnati with us last Thursday evening due to health issues.  We had our first appointment with his doctor at Christ Hospital this morning.  The indications from his first tests appear that his body is NOT rejecting his new kidney.  (Thanks for the many prayers.). He is scheduled for additional testing next week.  Please continue to keep Wilder in your prayers.  

We will keep you updated.

Supporting Melvin

Melvin and his baby brother, Wilson.

In an earlier post in January, we started to tell the story of an 8 year old boy, Melvin, who has had numerous operations recently. He was born without an anus and the surgeries to correct it have not completely solved the problem. On Christmas Eve, just a matter of days after he came home from another surgery, he fell and the internal stitches and mesh holding his intestines broke.

Melvin's brother, Dixon, helping to put a zinc roof on a house. 

He is now back recovering in his makeshift home in Mulukukú. His mother is a single mom and has three other children.  She has been very attentive to Melvin and when he fell she bundled him up, came for transportation and some medical expense money and left for Managua the same day.  The other children were alone in the house with no food.  We were able to give them food once a day.  The oldest, a boy of 11, came on his bike to pick up food and take it to the children.  The youngest child is under 2 yrs old.

Melvin's sister, Yaritza, carrying a 5 gallon bucket of water.

Tin Roof has been contributing to Melvin's expenses for the last five years, since our local contact, Sister Sandra Price, first came to us asking for help for an operation to close the colostomy when he was only 3 years old. Please continue to pray for Melvin and his family.

Last Day in Nicaragua

Wednesday, February 15

We were invited to attend the Conference for Nutrition Solutions in Central America, hosted by the Cargill Corporation and The World Soy Foundation.  Featured speakers were Nathan Ruby, Executive Director, World Soy Foundation, Gary Clements, Economic Counselor, United States Embassy in Nicaragua, Alfredo Velez, Corporate Vice President, Tip Top Industrial, S.A., Cargill Meats Central America, Helmut Rauch, Representive in Nicaragua, World Food Program, Kevin Marinacci, Executive Director Fabretto Children's Foundation, Bridget Owen, Associate Director, National Soybean Researh Laboratory-NSRL, University of Illinois.  The discussion centered around the effects of poor nutrition in the early years of child development and corporate responsibility serving the less-fortunate.  

Our last evening was spent visiting friends.  

Next day...very early flight to Cincinnati.

Al & Charlene

Spending Time With Old Friends

Elba and Andrew 

In the past twenty-two years that we have been coming to Nicaragua we have met many people who have become our Nicaraguan family.  It's always interesting that they somehow know when we are in country.  On each visit we try to spend as much time as possible with our "Nicaraguan family".   

The past couple of days we have been able to visit with Rider and his son, Bryan.  We met Rider 10 years ago.  He was our favorite waiter at our hotel.  Over the years we have met his entire family, visited his home, and was even invited to his daughter's third birthday party.  

We have provided a scholarship for Bryan through high school.  He has worked very hard to make good grades and do the required volunteer hours throughout the years.  We, and his family, are very proud of this young man.  He is now 17 years old and would like to study International Commerce at the university here in Managua.  (Education in Nicaragua is a bargain.  $30 per month will cover the cost of his tuition.)  Of course, our answer was Yes!  

We also visited Wilder and his family.  Elba, his wife, and Andrew, his baby, are doing well.  We can't believe how Andrew has grown since we last saw him.  He is eleven months old and already has 6 teeth and weighs more than 20 pounds.  He is always smiling.  Al says he is already calling him "Uncle Al".  (Al was the only one to hear him.)  

Wilder is having some health issues since his kidney transplant last year and will be returning to Cincinnati with us on Thursday.  We met with his doctors at the Military Hospital this morning.  While Wilder is in Cincinnati for tests, his doctors at Christ Hospital will share their information with his doctors in Managua.  Please pray for Wilder and his doctors.

We have more meetings scheduled for this afternoon and tomorrow.  We have been invited to a seminar held by the World Soy Foundation tomorrow.  We met some of the farmers this morning and are looking forward to the meeting.

Until later,

Al & Charlene