HELP HENRY HELP CHILDREN

Life takes one in many different directions, so I have learned. I started out telling a few of my Mom’s friends about my “adventures”. Here it is two years later and Mom has written over 13,000 letters for me, plus helped me to publish two editions of two books.

Well, here is what is happening now. I didn’t know that there were so many children who do not have any books of their own. There are also millions of kids who lost their books in the hurricane; the books all blew away. I had only been thinking of helping the animals in New Orleans and the surrounding coast but my Moms said that all those children need a story of hope, because now hope is in short supply in the destroyed areas.

There is another group of kids who need my book. They are the littlest "soldiers", the children of the military. Mom says thousands of their parents are coming home without some of their limbs. The Armed Services YMCA is going to do a big event in San Diego in May and each child will get one of my books. They think over 2,000 children will be there. I made a new section in my book with Henry's Homework for Humans so the childrend can write to me. I will be there with my new two legged girlfriend, Tink, the beautiful mini dachshund.

Mom says my story is about beating the odds and how good things can happen even in bad situations. She says that maybe my story could comfort them and give them positive new things to think about. She wants them to have my book.

Mom talked to a lady who is a director of something called a National Book Bank for a group called First Book, in Washington, DC. One of their goals for 2007 is to send six million books to those children in the gulf region who lost everything in Katrina.

Guess what? The people at First Book have fallen in love with my story and want to send many thousands of my new book to children who need them.

So, my Moms said that we would do a third edition, adding four more pages in the back of the book with kibbles and bits of advice and life lessons from Me. I am also adding a fun page of homework for humans. First Book will look into finding something called “corporate sponsors” to match our pledge of 5,000 books and maybe send even more of my books to the kids. Many of the children are pretty discouraged because of all the devastation they have endured.

Here is the way you could join in and help me. I have pledged to give them 5,000 books that will be from me and my paw pals. All of you have been so helpful in buying my books for you and your friends. Now, you could join me and buy a book or two for a child who has never owned a book of their own. You can go to my store and make a donation on pay pal or you can send a check to me at Breakthrough Press, Box 135, La Jolla, CA, 92038.

We already have some checks for books and we will give the books to the children no matter how much or how little we collect. I just love things to come from my paw pals and me. I want to teach people the power of a community of many, each doing whatever part they want to do.

The other BIG thing you can do is send this request on to people you know, telling them that we are for real and I am an honest guy and every dollar that they send will go to place one of my books into the hands of a child who is hurting and needs some help. Paws honor.

A few years ago my Moms set on a campaign to help my friend Chris, a teacher who is a quadriplegic, get a new van because hers no longer worked after 24 years of service. In nine weeks $125,000 was raised through an e-mail that went around the world. Chris now has her van. We got hundreds of donations from people we never heard of who wanted to help with the Freedom Van. She has been able to continue teaching.

So, we are off and running. I hope you will want to help the kids. You can go to First Book.org and see what they do. My book will probably go to 8-12 year olds.

Mom loves that once we pay for the books she never has to mail one, they do it all. That makes her smile.

Mom says the other really great thing is that in ordering that many books we can order some more thousands for animals and there will be much more profit on each book by ordering them in larger quantities. That means more for the animals. Mom calls it a win/win situation.
Thanks again for helping me help others. My Moms and I will match funds, book for book, up to 5,000 books.

Love, your paw pal,

Henry jm