Paper Angels and changing children's lives at Christmas

Christmas is a painful time of year for so many underprivileged kids. Thanks to the Angel Tree and to people's generous hearts, some kids will find some hope and joy. (Orphans First also provides Christmas gifts for underprivileged children -- those overseas in our programs and children's homes and in impoverished neighborhoods in Mexico, India, Russia... )

With holidays and Christmas now in full swing, who doesn’t love a feel-good, cozy movie with an inspiring message? Thanks to UPtv there are plenty of those in store. Original movie, Paper Angels, which aired on November 16^th, is an example of awesome with a true-to-life powerful message.

Inspired by country singer Jimmy Wayne’s Christmas hit, Paper Angels, as well as by the book of the same title co-written by Jimmy Wayne and Travis Thrasher, the movie tells a compelling story that highlights the value of programs such as the Angel Tree which enable underprivileged children to receive at least one Christmas gift.

Paper Angel weaves together two stories of broken families—broken for different reasons and in different ways. Two children find themselves in a situation where even a Christmas tree seems like a hard-to-reach luxury. After leaving their alcoholic, abusive father, the mother of two children struggles to provide for them. Christmas is looking pretty bleak – until she hears about the Angel Tree program.

Meanwhile, a young couple preparing to greet their first offspring into the world – twins – also find themselves in a less than solid financial situation. Yet, the Angel Tree calls to them.

Highschool basketball and the Angel Tree draw together two unlikely friends, Thomas and Kevin. As they seek to do good to others in spite of their own sorrows, their lives are changed.

From personal experience and vicariously from the kids Jimmy Wayne has worked with, Wayne shows how The Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program can make all the difference in a kids’ life. Paper Angel paints a compelling picture and highlights a beacon of hope all the while drawing us into a world where children and adults alike find themselves changed as they look beyond their own needs.

Starring Matthew Settle and Josie Bissett, .Paper Angels also features two new songs written and performed by Jimmy Wayne.

Check out UPtv’s schedule for upcoming movies. 

This story will also appear in Assist News Service. 

Janey DeMeo M.A.

Copyright © November 2014

www.orphansfirst.org

www.JaneyDeMeo.com

www.twitter.com/JaneyDeMeo

Apple Mortgage Cake, inspiring true story on UPtv

Apple Mortgage Cake premieres on UP TV on Sunday April 20^th and holds all the best ingredients (excuse the pun) for inspiring entertainment.  Well worth seeing.

Read my full review in The San Diego Christian Perspectives Examiner and in Assist News Service.

Janey DeMeo M.A.

Copyright © April 2014

www.orphansfirst.org

www.twitter.com/JaneyDeMeo

Far From Home, new movie

Coming this Sunday, February 9th on DirectTV channel 338, Dish channel 188 and Cable at 7pm ET/8PT,  Far From Home. 

Here’s another family-friendly original movie airing on UPtv later this week, Far From Home, starring Barry Watson (“7^th Heaven,” “Gossip Girl”) and Stefanie von Pfetten (“Cracked,” “NCIS”). 

Watson plays Nicholas Bell, author of Broken Windows—a successful novel that birthed Bell’s reputation as the new voice of his generation. But fifteen years later, it was still Nick’s only novel. Something had cut off his creative juices?

Nick found himself reluctantly returning to his hometown in Marrow Island for the funeral of his Uncle Charley whom he’d not seen nor spoken to in fifteen years. As if returning to the place wasn’t painful enough, he also learns that he has inherited part of its history – his uncle’s newspaper, The Beacon. But Nick wants nothing to do with it. He wants nothing to do with any part of Marrow Island – something he makes clear to attractive and assertive local attorney, Libby Wainscott (Stefanie von Pfetten).

Read my full review of Far From Home in The Examiner. It will also appear in Assist News Service.

UPtv (www.uptv.com) is America's favorite network for uplifting family entertainment.

  

Janey DeMeo M.A.

Copyright © February 2014

www.orphansfirst.org

www.twitter.com/JaneyDeMeo

http://janey-demeo.blogspot.com