Hello, everyone. We have an opportunity and ask for your help.
We have a friend who is going to Ukraine in one month, and will be in the town Alex's institution is in. She has agreed to carry over money from us (and our friends) and hand it to the director of the institution as a gift for the children there.
When we took Alex home, we left behind more than one hundred children, ages 4-16 (mostly), all with severe disabilities. Some are
available for adoption (interested? talk to us!), but many, most, are
not. The director is a very responsible woman who is trying her best to
provide care for all these young people, and has done a lot to transform the institution (e.g., adding electricity, planting extensive gardens and orchards, adding playground equipment). But
Ukraine does not fund these institutions well, so there is a lot of
making do on very low funds--the diet is the diet of the poor, the
windows need replacing but that is expensive, any "extras" in that
orphanage are usually donated rather than acquired. We donated Alex's
care-giving funds (they came from the state with our adoption) to the
institution, and the director said she was going to buy meat with it. Meat is rare in the diet of these kids, which is one reason Alex was "morbidly iron-deficient" when we brought him home. The director was very interested in us seeing the receipt,
offered that we could come and observe the purchase, etc. This is all
to say that the money is needed, it is well spent, and she spends it on
the children.
Wiring money to this small town in the middle of nowhere is a lot more difficult than you might imagine (we've done it before). So this is a great opportunity.
We need to get the money to our friend as soon as possible. We will be making a small donation of our own; if you are interested in joining us, you can send donations via the Paypal button on the sidebar or mail it to us at 664 Winona Street, Winona, Minnesota, 55987. We will accept donations until Jan. 24, and then send the money on its way through our friend.
Thanks for even considering this, folks. I'm afraid this isn't the sort of donation you can write off on your taxes, but you can make children in a very difficult situation a little more comfortable and happy. Pass the word if you know someone else who wishes to help.
God bless,
Susan and Jerry
We have a friend who is going to Ukraine in one month, and will be in the town Alex's institution is in. She has agreed to carry over money from us (and our friends) and hand it to the director of the institution as a gift for the children there.
Wiring money to this small town in the middle of nowhere is a lot more difficult than you might imagine (we've done it before). So this is a great opportunity.
We need to get the money to our friend as soon as possible. We will be making a small donation of our own; if you are interested in joining us, you can send donations via the Paypal button on the sidebar or mail it to us at 664 Winona Street, Winona, Minnesota, 55987. We will accept donations until Jan. 24, and then send the money on its way through our friend.
Thanks for even considering this, folks. I'm afraid this isn't the sort of donation you can write off on your taxes, but you can make children in a very difficult situation a little more comfortable and happy. Pass the word if you know someone else who wishes to help.
God bless,
Susan and Jerry
I will be happy to donate! I know that the money will be used for meat. When our team was there a few years ago some of the members actually went with the director and purchased the meat and brought it back to the orphanage! Another time some went and purchased a hot water heater and installed it. Any gifts I brought for the children went directly to them and a year later I saw that they still had them. This is one orphanage where the director really does care about each and every child. And any money donated will go directly to the children.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sandie, for the donation, and thanks too for the testimony.
ReplyDelete