These 3 children are not siblings. You can find out more about them through Russian Orphan Lighthouse Project
Tag: Non-Profit Organizations
Christmas Gifts for HIV+ Orphans
Life2Orphans “Wishing On An Angel” Christmas project has many boxes filled with wonderful Christmas gifts for orphans in Ukraine. They are in need of people who can pay $30-$45 to ship each box overseas. The gifts have been generously donated and the boxes are already packed and waiting at Life2Orphans in Portland to be shipped to Ukraine. You can choose which box you would like to send. There are HIV positive orphans at several orphanages in Ukraine, so if you know which orphanage you would like to send it to, just choose that orphanage from the drop-down menu. Otherwise, you can choose “M__ AIDS Orphanage” to be sure that HIV+ orphans will receive gifts. Here are the links:
Step 1: Boxes Available (choose one in the 0-4 year age range or for the caretakers and write down the box #).
Step 2: Fill out the form (so they know who is paying for the shipment and where to ship the specified box). Don’t mind the error message.
Step 3: Mail a check or pay via Paypal for shipping costs. I clicked on this link then clicked ‘Donate Online’ (lower left).
The organization is trying to get all of the boxes shipped by October 13th so they will make it to Ukraine in time for Christmas.
Community Support for Ethiopian Children with HIV
There are many ways to support HIV positive children, one of which is AHOPE For Children’s Community Support Program. I am a firm believer in programs such as this and others which enable parents and relatives to raise their children, rather than abandon them. Without community support programs such as this, there would be even more orphans in the world.
Helping Orphans in Haiti after Earthquake
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If you would like to help the orphans in Haiti, as they try to recover from the devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck near Port-Au-Prince yesterday, Bethany Christian Services has the following message:
We are thankful that all of the children and staff at both of our in-country partners, God’s Littlest Angels orphanage and The Creche Enfants Jesus, were not harmed.
Dixie Bickel, the director of God’s Littlest Angels, |
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| posted an update on her blog early this morning, describing the earthquake’s effects at the orphanage: “…The building stayed standing and John cannot find any cracks in the walls which is pretty amazing!… The nannies came in at 10 PM but we had two strong after shocks about midnight and the nannies and babies are sleeping outside on the ground on blankets!” Read more on her blog
Dixie explains what it was like to survive the earthquake during an interview on If you can financially help the children in Haiti, Bethany Christian Services has set up a fund for earthquake recovery in Haiti. We will work with our partners on the ground in Haiti to use your donations to help ensure that children in Haiti are cared for and kept safe. It is Bethany’s mission to both help many Haitian children stay in their families and also to help orphaned children be placed for adoption with families in the United States. Please visit www.bethany.org/donate to donate to the Haiti-Earthquake Recovery fund.
We also hope to develop a special service trip to Haiti to help with the recovery. If you have any interest in learning more about this opportunity, please e-mail us athaitiearthquake@bethany.org. |
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AHOPE for Children Sponsorship Update
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AHOPE Winter 2009 Newsletter
World AIDS Day
In honor of World AIDS Day, I would like to bring attention to some very important help for HIV positive orphans around the World.
AHOPE for Children is in need of 15 new sponsors to save the lives of 15 HIV positive orphans in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Cost of sponsorship is $35 per month. There are more than 1 million HIV+ children in Ethiopia. AHOPE now has room to accept 15 more orphans into its care homes. The funds go to basic necessities such as food, medication, education and holistic care.
From HIV To Home’s Five For Five Campaign: Donate $5 per day for 5 days to help HIV positive orphans. Today’s donations go to Agape Children’s Home in Thailand.
The Heart of the Matter is advocating for a family for an HIV+ orphaned sibling group of three: an 8 month old baby boy and his 3 year old and 5 year old siblings. Could you be the missing parents?
Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation has announced a tireless goal to decrease new pediatric HIV infections by one-half over the next 5 years, preventing nearly a million infections in children. The Foundation, together with its partners, will work to reach 15 million pregnant women with prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services in many of the world’s most vulnerable countries.
World AIDS Day: A Bushel and a Peck
World AIDS Day: 5 Things You Can Do, written by Lisa at ‘A Bushel and a Peck’.
December 1st is World AIDS Day. My life has been turned upside down by AIDS and its devastating effects. In Ethiopia, I doubt there is a single person who is completely unaffected by HIV/AIDS. So often I am overwhelmed by this desperate crisis in our world and I wonder what on earth I can do? But here is the secret. Each one of us can make a difference – we can reach out and care about somebody whose life has been touched by HIV/AIDS.
Five Things You Can Do
1. Read: If you only have time to read one book, I recommend There Is No Me Without You: One Woman’s Odyssey to Rescue Her Country’s Children. Written by Melissa Fay Greene, an adoptive mother, the book tells the story of one Ethiopian woman who responded to the AIDS orphan crisis with practical compassion. It is a compelling and interesting read.
If you have time for two books, get 28: Stories of AIDS in Africa by Stephanie Nolen. My exposure to AIDS in Africa had been limited primarily to Ethiopia, but this book broadened my education by featuring a short story about twenty-eight different people across the continent and how AIDS has affected them. 28 will give you a quick education about HIV/AIDS in a captivating style.
A reader also recommended the book, Scared: A Novel on the Edge of the World, about orphans and AIDS in Swaziland. I have not read it yet, but after reading the reviews, I just added it to my Amazon cart.
2. Sponsor: For as little as $10.00 a month, you can provide care for an HIV+ orphan. Through Circle Embrace, a sponsorship program recently launched by From HIV to Home, you can join with others to create a Circle of sponsors for a child living with HIV/AIDS. Consider giving holiday gifts with a purpose by creating your own Circle. It is easy and only a click away.
3. Care: At the end of 2007, there were 11.7 million AIDS orphans in Africa alone. These are actual children, not just numbers. If the AIDS crisis seems remote to you, take a few moments to watch this video of the children of AHOPE. If you want to get even more personal, watch my family’s video of our Ethiopian adoption.
4. Shop with a purpose. The holidays will be here soon; this year purchase gifts that will benefit children with HIV/AIDS. In honor of World AIDS Day, From HIV to Home has a wonderful new necklace available. Make a donation of $50 or more and we will send one to you. I love the concept of embracing those with HIV/AIDS and the necklace looks great. All proceeds from this necklace go directly to the Circle Embrace Child Sponsorship Program.
Shop at the AHOPE Store which has everything from clothing and jewelry to aluminum water bottles.
I know both of these organizations personally, having previously volunteered for AHOPE, and currently working with From HIV to Home, and can confidently say that your donation will be put to good use.
World Vision is also an excellent organization offering gift-giving opportunities. You can give a gift to a child in the developing world in honor of your friend or family member. The options are endless, from two chickens ($25.00) to a sheep ($105.00).
5. Adopt: Consider adopting an HIV+ child. It isn’t as complicated as you might think. The last three years have seen an explosion in the number of families adopting HIV+ children. When we began the process, a handful of HIV+ children had been adopted from AHOPE, our daughters’ orphanage. Now, the children are finding families very quickly. For more information on HIV+ adoption, contact Adoption Advocates International.
Don’t wait until December 1st to wear a red ribbon. Do something today and when World AIDS Day arrives, you will be ready to tell somebody else what it is all about.
~Lisa
Paving A Road Home – Webinar
If you are interested in learning more about adoption of children with HIV (either as as prospective parent, an adoption professional, or as an interested friend or family member), take part in From HIV to Home’s “Paving a Road Home” webinar.
Register through their website, and you will be directed to a link and passcode to the pre-recorded session (65 minutes) to view at your convenience. This is also a great resource to share with family and friends who may be interested in learning more about HIV.
Internet access and audio-capability required. Registration is $10. Webinar is for personal use only and is not to be forwarded, shared, or broadcast without written permission of From HIV to Home.
This is also an excellent opportunity for adoptive parents completing a home-study which requires further reading / courses.
Positively Orphaned 