Please be advised, that a group, or groups, are using our good name to solicit donations/money and "A Part Time Job Offer" through a series of fraudulent and misleading emails.  One such email reads as follows:

The Cedar Foundation,

Our name is The Cedar Foundation, please check our website first   
http://www.cedarfoundation.org<http://cedarfoundation.org>

We are a Humanitary Foundation that helps people in need in Europe   
specialy east of Europe.
We need your help so that we can help people in Mexico asn well,
We are organizing a action That will help many people in Mexico.

Why do we need your help ?
We need you to play the roll of a cashier, every time somebody makes  
a donation
They will make it your account , you will pick the money , retain 10  
% of a donation
Donation for your service , and send the rest to a "friend in need "  
in Mexico.
It is that simple

What do you need ?
You only need a ING Account Number, and two or tree hour time to spare
Spare durring the week.

How can you do it ?
Please send us a maill, on our Email Address   
cedarfoundation2010@yahoo.com with
Your name and phone number (mobile of home phone) and a   
reprezentative will contact you and
Put you in to our program.

Steps of our part time job offer:

1. You Will be called and told when to go to your bank and make the   
withdraw from you checking Account.
2. After you pick the money you will be provided whith the name of   
our "Friend In Need" and you will
send him 90 % of the amount using Western Union Service , and keep   
10 % for you .
3. And that is all, please note that you will first pick the money   
and after send it to Mexico.

Hope that we can work togheter, and make the World a better place,   
and earn money as well.
The minimum deposit it to your account will be 3000 Euro, you will   
keep everytime 300 Euro.
Please note that you can open a checking Account at ING Bank using   
only a valid id.

Thank you,
The Cedar Foundation.

ABOUT THIS MESSAGE

Please do not reply to this message. Replies to this message will   
not be responded to.
(c)(c) 2010 The Cedar Foundation,
DR. MATIAS ANDRES & Co.

The Cedar Foundation held another Texas Hold 'em Charity Poker Tournament on July 29th at Rosie O'Grady's Irish Pub in Sofia.

We had more than twenty participants in two rooms and play lasted for nearly three hours!

After all was said and done, only one person could walk away with the coveted First Place Trophy.  Congratulations to all of our participants, onlookers, helpers and sponsors for helping us to raise 1,900 BGN to fund Cedar Foundation projects.

A special thanks to Rosie O'Grady's for hosting the event.  Not only did they provide us with an excellent venue, they also provided delicious chicken wings throughout the night and a prize of dinner for two plus a bottle of wine.  Another special thanks to The Olive Garden for supplying a "Full House" lunch for two at their location here in Sofia.

Hope to see you all at the next one....

After more than two years of hard work, we are now about to start transferring residents from the Institution in Gorna Koznitsa to the new homes in Kyustendil (click on pictures below) and Bobov Dol that have been built in partnership with the Bulgarian state government as well as the municipalities of Kyustendil and Bobov Dol.

The physical transfer will begin in August with a gradual move.  Residents will spend time in the new homes throughout August in order to become familiar with their new environment before they will be permanently moved to these much better living conditions.  Once there, they will receive significantly more one-on-one care from staff as well access to their new community.

Be sure to check the following URL to see a story from Bulgarian national news channel BTV regarding these new homes (it starts at 0:58 seconds): http://www.btv.bg/shows/tazi-sutrin/reportazhi/story/601209555-15_detsa_s_uvrejdaniya_shte_zajiveyat_v_nov_dom_v_Kyustendil.html

We could not be at this point without a tremendous amount of help from all of our friends and supporters.  Thank you all for your continued assistance!

The Cedar Foundation had a great time at the American Chamber of Commerce 4th of July party at American College in Sofia.

We met lots of great people, had some excellent food and drink, and we were able to raise some awareness about The Cedar Foundation and our projects; not to mention paint a few faces

Thank you everyone who stopped by and said hello, and a special thank you to US Ambassador to Bulgaria H.E. James Warlick (pictured below) for taking time to stop by the Cedar table and offering support.

We are now launching the brand new Cedar Foundation iCard.  This Platinum Mastercard automatically donates a percentage of every purchase in Bulgaria to The Cedar Foundation.

.5% of  every purchase you make in Bulgaria will be donated to The Cedar Foundation by iCard.

With competitive rates, worldwide functionality, and 24 hour customer service, using this card is a great way to support The Cedar Foundation everyday!  For more details visit www.icard.bg.

To get yours, contact Lincoln or Jaye at cedarfoundationbg@gmail.com.

We are pleased to announce the sell of our annual Cedar Holiday Cards.  We have 8 different cards to choose from, all designed by children in Kazanlak, Bulgaria!

Each card costs 1 Euro, or 2 leva.  You can place your order by contacting Toni at toni@cedarfoundation.org or cedarfoundationbg@gmail.com.  You can also call 0889 45 11 79 or (02) 470 43 45 to place an order.

Simply choose the card(s) you would like to purchase, place your order, and then go to our Donation Page to pay for your order via PayPal or Epay.  Or, if you would prefer to pay for your cards via bank transfer we will provide you with all the necessary details!

For ordering purposes, the cards are as follows:

("Manger scene" = Card A, "Snowman near candle" = Card B, "Bird in snow" = Card C, "Snowman by Christmas tree" = Card D, "Snowman w/ snow bunnies" = Card E, "Snowman with survachka" = Card F, "Survachka" = Card G, "Santa" = Card H.

Also, we now have Cedar eCards available for our supporters!  These are great for businesses or private users.  Our Cedar eCards allow buyers to place their corporate logo OR a personal picture on the card, along with a personalized message, and demonstrate your commitment to The Cedar Foundation.  With the same basic design as the cards below you have plenty of options to choose from!

The Cedar Foundation held our fourth annual Cedar Foundation Charity Dinner on September 26th at The Radisson Hotel in Sofia.  With nearly 160 supporters in attendance, the ballroom was packed to capacity.

The evening included live entertainment, a three course meal, a raffle, and an exciting auction.

In addition to discussing our  work with our guests, we also launched our new Cedar Foundation-iCard.  This Platinum Mastercard automatically donates money to The Cedar Foundation every time it is used in Bulgaria.
(contact us for information about how you can apply for your Cedar credit card lincoln@cedarfoundtion.org)

We would like to thank all of our sponsors for their help with the event.  And of course, we would like to thank all of those who attended and helped us to raise 33,000 Euros on the night!  This money will go to supporting Cedar's many projects and will be instrumental in our work to create appropriate, family type housing for Bulgaria's disabled orphans.

On August 3rd, municipal representatives, sponsors, Cedar Foundation Executive Director Mark O'Sullivan, and Director of the Institution in Gorna Koznitsa Margarita Parmarkova officially began construction of four new homes that will house the children of Gorna Koznitsa in the town of Kyustendil.

It has taken us over a year to get to this point and we are extremely excited and proud of of this milestone.  Not only does it mark a significant step in the closure of Gorna Koznitsa, it marks a huge leap forward in the de-institutionalization of Bulgaria.  No homes like this have ever been built here, and if done properly, these could become the model for all other institutions to follow.

Also, on August 10th we celebrated the commencement of construction of new facilities in the town of Bobov Dol.  These facilities will house some of the residents in Gorna Koznitsa.  Additionally, there will be a new rehabilitation center that will be used by these orphans as well as other residents living in the Bobov Dol region,.

We at Cedar would like to thank everyone who helped get this large project to this point.  Thank you to all of our sponsors including LSP (London Sofia Properties), Landmark Development, Antanos Panov Architecture, Odessa Properties, the Bulgarian State Government, and the municipality of Kyustendil.  Also, we would like to thank the Director of the Institution in Gorna Koznitsa, Margarita Parmarkova, for her strength, foresite and courage.

Lastly, we would like to thank all of you who have demonstrated your support for this project through your words of encouragement, professional assistance, and donations.

This is a tremendous step in a long journey, and it's a step we can all be proud of.

The Cedar Foundation had a great event again, this time in Buzovgrad – 5 kilometers from Kazanluk. A charity concert organized by our coordinator in Kazanluk, Ella Kobets, took place on June 23^rd. The program included a short film Ella made about the Home for medical and social care for children in Buzovrad where most of the money raised from the concert will be used. It will be spent on the needs of the new Day Care Center opened two months ago.

The Association “Future for Children with Disabilities” performed the play “The Cat Who Saved the World” in which the stars were several children with different kinds of disabilities who did great. Among the other performances that guests had the chance to enjoy were modern dances, live music and an ensemble of ladies who sang traditional Bulgarian songs.

The mayor of Buzovgrad made the biggest donation of 200 leva and his example was followed by other official guests. The event raised approximately 700 leva and will be very helpful in our efforts to help the children in the Home of Buzovgrad.

The Cedar Foundation would like to express gratitude to all who bought tickets, attended the event and made donations to support our cause.

Eagle Rock Café Summer Menu Launch Party offered a lot of entertainment and delicious delights to the visitors on Sunday, June 14th.

Cedar Foundation would like to thank all guests who helped us raise about 330 leva The money will be used for achieving different urgent aims set in the Gorna Koznitsa Project.

We would also like to express our special gratitude to Jane, Naomi and Lottie who were so kind and dedicated to the idea of helping the children and young people in the Home of Gorna Koznitsa.

The first ever Cedar Foundation Spring Fling on May 16th was a huge success!

Nearly 200 people came out to the Air Sofia Golf Club in Ihtiman to enjoy a day in the sun with their families, and learn a bit more about The Cedar Foundation and our projects.

The event was sponsored by The Cedar Foundation and The American English Academy in Sofia (AEA).  The students and the staff of AEA prepared numerous activities, including a football tournament, ring toss, face painting, and a 'pie in a teacher's face' toss (which was hugely popular).  The students of AEA showed a great deal of entrepreneurship and generosity, donating the money they raised to The Cedar Foundation.

Also in attendance were some very special guests from the Home for disabled orphans in the village of Gorna Koznitsa.  For the residents who were in attendance, this was the first such event they had ever been a part of.  They had a great time and were welcomed warmly by the parents, students and staff of AEA, as well as the staff of the Air Sofia Golf Club.

The Cedar Foundation would like to thank everyone from AEA for their involvement and support.  All told, AEA helped to raise nearly 1,600 leva to help support Cedar Foundation projects.  Also, we would like to thank the Air Sofia Golf Club for their support.  Lastly, we would like to thank Andy Lang from Ionu photography for donating his professional services.  To look at additional photos from the event, or to order your own copies, please check the following link: www.ionuphotos.com

The Cedar Foundation drive to collect used cellular phones is underway, and thanks to some energetic and caring students, we are off to a great start!

Students in three different schools (images below), and in two different countries, have collected close to 2,300 used cellular phones and GSMs.  The Cedar Foundation has an Irish partner who will recycle these phones and is willing to pay us for each handset, regardless of the condition they are in.  The money raised from these phones will go towards funding Cedar's various projects.  Also, recycling these phones is one small way we can help the environment and raise awareness about the hazards of disposing of these phones improperly.

So, not only are these students doing something to help the orphans of Bulgaria, they are helping the environment at the same time!

We would like to thank everyone at The American English Academy in Sofia for their efforts.  Also, Joeseph Herr's first grade class and Diane Halloway's 8th grade class at The Anglo-American School in Sofia.  And Pauline O'Connor's class at Ballincurrig National School In Cork, Ireland.

We can't thank all of you enough for your participation and support!

If you have any old cell phones or GSMs that you would like to donate, please contact Lincoln at: 0882 288 142 or email: lincoln@cedarfoundation.org.

Irish President Mary McAleese took time from her busy schedule to hold a private meeting with Cedar Foundation Executive Director Mark O'Sullivan, Cedar team members, residents of the Home in Gorna Koznitsa and the Home's Director.

The meeting was held in a private room in the Sheraton Hotel in Sofia and was arranged by the Irish Embassy.  Gorna Koznitsa residents Toni and Mitko were excellent ambassadors on Bulgaria's behalf and made quite a positive impression on President McAleese.

Mark O'Sullivan and President McAleese discussed Cedar's work and some of the challenges Bulgaria is facing regarding care for the disabled, and in particular, the care they receive in Bulgaria's state institutions.

Before the meeting ended, the President, along with her husband Martin and members of her team, posed for pictures and praised the work of Mark O'Sullivan and The Cedar Foundation.

In fact, later that evening in a speech the President delivered, she talked about Mark O'Sullivan and the work of Cedar stating that she was "deeply moved".

We at Cedar would like to thank the Irish Embassy and President McAleese for all of their help and continued support.

The Cedar Foundation hosted a very special guest at the Home in the village of Gorna Koznica on January 8th, 2009.  Making time in her very busy schedule, US Ambassador to Bulgaria Nancy McEldowney toured the Home and brought with her numerous boxes full of much needed items for the Home’s residents.

The US Embassy in Bulgaria conducted a ‘Clothing Drive’ for the residents of the Home, and the response was overwhelming.  Approximately 15, large, tightly packed boxes were delivered to the Home containing sweaters, pants, undergarments, coats, shoes, bedding, and blankets.  In addition, the Home received a television, a sewing machine and a vacuum thanks to the US Embassy and all items will be put to good use.

The tour, led by the Home’s Director Margarita Parmarkova and Cedar Foundation Executive Director Mark O’Sullivan, included a look at some of the classrooms where Ambassador McEldowney met and played with many of the children and young people at the Home.  The tour also included a look at the Home’s sleeping quarters, a new bedroom for the Home’s young women which Cedar created, and an activities room.  

In the activities room, Ambassador McEldowney sat with Margarita and Mark as she officially presented the items from the ‘clothing drive’ to the Home and its residents.  Addressing many of the residents, the staff, and members of the Cedar Foundation team, Ambassador McEldowney declared her continued support for the Home.

The ambassador stated:
“…I want you to know that there are people, American and Bulgarian, who care about you (residents) and want the right things to happen.  If we can do one little thing, to help you and to help The Cedar Foundation, it means the world to us.”

The visit ended with pictures, handshakes, and promises of continued assistance from the US Embassy in Bulgaria.  The Cedar Foundation would like to thank Ambassador McEldowney for her visit and her support of our work.  We would also like to thank all those who donated to the US Embassy’s ‘Clothing Drive”, and in so doing, worked to improve the quality of the lives of the residents of the Home in Gorna Koznica. 

On the 5th of December, 2008, a new computer hall was opened in Kindergarten “Pchelica” in the town of Kazanlak. After winning a project funded by the Cedar Foundation in relation to the program “Childhood” in April 2008, the organizers of the project started executing it. The initiative belongs to one of the teachers there, Krasimira Kostova, who had an idea of creating a new environment (a computer hall) for the children where with the help of the new technology they will be able to explore the world of numbers, letters, geometrical figures and foreign languages. The hall will be their special place where they will be educated by entertaining themselves. The kids will use the computer as a means of expressing their ideas and will learn how to work in a team. The new environment will also help the children develop important skills.

The project is aimed at the achievement of a prosperous change in the teaching approach  and the improvement of the education in the kindergarten.  The materials and equipment which will be used will help the children develop their talents and intelligence.

The project was also started because of the increasing requirements towards the teachers’ professionalism and the need of including newer technologies in the contemporary educational system.

In “Pchelica” lessons in English have already been given for 7 year olds, and the children show true interest and desire to attend these new classes. The environment that the computer hall is providing is making the lessons in English even more attractive for the kids.

This new environment will:
- provoke the kids’ interest for knowledge
- stimulate the professional development and competence of their teachers
- meet the increasing requirements of the parents for education of a better quality for their children