Through blogging, we’ve learned that we can make authentic connections with people from around the world.

We read about one another’s greatest accomplishments.

We celebrate the highest highs and we grieve the lowest lows.

This holiday season, Kacey and I have decided that we want to give something back to the on-line community that we laugh, cry, and continue to grow with.  To do this, we will be using our blog as a platform to help give the gift of hope all week.

Recently, we learned of Anissa Mayhew, a witty mother of three, who collapsed after suffering a massive stroke.  Her family and friends are devastated.  One minute, her husband is talking to her about which hotel they could stay in over the Thanksgiving holiday, and the next moment, she is unresponsive in a hospital bed.  Everyone is praying for Anissa to pull through.  Little by little, it seems that progress is happening, but her family still has a very long road in front of them.

Matt Logelin is also no stranger to the devastating turn our lives can take.  He started blogging like many of us did, as a way to update friends and family on the progress of his family.  In Matt’s case, he wrote about his pregnant wife, Liz.

Matt proudly posted about the birth of his baby girl Madeline one day, and the tragic loss of his beautiful wife due to a pulmonary embolism just 27 hours later.

After his wife’s death, Matt established The Liz Logelin Foundation to help families suffering similar losses.  The goal of his organization is to “financially assist families as they deal with the loss of their loved ones, and struggle to move forward.”

Matt also challenges his readers…and everyone…to “skip the latte” and donate $7 on the 7th of every month.

(A small monthly donation) x (A whole bunch of people) = A big difference.

All this week, Kacey and I will be working with a group of bloggers, including Buried with Children, Adventures in Babywearing, 7 Clown Circus, Scary Mommy, The Extraordinary Ordinary, & Mama’s Losin’ It, to promote a three day auction called, Blog • Bid • Hope.  Our goal is to raise money on behalf of The Liz Logelin Foundation and Anissa Mayhew.

Thanks to Laurie from Tip Junkie, we were able to connect with the Mom-preneur community, as well as a number of small business owners.  Everyone generously agreed to  donate their goods, including blog designs, toys, art, accessories, baby gear, and SO much more, to our auction.

You’ll be sure to please everyone on your holiday list with any number of the packages that will be available! Not to mention that ALL proceeds will be going to help people during extremely difficult times in their lives.

The auction will officially begin on Wednesday, December 9th.  All items listed on the Blog • Bid • Hope hosting sites will begin at $10.  We’re asking for bids to increase in $2 increments. If you see an item you’d like to bid on, just leave a comment on that item’s post stating your price.

In addition to our auction, we want to encourage everyone to swing by Anissa Mayhew’s Aiming Low site on Thursday, December 10th.  Her friends and fellow Aiming Low bloggers have organized a Shop 4 Anissa Day, where they will link to specific vendors who have agreed to donate a portion of all sales on Thursday to the Hope 4 Anissa fund.

See that.  You can help.  We all can.  Together.  Like one giant kumbaya on-line family.  Bloggers helping bloggers.  Let’s show everyone how powerful we can be when we choose to work together towards a common goal.

If you’d like to donate directly to Anissa and her family, you can send your donation via PayPal to: anissa.mayhew@gmail.com.

To give to the Liz Logelin Foundation, simply click on the below button: