On this eve of the Year of the Dragon, how can I begin to thank you for what you have done for China's orphans?

In China, as the New Year approaches, old debts are forgiven, frayed friendships are mended, homes are scrubbed clean, and families come together from near and far bringing gifts and food – symbols of prosperity for the days to come.  You have done this for us.

Not long ago, I wrote to you and shared my worries for the future.  I wasn't certain how Half the Sky was going to be able to keep its promises to the children in the New Year.  In these tough economic times, support for our programs, for helping children you will likely never meet, seemed to be fading away.

But WOW!  You showed us that Half the Sky is, indeed, one big family.  You came together from near and far and you brought gifts – 634 online gifts totaling $235,329.50!!  And every single online dollar was matched, thanks to my Purpose Prize and our generous board members.

And another 442 of you sent in gifts via mail or fax or phone.  All together, more than 1,000 gifts!  In the end, giving was up almost 15% from 2010!

We haven't yet found a replacement for our lost longtime foundation partner, but after spending the past two weeks in Hong Kong and Beijing talking to our many friends, I am hopeful that we will.

Anyway, thanks to you, our dear Half the Sky family, our programs will survive.  Bring on the Dragons!

In just a couple more weeks, with luck before the New Year celebrations are done, we'll be saying a proper thank you to our HTS family by launching a new website that will be the home of the long-promised 1 Big Family global online community.

1 Big Family will be a gathering place for all of us who care about China's orphans. Besides news and discussions groups and photo stories about China, 1 Big Family will present clubs – ways to connect both virtually and truly – clubs for adoptive families, adopted teens, local HTS chapters, volunteers, and the China Care Clubs for college and high school students.  At 1 Big Family, you can share your stories and photos; you can ask Half the Sky staff and CWI directors questions about life in the orphanage (though not about specific children!); you can watch videos created by the orphanage staff themselves; teens can connect with others from their hometown province; volunteers can organize and participate in events; anyone can share their Bright Ideas and vote on the ideas offered by others.

Click on this 1 Big Family link and you'll be among the first to have a sneak peek at what is going to be 1 incredible community.

Thank you again for your everlasting love for China's once-forgotten children.  A Chinese proverb tells us to "lift up the heart of a true friend by writing his name on the wings of a dragon."  You have written the children's names and so we will fly together.

Long Nian Kuai Le!  Happy Dragon Year!

Jenny Bowen, Founder & CEO, Half the Sky