Tammy Donelson prepares the dough for a fresh batch of Cinnabourbon Hugs.
The delicious finished product.
Under Tammy's watch, one of her 'Cooking with Bourbon' students gets started on his own pan of Cinnabourbon Hugs.
Turning Her Talents Into Clean Water For God's Thirsty Children

After moving to Louisville from St. Louis in 2010, one of the people Tammy Donelson met was Sr. Larraine Lauter.

“We were in the same church, the Church of the Epiphany,” Tammy said. “They were just starting with the idea for Water With Blessings. I’ve always had a heart for mission, and as we got to know each other, I wanted to get involved.”

That led to Tammy’s being on the Water With Blessings Board of Directors for nearly seven years.

“It seems like we did everything in those years,” Tammy said. “We became more global than just Honduras. We moved to the model we have now. And as we moved along as a Board, there was always the need for fund raising.”
As part of that fund raising, Sr. Larraine asked Tammy to create the Cradles of Christ event – something that she had done back at her church in St. Louis.

“I have about 200 Nativity Scenes myself, and know others who are collectors too,” Tammy said. “We had the event in person in 2018 and 2019, then it was virtual last year because of the pandemic. We’re getting ready for this year’s event now.”

Recently, Tammy has turned another of her interests into a Water With Blessings fund raising stream: Cinnabourbon Hugs – cinnamon rolls with something extra.

“I teach a class called ‘Cooking with Bourbon’ once or twice a week at my home,” Tammy said. “It’s an Air B&B experience. I’m working on a cookbook based on the class and came up with the rolls. We thought to kick it off, what better way than a fund raiser for Water With Blessings?”

The Cinnabourbon Hugs were introduced at the Water With Blessings office on June 30, and are now available for pickup at the office every Friday morning between 8 and 9:30am. To order yours, please scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter and click the order button.

“We prefer pre-orders,” Tammy said, “but we usually make a couple of extra pans, so people can stop by and pick some up if they want.”
Why I Support Water With Blessings

Tammy Donelson
Former Board Member, Nativity Scene Collector, and Bourbon Chef Extraordinaire

Tammy Donelson says the reason she became so dedicated to Water With Blessings is the organization’s simplicity.

“I lived in Chile for a year, so I saw how things could go wrong with a big-organization approach,” she said. “But going on a grassroots level, Water With Blessings works with mothers who will make sure our approach works for their families and their communities.

“And the faith-based focus is so important. It’s not just about getting clean water to people – the Red Cross could do that. Water With Blessings takes an eternal approach, meeting people’s needs physically, emotionally, and spiritually.”

Tammy encourages others to get involved with Water With Blessings.

“This is a very dedicated group of people,” she said. “Sr. Larraine makes sure every possible dollar goes to the Water Women. That sort of accountability is important to me. There are lots of places you can invest your time and money. But I know that with my gifts, Water With Blessings is going to efficient and accountable.”
For Our Louisville-area Friends...
Coming up this Saturday: Middletown Market’s Christmas in July. Water With Blessings’ Advocates will be on hand, so while you’re browsing and buying, please stop by to say hello.
While we’re on the subject...

As Tammy Donelson mentioned above, it may only be early July, but that’s just the right time to begin thinking about our own Cradles of Christ and Silent Night Auction which will take place this year December 10-12.

We are beginning to collect items for the Silent Auction. The following items did particularly well last year:

  • Themed baskets
  • Get-away vacations (is there a property you could offer for a week?)
  • Experiences
  • iRobot/Roomba Robot Vacuum
  • KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer

If you have items to donate, please let us know. And if you think someone else may be interested, please pass this message along.

Items can be mailed or dropped off at the Water With Blessings office:
1902 Campus Place, Suite 11
Louisville, KY 40299

The weather may be warm right now,
but Christmas will be here before we know it.
Would you, or someone you know, consider leaving a Legacy of Love?

If you read obituaries (as many of us do as we get a little older), you see some organizations mentioned over and over as recipients of memorial gifts. You know that phrase: In lieu of flowers...

We would like to see Water With Blessings join that group. Even the smallest of gifts will add up to provide clean water for the generations of God's thirsty children who will come after us.

One way we can accomplish this is for all of you in our loyal Community for Mission to spread the word when you have the opportunity. Perhaps it can help shine a ray of hope to those who are grieving the loss of a loved one.

As Jesus instructed, let us always comfort those who mourn, and pray that they may know God's consoling love.
A reminder: the Kroger Community Rewards Program is an easy way to equip and train new Water Women

(And you don't have to give up your gas points!)

Recently we received our latest report from the Kroger Community Rewards Program, and found that we earned more than $100, more than enough to fund another Water Woman.

But with all the Kroger shoppers among our friends out there, we think we can do a lot better going forward.

If you haven’t done so already, please consider designating Water With Blessings as your beneficiary in the Kroger Community Rewards Program. You can help bring clean water to God's thirsty children -- and still get to keep your Kroger gas points.

It's easy. Here's what you need to do: 

  • Open: https://www.kroger.com/i/community/community-rewards
  • If you don’t have an account, grab your Kroger Plus card (you’ll need the barcode to register your Digital Kroger account), click “Create an Account;” 
  • If you have an Digital Kroger account, click “Sign in;” click “Community Rewards” option under My Account; then click on “Enroll Now” under the Kroger Community Rewards Page
  • Search for Water With Blessings either by name or PT288, and click “Enroll”
  • Once setup is complete, you’ll see Water With Blessings on your account summary page beneath “Community Rewards”

Thank you for making Water With Blessings your Kroger shopping partner.
Join Us Friday Morning For Great Coffee and CinnaBourbon Hugs

Enjoy the best cinnamon rolls in Louisville, along with coffee from Honduras, at Water With Blessings (1902 Campus Place, Suite 11). A portion of the proceeds helps fund Water Women around the world.

Made with real butter, aged bourbon, delicious cinnamon (and a few secret ingredients), these rolls will become a favorite in your home or office. Hope you can stop by to try them!
 
Warm, gooey cinnamon rolls, made by Captain’s Cabin in Louisville, will be available for pick up every Friday
from 8am-9:30am at the Water With Blessings office.

Please try to order before noon on Thursday. You can click on the button nearby to make sure you can take home your favorite flavor: original, pecan, or bacon. And yes, they can be frozen, but they probably won’t make it to the freezer!

CinnaBourbon Hugs are delicious, and the sweetest way to support WWB.
Please consider passing this newsletter on to your family and friends. Who knows -- they may want to join our Community for Mission and help bring clean water to God's thirsty children.
We believe every child should be drinking clean water. Are you with us?
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