An Orphan Smiles

2012-01-01T06:09:00.000-08:00

An Orphan Smiles completed two projects for the 119 kids presently at Mykolaivka Internat. Christmas Stockings were given to the kids on St. Nicholas Day on Dec 19. A HUGE Thank you to Vicki and her extended family for shopping the clearance sales, assembling, and shipping these wonderful treats.

The second project was our Photo Album project for the New Year's Celebration Gift. Each Myko kid received a personalized photo album containing several photos of themselves. There are many empty pages that we can continue to send them photos and sponsors can send photos and they will have a special place to keep these photos. Each photo album was placed in a ziplock bag with a pair of socks, a pair of undewear, a pen and pencil, fruit snacks, winter hats for the girls, and some of the boys got gloves, some got little footballs, and everyone got a Candy Cane.

HUGE THANK YOU to Kelly and her team of scrapbook artists for making ALL the albums!!!! Those that helped Kelly included Grace, Tara, Dan, Maggie and the "Scarlet Sweethearts" Red Hat Club!!! HUGE undertaking to design over 100 albums! Each album had the child's name in both English and Russian. No two albums were alike and both the front and back were done. Really Amazing!!

2011-12-17T01:47:00.000-08:00

As part of a school project Travis, who lives in Israel, mailed 13 parcels each weighing about 40 pounds to Tsurupinsk Children's Home.

He collected and sent clothes (new and second hand), some hygiene items, candy ($600’s worth) and birthday cards for +-80 children.

2011-12-01T02:14:00.000-08:00

Thank you to Mrs. Purcell's AM and PM Kindergarten Classes (Phoenixville, PA) for collecting crayons and colored pencils during the month of October and over 120 pairs of socks during the month of November for the orphans in Ukraine.

They are selecting a small item to collect each month. December's collection is granola bars and other small healthy treats.

An Orphan Smiles Graduate Assistance Program (GAP)

2011-09-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

To learn about these unsponsored students visit our webpage or send an email to rachaeld@anorphansmiles.org

Tsurupinsk USA Visit

2011-07-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

The children have gone to the beach, the zoo, a professional soccer game, bowling, Boeing's museum of flight and other Seattle attractions. They have learned to wash dishes in a dishwasher, clothes in a washing machine, to have a family meal around the table, and how it feels to have someone tuck them in at night.

We took the children to Chuck E. Cheese's and celebrated each child's birthday. The children got their own cake with candle to blow out and individual presents. They were so surprised and very grateful!

The Fourth of July was celebrated with the individual families as the more the children are here, the more the families want to do one on one activities with them rather than group things - a natural part of the family hosting process.

Already people are talking about whether or not we can do this next summer, make it longer and involve more families. Each host family has friends, family and neighbors that have met the children and are interested in helping the orphans in some way.

We are excited for the possibilities of more supporters and volunteers, but saddened at the reality of the children returning to the orphanage, the older ones graduating to an institution for the rest of their lives.

Bogdan wrote to let us know that he and the Tsurupinsk director and children arrived safely back in Ukraine after their amazing visit to the US. Special Thanks to Debbie and Jerry and the whole Walker family for organizing the in-country portion of the trip. They and the host families were amazing. Also special thanks to Xavier University Orphan Smiles club and to Artful Giver whose fundraising also helped make this trip possible. And of course Bogdan had to do so much paperwork in Ukraine to get the necessary approvals.

Class of 2010: 29 down, 5 to go!

2011-05-29T03:32:00.000-07:00

We are so happy that our Class of 2010 is almost completely sponsored. One year into vocational school, 29 students have that special person in their lives who offers financial and emotional support. But five of them still haven't found a sponsor! Our goal for May Focus Week is to change that.

This month, we invite you to take a look at some of the 2010 Mykolaivka grads (all boys) who are still waiting for their very own sponsor. Could it be you?

As a GAP sponsor, you will send $30 a month to support your student. More importantly, you will exchange letters and photos with your student. You are not required to send packages, though they are always welcome.

Focus week: GAP Myko students

2011-05-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

This month’s focus week is for GAP Myko students. We have seven graduates who are looking for sponsors for a year at which time they will graduate from trade school.

Today we are featuring Ivan. This soccer playing fishing fanatic has no family to help him along while he is in trade school. He is studying plumbing at Kramatosk and his happy nature is a big hit with his roommates.

If you are interested in helping Ivan, we would love to hear from you. Additionally, all available students that we will be featuring can be found here.

Want to help Vasia to help himself?

2011-05-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

Vasia is a graduate of Tsurupinsk Orphanage and a gifted painter. He paints with his mouth since he does not have arms. Vasia specializes in landscape and nature scenes, but he also paints wildlife and portraits.

When he aged out of the orphanage as a teenager he was able to attend vocational training for two years. After he graduated the officials in the region where he lived simply put him on the train to Kiev, basically transferring all their responsibility to another area. Vasia had nothing in Kiev.

We are very grateful that Bogdan was able to step in and help. Without Bogdan's assistance, perseverance and many hours of work Vasia would be living on the streets in Kiev.

An Orphan Smiles is so proud of Vasia and his determined spirit for wanting to live independently despite his disabilities. There are many obstacles in Ukrainian society for a person like Vasia. People with special needs are not given opportunities to live independently and are often institutionalized. They face many challenges in a very unaccepting society.

Vasia is painting to support himself. If you are interested in Vasia’s artwork, please see here for more details.

2011-04-03T02:49:00.000-07:00

An Orphan Smiles JANUARY 2011 Focus Week was a TO GIVE project to raise funds for the Tsurupinsk Library. We raised over $600 and purchased 176 books for the School Library. This represents a wonderful collection of fairy tales, science fiction, children's detective stories, illustrated encyclopedias, learning materials, needlework, and architecture of Ukraine. All the books are new and from Ukrainian publishers.

Our next goal is to raise another $500 to purchase a set of "Classics" that can be used as part of the school curriculum. We already have $320 towards this effort and with a few more donations, we hope to have these desired books on the shelf before the next school term.

2011-03-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

Bogdan recently forwarded to us a translated letter and photo that the children from Orphanage 12 received in response to a card they sent to "Santa Claus" or more than likely in their case "Father Frost". The response letter to the children was written by a Russian journalist in Moscow:

Dear Children,

Not long ago I was lucky to visit Santa Claus in Finland. His name in Finnish sounds very funny - "Yo-oo-loo-poo-kee". In Russian it sounds funny but in Finnish it means "Father Christmas". On the shelves in his house, Santa has lots of letters from children from all over the world. Santa let me have a look at some of those letters. Imagine my surprise when the first card I took from the shelf read "Z Naikrashimi Pobazhaniami" (Very Best Wishes - in Ukrainian). I don't understand Ukrainian very well but THAT I could understand. The card said it was from children of Orphanage No.12 in Kiev. Having read that card, I felt really warm and bright. You know what? You were the only ones who didn't ask Santa for anything. On the contrary - you were wishing Santa all the very best. Many children in their cards were just asking for things - a car, a helicopter, a truck, a computer, a doll.. .

You children are real good kids! That's what Santa and I concluded. I specifically made a photo of Santa with your card.

I would like to wish you all the very best! Don't give up and don't despair! Santa himself knows about you!

Bye!
Vika Ivleva
Journalist from Moscow, from "Novaya Gazeta"

2011-02-18T15:46:00.000-08:00

An Orphan Smiles has students available for sponsorship in our GAP program (Graduate Assistance Program). We try to help these unsponsored students while they patiently wait for a sponsor friend. This is a letter we received from Vova recently in appreciation for help from An Orphan Smiles.

We are happy to report that Vova now has a sponsor, but there are others who still are waiting. Please consider sponsoring one of these deserving students or help with our unsponosered student fund.

http://www.anorphansmiles.org/joomla15/index.php/anorphanslife/programs/55

Letter Translation:
Hello my dear friends,

I am very happy that I have such kind and nice friends as you who has helped me so much in this life.

I am studying at a college to become a professional wall painter and plasterer upon graduation. I really like the profession that I am going to enter in the future. At my college, I have lots of male and female friends, and together with them I study and have lots of fun. On December, the 19th, we celebrated a holiday, the Day of Saint Nicolas. It is a day when Saint Nicolas gives gifts to children who behave well.

I had a great time in the summer of 2010 – I made a trip to a sea. I would like to continue to communicate with you and be your friend. Thank you for the money that you sent me, I spent the money on cleaning supplies. In my spare time, I like to watch TV, listed to music and engage in sports activities.

I congratulate you on the Christmas Holiday.

The whole family has gathered at a dining table,
Happy Christmas;
Jesus Christ came to our world
And he brought us a lot of happiness.

Your friend,
Vladimir

Feed the Soul - Trip to Kiev

2011-01-08T14:58:00.000-08:00

An Orphan Smiles sponsored a trip for ten orphans to visit Kiev, the Capital city of Ukraine for the Holidays. These children live in a rural city and rarely leave the orphanage grounds.

Trip report from Bogdan, one of our in-country volunteers:

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! I would like to congratul...ate everyone with the successful completion of yet another AOS sponsored trip to Kiev for a group of 10 Myko kids. The trip was a HUGE success! The kids were totally blown away. They stayed at Orphanage No.12 from December 26-28 and didn't want to leave today. The first day we took them to a children's Christmas play, McDonald's and the Dolphinarium. The next day they went to see the performance of the Great Circus of China, saw a 3-D Disney movie (Tangled) and had pizza. Today they went to another Christmas show. Their train was leaving at 4 p.m., so we didn't get much time to do other things today. Kiev was beautiful with all the snow and Christmas decorations. There was lots of free entertainment for children downtown, so the kids really enjoyed that. They loved the metro, the escalators, the shiny shopping malls etc. They had breakfasts and dinners at the orphanage and ate lunch in the city. Irina and our grads (Anya, Igor and Vova) were making all the meals. Another lady from the orphanage came to make 'pirogy' (pies) with the kids today, for them to take for the road.

When I asked what the liked the best, most kids said 'dolphins' and 'chinese circus'. I think it wasn't even the circus but just seeing so many people of another race in one place that fascinated them so much. Kids from Tsurupinsk and Myko are always fascinated by seeing people of color on the streets of Kiev because they have never seen them in their small towns.

This group was by far the most well-behaved. Usually Myko kids are pretty wild (which I personally like....most of the time :) but these ones were very quiet, polite and disciplined. Everyone at O12 noticed that. The chaperone that came with the group - Alexey, a PE teacher - was great with the kids.
We gave each kid a present from the boxes of "Blankets in Memory of Brian". Each kid also got two boxes of chocholates and some pocket money to buy a small souvenier (50 grivna, or $6.2).

There is one more thing that I wanted to share with you. Personal observation. When the memories of the previous trips fade away I start wondering if we should organize another trip or not, considering how much money and work these trips entail. But then when the kids come I realize so clearly that these trips are TOTALLY worth it. When you see the excitement and the happiness in the children's eyes, when you see them fascinated by simple things that you see every day, you realize that these moments of happiness and excitement are worth a million dollars. I just feel bad that those who pay for these trips can't see that.

Biology Classroom

2010-12-07T16:15:00.001-08:00

An Orphan Smiles is excited to see Valentina's newly refurbished Biology classroom at Mykolaivka Internat. Several hundred dollars were donated to help with new paint/wallpaper and classroom supplies.

Here is an excerpt from a letter we recently received from Valentina...

Hello dearest An Orphan Smiles group,

Thank you very much for the money that sponsors sent to make my new classroom beautiful and functional. I bought a lot of items: a plant stand, a set of posters of Plants and Animals of Ukraine, set of posters of Ukraine and "how big I am". I bought a lot of items for the biology classroom. Thank you!

On Saturday I will go and order curtains for the windows. I also bought posters on wild and tame animals, fruits and berries (tablets and posters). I will also purchase vegetable and fruit seeds to plant and show the children how the seeds make things grow.

Thank you all for your help and your care for the children.

With love,

Valentina

2010-11-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

An Orphan Smiles would like to thank Sharon and Pat for contributing a very large donation through "Blankets for Brian". "Blankets for Brian" is in memory of their son. His friends and family gathered a couple weeks ago and assembled 23 boxes to be shipped to Ukraine.

The boxes averaged approximately 30lbs each and are filled with individual bags containing a toothbrush, comb, crayons, gloves, scarf, candy, a stuffed animal and a blanket. There were also bags designed for teenagers and adults. Sixteen of these boxes are on their way to Tsurupinsk Children's Home and the rest are headed to Orphanage 12 where Bogdan will distribute to those who utilize the Graduate Support Center.

The boxes are in the process of being shipped and with any luck will arrive just in time for the Holidays. Now all the children at Mykolaivka, Orphanage 12, and Tsurupinsk Children's Home as well as the older students will receive something individually for the Holidays.

Thank you Sharon and Pat for your thoughtfulness and your very meaningful gifts.

Sending Birthday Wishes

2010-10-02T02:23:00.001-07:00

The K-Kids (a service club) of East Pikeland Elementary School in Phoenixville, PA participated in the An Orphan Smiles Birthday Card Program. The 4th and 5th Graders made Birthday cards for 20 children who live at the Tsurupinsk Children's Home in Ukraine. Tsurupinsk Children's Home is home to 118 mentally and physically challenged orphans. They typically do not receive anything for their birthdays and receiving cards from others has been a big hit!

To participate in the card making, contact our Birthday card coordinator at Birthday@AnOrphanSmiles.org.

Zhenya's Case

2010-05-21T13:35:00.000-07:00

For over two years, An Orphan Smiles has been advocating for a young man who has been falsely accused of murder mainly because of his orphan status. Last November, there was a major break through and he was released from prison. However, the charges had still not been dropped.

We have received a new report from our in-country supporter Bogdan on the latest development in Zhenya's case:

Today was the first hearing on Zhenya's case. Bad news: the prosecutors have changed Zhenya's charges from killing a person while defending himself (maximum 2 years of prison) to an assault that caused a person's death (minimum 7 years maximum 9 years of prison). We are back at the where we started 3 years ago...What a nightmare...

The good news is that the judge who is hearing the case seems to be much more professional and fair than the previous judge. But then again, this judge works in the same court house and in the same system...Both of our attorneys were at the court hearing today - Oleg Veremeenko (the young and fearless attorney who specializes on human rights cases - INCREDIBLE person) and Vladimir Grechanovsky (an older and very well-known attorney who consults us on the case and makes judges and prosecutors take us seriously). Those guys are really great. They make Zhenya feel really confident.

The next hearing will be on June 25th, at 9 a.m.

GAP Program Feedback

2010-05-14T14:11:00.001-07:00

GAP is An Orphan Smiles program which assists teenagers aging out of the orphanage system in Ukraine generally at the age of 16. Sponsors are needed to be matched with these young adults to provide support after they leave the orphanage in June.

Koila pictured here is one of the lucky orphans who has a very caring sponsor family to cheer him on while he completes his vocational training. Koila is wearing a beautiful handknit sweater made for him by his sponsor.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for a deserving teenager who has very little or no support in the world outside the orphanage please visit our GAP program page on our website:
http://www.anorphansmiles.org/Content/Sponsor%20a%20Graduate_Generic.htm

Birthday Cards fo Tsurupinsk Orphans

2010-04-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

Tsurupinsk Children’s Home consists of two orphanage buildings which are home to more than 125 mentally and physically disabled children. Sadly, these children do not receive anything for their Birthday. An Orphan Smiles provides Birthday Card greetings to each and every child at Tsurupinsk on their Birthday.

Here is a sampling of cards ready to be sent to Tsurupinsk for some of the summer birthdays.

If you or your group would like to participate in card making please contact our Birthday Card Coordinator at birthday@anorphansmiles.org.

Deaf Orphanage Receives Books

2010-03-20T18:04:00.000-07:00

Through the generosity of several donors of An Orphan Smiles, the Bolgrad Orphanage for Deaf Children has received a large shipment of school books.

The children and teachers at the orphanage give great thanks and appreciation for this wonderful donation.

Thank You From Tsurupinsk Children's Home

2010-03-03T03:09:00.000-08:00

An Orphan Smiles received a Thank you letter from Tsurupinsk Children's Home...Translated as follows:

Our sincere gratitude for the attention you are giving our pupils. Thanks to people like you, children do not feel lonely, but their problems are solvable.

We have received your parcel with supplies for painting - paints, brushes, paper. And we have the idea to create an art room. Now this circle works. We send you photos and children's drawings, which were presented at a big Christmas show.

Thank you very much for the ordinary gifts. Games - a very necessary means of education and upbringing of children.

Again, thank you for caring and parental care.

Best regards,
Headmaster
Alevtina V.

New year at Orphanage 12

2010-01-13T11:14:00.001-08:00

Father Frost made a special visit to the children at Orphanage 12 in Kiev celebrating the New Year! Each child received a box of chocolates from Father Frost and a personalized goodie bag from An Orphan Smiles. The caretakers at the orphanage cooked a special meal with many treats for the children.

Feed the soul trip for Tsurupinsk

2010-01-09T10:15:00.000-08:00

From December 26 - 28, fifteen disabled orphans from the Tsurupinsk Children's Home in Kherson, Ukraine were treated to a special Holiday trip to the Capitol city of Kiev. An Orphan Smiles helped provide funding to allow the children to enjoy many special activities for the first time in their lives. They went to a Sea World type show, a movie theater, and an arcade. They also enjoyed sightseeing in a special bus, and meals out at McDonald's and Pizza!

Zhenya is OUT OF JAIL!!

2009-11-13T18:55:00.000-08:00

An Orphan Smiles has been supporting the effort to get an innocent orphan accused of murder released from prison.

Our attorney Oleg picked Zhenya up at prison at 6:00PM on Tuesday, November 10 and brought him to the local police station to sign some papers. Zhenya's two sisters and Bogdan were already waiting there. Zhenya was in shock. Zhenya thought they were going to beat him again. He didn't dream he would be released.

The charges have not been dropped yet, so technically Zhenia is still a suspect, but the fact that he was released means a lot. This happened after our attorney Oleg arranged a special inquiry into the police by several Parliament members. That was the last drop - after all the media coverage, press conferences, protests from Ukrainian and international human rights groups etc. The police department is finally backing off and is desperately trying to find a way to avoid punishment. Bogdan wants to pass along Zhenya's thanks to everyone who have been supporting him during these years. Without your support Zhenya would have been in prison for 6 more years and would have been labled as a murderer for the rest of his life. Our battle is not over yet, but we are VERY close to victory.

There are many important things that are worth fighting for, and many good projects worthy of support, but there are hardly things more important than JUSTICE and FREEDOM. THANK YOU to everyone who kept Zhenya in their prayers and contributed to legal fees, food and supplies while he spent 3 years in prison for a crime he did not commit!

Christmas gifts

2009-09-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

An Orphan Smiles has assembled 170 ziplock bags full of goodies for the children at Mykolaivka Internat, 49 ziplock bags full of goodies for the children at Orphanage 12, and 200 beanie babies and 200 treat bags will be on there way to Ukraine soon for the children at Tsuripinsk. An Orphan Smiles would like to thank everyone who helped make the Christmas project possible. It is your generosity that has enabled the orphans that we help have a wonderful holiday season.

We are still in need of help towards shipping costs. If you can help with any amount to offset the cost of getting the Christmas packages to Myko, O12 or Tsuripinsk it would be very much appreciated. Here is a link to our Christmas page to make a donation:

http://www.anorphansmiles.org/Content/Christmas.htm

Annual meeting news.

2009-09-11T11:34:00.000-07:00

I would like to take a minute to let you all know that we are planning on holding our Second Annual Meeting of An Orphan Smiles on Saturday November 7, 2009 in Phoenix, Arizona.

This is an open invitation to all our supporters to join the board members, officers, coordinators, and other volunteers for this special get together. Anyone is welcome to attend!

Last year eight of us met in Denver, Colorado and having the ability to meet in person really was what got our organization off to a wonderful start! I personally can't say enough about how wonderful it was to meet fellow volunteers in person and really get to know them. The discussions were so productive and we accomplished so much, but at the same time the time spent socializing and getting to know each other was simply awesome and a lot of fun!

We have selected the following hotel for our accommodations and our meeting point as it is not too far from the airport, provides a free airport shuttle and a complimentary breakfast.

Doubletree Guest Suites Phoenix
320 North 44th St., Phoenix, Arizona 85008-7698
Tel: 1-602-225-0500 Fax: 1-602-231-0561
Here is a cut and paste link.
http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/PHXFVDT-Doubletree-Guest-Suites-Phoenix-Arizona/index.do

In general, we plan on arriving late afternoon/early evening Friday and departing sometime on Sunday.

If you are at all interested and have any questions please send an email to info@AnOrphanSmiles .org. If you are planning to attend, please email as well so that we can plan activities accordingly based on the number of participants.

Hope to see you in November!

Diane Sitkowski

Three large boxes

2009-08-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

A big thank you to Debbie Walker and everyone who has contributed in June and July to the Tsurupinsk Art Project! Debbie shipped three very large boxes today.

The photo shows a sample of things that where sent. The staff at Tsurupinsk are thilled to hear that they are getting these art supplies for the children.

Christmas is coming!

2009-07-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

An Orphan Smiles has launched its Christmas program. Details can be viewed on our website: http://www.anorphansmiles.org/Content/Christmas.htm. Special thanks to Joan of Phoenixville, PA and her family who donated a whole box of stuffed animals (80+) and Rebecca of E Grand Forks, MN and her family who donated over 90 stuffed animals. These adorable toys will be sent to the Tsurupinsk orphanage later this year to arrive in time for the Holidays.

Tsurupinsk Children's Home is home to 207 physically and mentally handicapped children aged 4 to 18. Tsurupinsk is located in southern Ukraine in the Kherson region approximately 350 miles south of Kiev. All the children have major physical handicaps that make it difficult for them to move around and support themselves (no leg(s), hand(s), etc). There are 112 children who attend school on site. Sadly, 95 children have severe mental and physical handicaps and never leave their beds.

O12 grads are fully sponsored.

2009-07-06T21:53:00.000-07:00

The ninth year students at Kiev Orphanage 12 have just graduated in June! The staff worked very hard to make this a special day of celebration for the students. An Orphan Smiles is very proud of them!

An Orphan Smiles would really like to thank Leslie who has done such a great job finding GAP sponsors for each one of these students. These graduates can now go to trade school, knowing that they have a friend who cares and will help them financially so that they can complete their training. Without sponsorship, they would be inclined to worry about how to afford their essential needs and living expenses. Those who are not sponsored and do not receive this type of support, are more inclined to fall out of their training programs due to financial dispair, and turn to the streets and crime for survival. Little do they know, that when this happens, their chances of survival are reduced dramatically.

Sponsors are still needed for Tsurupinsk and Myko graduates. If you are interested in helping a student through trade school please contact Leslie for Tsurupinsk at lar1696@yahoo.com and Rachael for myko at mykovocational@yahoo.com.

Have you ever noticed this small coupon on grocery products?

2009-06-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

This symbol is called a BOX TOP and they can be found on a whole range of grocery products. Please email mailto:info@AnOrphanSmiles.org?subject=Box for the most up to date list of products.
Each BOX TOP is worth 10 cents. These can add up very quickly especially if a lot of people are collecting them.
Please cut out or tear off and save your BOX TOPs to benefit An Orphan Smiles. Keep an envelope in a kitchen drawer and when it is filled just mail them to:

An Orphan Smiles
PO Box 175
Kimberton, PA 19442

Life pack project

2009-04-17T09:59:00.000-07:00

An Orphan Smiles would like to send a big "Thank You" to those who have recently participated in the Life Pack Project. All O12 graduates will be getting these packs, and so far we have 36 Myko graduates receiving a pack. Myko still needs volunteers to put together six more life packs. These packs are comprised of a few simple household items that will make a big difference as the students leave school and head out to trade school. If you would like to help in any way, please let Rachael know at mykovocational@yahoo.com Rachael will be happy to fill you in with all of the details.

AOS is now a 501 (c) (3)

2009-04-12T20:09:00.000-07:00

It is with great excitement that we have the pleasure of announcing that An Orphan Smiles, Inc. is now a recognized 501 (c) (3) non profit as determined by the Internal Revenue Service. Contributions made after August 14, 2008 are now deductible under section 170 of the Code. This nonprofit status allows us to expand our fundraising opportunities including applying for grants, corporate donations and to be eligible for matching funds.

If you have any questions regarding our nonprofit status, please email Diane at dianes@AnOrphanSmiles.org

We are on facebook.

2009-04-12T19:53:00.000-07:00

An Orphan Smiles now has a facebook cause page. You can access the page through the link below. It's nice to put a face to the friends of An Orphan Smiles too.

http://apps.facebook.com/causes/261762?m=91e6b129

New KIDS and GAP programs!

2009-03-20T09:44:00.000-07:00

Mykolaivka Internat recently added two sponsorship programs: GAP (graduate assistance program) and KIDS (kindness is donating smiles).

The KIDS program helps the students who are living at the Internat. Sponsorship is easy. After a student is assigned, you write letters to your child and send two basic packages per year. The children love to receive letters and packages from sponsors. Most importantly, the correspondence lets the children know that they have someone who cares about them. The annual cost for this program is $60.00 per year. This annual fee pays for a birthday party, Christmas celebration and costs for the in-country team.

The GAP program is also a sponsorship program. The sponsor pays $40.00 per month (this can be split between two sponsors) to help the graduate get through trade school. The students use this money for basic living supplies. They also learn how to budget and save for when they graduate and need to live on their own. Letters to the sponsored children are encouraged, packages are optional. Thirty dollars of this money goes to the student, five dollars goes to the in-country team for communications and travel expenses and the remaining five goes to Valentina who heads the program at Myko.

If you are interested in sponsoring a student through the GAP or KIDS program, please contact

Rachael Davidson - mykovocational@yahoo.com for GAP and

Stephanie Crail - Myko_Crail@yahoo.com for KIDS

Knitting project donated

2009-03-02T20:23:00.000-08:00

An Orphan Smiles received a donation yesterday from the "Knit One, Purl Two, Pray Three" Sunday morning knitting group from St. John's Lutheran Church in Phoenixville, PA. The small group of knitters gather during the Sunday School hour for knitting and fellowship. They will continue to work on on toys and hats for the orphans. Received were 18 winter hats and 3 adorable knitted toys.

Feed the mind update

2009-02-23T20:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the generous donations to the Feed the Mind program at Internat Mykolaivka, we have been able to purchase 80 new books for the 2nd Shipment to Myko for $500.00 which included shipping. These books consisted of: The Harry Potter Series, The Golden Compass Series, The Spiderwick Chronicles and various Series of books of Russian / Ukrainian authors - Tanya Grotter (Nancy Drew type) and Golden Dog Series (Zolotoi Pes.)

Thanks to all to bringing us closer to completing the Internat Myko Library..

New Sponsorship program at Myko

2009-02-16T09:43:00.000-08:00

An Orphan smiles is pleased to announce that it has launched the KIDS and GAP sponsorship programs at Myko. Both programs have some students available for sponsorship and details can be found on the website or by e-mailing Stephanie for the KIDS program at Myko_Crail@yahoo.com or Rachael for the GAP program at rachaeld@anorphansmiles.org

Collection Effort - Essential Program

2009-01-25T15:25:00.000-08:00

An Orphan Smiles would like to recognize St Basil School of Kimberton, PA for their collection effort this past week.
The school thru the Student Council sponsors a 'dress down" day where the students are permitted to wear clothes other than their usual school uniform if they participate in the designated Charitable event. The focus of this service activity was the Orphans in Ukraine and each class was assigned a different item or items to collect.

The results of this collection effort were amazing especially considering that St. Basil is a small school with only one classroom K-8 per grade.

Listed below are the items that were delivered to An Orphan Smiles and will be sent to Kiev Orphanage 12, Tsuripinsk and Mykolaivka in February.

23 boxes of cereal or boxes of granola/cereal bars
17 boxes of bandaids
18 coloring books
26 boxes of crayons
15 Paint by number sets
19 Hair accessories
17 Hair brushes
35 bottles of shampoo/conditioner
24 tubes of toothpaste
64 toothbrushes
11 deoderant
2 sewing kits
130+ bars of soap
4300 Q-tips
8 Facial Scrub products
15 bottles of lotion

Our Essential program focuses on providing hygiene items such as many of the items listed above. We hope to fill out these boxes with toilet paper and feminine products as well. Thanks to those who have already contributed to this worthwhile program to make this possible.

Update on "feed the mind"

2009-01-24T16:01:00.000-08:00

We have reached another milestone for the Book Project at Myko. A few days ago we reached the $1000 mark. We are thrilled that we are already a third of the way towards our goal of filling the shelves of the library at Myko.

Please consider a donation towards our "Feed the Mind" Project. A book costs on average $5 and will give every student the opportunity to travel through the pages to places like Hogwarts and Narnia. Details for donating can be found in the "Donate a Smile" section of the website.

Photo's of the Kiev trip

2009-01-15T10:23:00.000-08:00

Here is the link for the photo's of the Myko kids trip to Kiev.

http://anorphansmiles1.shutterfly.com/

Myko kids in Kiev (day 3)

2009-01-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

Here is Bogdan's recap of day three. The kids sound like they had a blast. We at An Orphan Smiles are looking forwards to the next feed the soul trip.

Today the Myko group went to the Dyvosvit (Wonderland) family recreation center and enjoyed several hours of fun playing archade games, going on varous rides, winning prizes etc. Boys finally got a chance to do some laser and video gun shooting. The 4D theater was a big hit and some of the children even tried to keep the glasses (in hopes to make things come alive once they go back to Mykolaivka, I guess. :) After everyone ran out of money on their cards, they all enjoyed another dozen of rides on the escalator.
After the group came back to Orphanage 12 they had a farewell lunch with home-made pies made by Orphanage 12 staff. Everyone got a small present - a soccer ball, a small radio, a watch etc. Everyone seemed to be happy with what they got. We also gave boxes of chocholates to the Orphanage 12 staff who have been cooking and escorting the children during these 3 days.
At 4.30 p.m. we all went to the train station. Jane Slavcore, who just arrived from Australia today, came to say 'hello' to Valentina and the group, which was a very nice surprise. The kids were very happy to see her.
I think I have told you everything. Once again, an enourmous thank you to everyone who made this trip a reality. The amount of positive emotions that the children received during these 3 days is invaluable.

Thanks again everyone!
Bogdan

Myko kids in Kiev (day 2)

2009-01-12T18:22:00.001-08:00

Here is Bogdan's update of day 2.

Another exciting day in Kiev for Myko children. After having pancakes with hot tea for breakfast the group went to the movies to see Bedtime Stories. The movie theater is one of the newest one in Kiev, located in a big shopping mall with lots of nice stores, water fountains and - most importantly - escalators! The children enjoyed the movie and then took about 50 rides up and down the escalators. It was a good training before taking the metro...
Then the children had lunch at McDonalds. Everybody got a happy meal and a toy. The real fun part began outside when all the children wanted to play on the playground which designed for very young children. It was quite a picture - a crowd of wild teenagers going down the slides together with 2 and 3 year olds.
The group then ventured out to the downtown area on the metro. The ride on the metro was an adventure in itself, as on Day 1.
The weather was much warmer today, so the walk around the city center was very comfortable and fun. The children got to see the country's largest Christmas tree, a lot of nice stores, buildings and churches.
At 4 p.m. the group went to a dolphin show. Of course, it was no Sea World but the children were thrilled to see live dolphins, sea lions and other sea animals for the first time in their lives.
Tired but excited the group returned to Orphanage 12 at 7.30 p.m. and had a nice dinner, prepared by Orphanage 12 volunteers.
Alyosha had to drive Valentina and 4 smallest/weakest children all day - it was too hard for them to do so much walking. In general, one of my observations is that many Myko children are very weak and unhealthy. Several kids vomited after being on the bus or metro, some got tired very easily, one kid had fever today, another had a severe allergy reaction to food. We have never had to deal with so many health issues with children from any other orphanage.

Tomorrow the group will be going to a family fun center to watch a 4D movie, take a ride through Dinosaure Land, play games, etc. Kids love that place.
More to come (including photos)....

A group of Myko children are in Kiev with Valentina.

2009-01-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

The following is an e-mail from Bogdan who is hosting some Myko children in Kiev for our “Feed the Soul” program. From what this e-mail describes, this trip is a huge success. The children are filled with such awe and amazement and they see that there is more to the world than just the walls of the orphanage. With your support, we can continue to provide these types of programs to great children who need to see that the world is has many wonderful things to see and do. Please go to AnOrphanSmiles.org to make your donation.

From Bogdan:
Well, I know Myko has lots of fans so I thought I would send reports to you by the day. So, here's a short summary of Day 1.
The train. This was an adventure in itself as many of the children had never been on a train before. Excitement and fascination are the two words that Valentina used to descibe the children's emotions...I know, those of you who have travelled on Ukrainian trains would probably use other words but hey...the children loved it!
The cool bus. Alyosha picked the group up at the train station and took them to a beautiful shiny bus that was waiting for them. I don't know about the girls but the 13 boys on the group were totally blown away by all the lights and buttons above their seats, the big wheels and windows and other stuff...The 30-minute ride to the orphanage was all dedicated to studying every details of the tour bus and talking to the driver (a really cool guy). I knew the bus would be a hit.
Arrival at the orphanage. When the children arrived at Orphanage No.12 they were greeted by O12 director Svetlana, and settled in their rooms. O12 kids are at the winter camp right now, so Myko children are sleeping in their rooms. Our great volunteers - Irina and Galina (Orphanage 12 worker and the Support Center accountant) - made fried eggs and hotdogs for breakfast. The children ate up and rushed downstairs to get on the bus and go to the city.
The Tour of the City. The bus took the group on a grand tour of the city. Among other things, the children got to go to the oldest Orthodox church in Eastern Europe (over 1000 years old) and to the caves. Valentina ordered a special requiem service in memory of her husband. She felt very content to do something in her husband's memory at the most sacred place for Orthodox people - the Lavra.
The lunch at O'Panas. Those of you who have been to Kiev may have visited this Ukrainian food restaurant. Very nice place in the very heart of the city. The children enjoyed a hearty meal (for a GREAT bargain price) and played with snow outside. For ALL of the children this was their first time in a restaurant. They were very proud of the fact they ate there.
The metro and the 'walking stairs'. After lunch the group went to take the metro to go to the Christmas Play, escorted by Alyosha and two Orphanage 12 staff - Natasha and Anastasia. Well, we knew the escalators would impress the children but nobody expected just SO much excitement. It was like riding the biggest and scariest ride in Disneyland - so much creaming and yelling. The people in the metro seemed to have enjoyed the show...I am not sure about Valentina, Alyosha and the girls who were trying to first put 20 screaming children on the escalator and then catch them downstairs.
The Christmas Play . The play was at the Ukraina Palace - the biggest concert hall in Ukraine. Lots of lights, marble etc. Pretty cool. The show was great and the children really enjoyed it. At the end everyone got a box of chocholates.
The Pizza. Since my favourite Canadian pizza place does not deliver to the disctrict where O12 is, Alyosha went to pick up 7 large pizzas for the children. Irina and Galina made a salad and we all had a great pizza party, followed by a desert.
Tomorrow the group will be going to the movies to watch Bedtime Stories, McDonalds and the Dolphin Show. The older children will go to the downtown area to hang out, too. Everyone will be taking public transportation except for a couple of really tiny kids who get tired very quickly - Alyosha will have to drive them around. I don't know what we would be doing without him...and the other volunteers who help cook and escort the children.

Box delivered to Tsumpinsk

2008-12-30T09:54:00.000-08:00

A box of warm pajamas were received at Tsumpinsk orphanage just before Christmas. The children will look so adorable tucked in their beds wearing a new pair of warm pajamas. A big thanks to Diane who put this parcel together and mailed it.

I think it's noteworthy to mention that Diane used MEEST in Philadelphia, the shipping time is just under six weeks. MEEST is a very reasonable priced shipping organization that has locations across the United States.

Update on Myko programs

2008-12-29T21:30:00.000-08:00

The Myko Kiev trip for twenty children is just a couple of weeks away. The money needs to be wired very soon for this trip. At this point we have $721.69. Our goal is $1700. The aim of the trip is to give the kids some life experience, to ride a train, see a movie, eat in a restaurant, and be a guest at someone else's home amongst other things.
If you can possibly donate to this project it would make a big difference to a child's life, even the cost of a happy meal will go a long way. These kids will be eating in a restaurant for the first time so a happy meal is a big deal. Donations can be made through the link on the webste. Any donation would be apprieciated.

Myko "feed the soul" trip update.

2008-12-27T09:52:00.000-08:00

Diane has graciously offered the following proposal to encourage donor participation. Let’s all take her up on this offer and really show the spirit of giving. I encourage you all to join the message board and donate. Thanks Diane for your generous offer..

I hope everyone had a chance to read Bogdan's recap of the trip to Kiev for the Tsurupinsk children.

In January we hope to be able to do the same type of trip for 20 children from Mykolaivka.

I would like to be assured that the Mykolaivka children get to experience a similar trip. To encourage donor participation, I will donate $10 for each person that makes a contribution of any amount to this special trip between now and Jan 1st. I would like to send Bogdan a wire on Jan 2 for this trip. We have about 60 people in our Yahoo group. If each person made a $10 donation, I would gladly contribute $600 and that would bring our total to $1600 and would give the kids a WONDERFUL trip.

Please consider a small paypal donation to the email address: paypal@AnOrphanSmil es.org or send a check to:

An Orphan Smiles, Inc
PO Box 175
Kimberton, PA 19460

If mailing a check, please let me know so I can track our totals.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Holiday week!!

Diane

Tsurupinsk trip to Kiev

2008-12-26T08:09:00.000-08:00

Here are some words from Bogdan regarding the recent "feed the soul" trip and a photo link.

The three day trip was incredible. The children enjoyed it immensly. We organized lots of joint activities with Orphanage No.12 -a talent show, art competition, pizza party and even a disco. The group visited a Christmas play in a local theater, Children's Entertainment Center with 4D theater, show with dolphins and other sea animals, movie theater (watched Disney's "Bolt"), botanical gardens and many other fun places. They were at the openining of the country's main Christmas tree on Maidan, met the Ukrainian St. Nicholas in the city park and Santa Claus from Laplandia, Finland). Of course, everyone got lots of presents, including one at their own wish. What an incredible and fulfilling experience. I am especially proud of Orphanage 12 children and graduates - they were terrific hosts and donated many of their own Christmas presents. I have uploaded some photos to orphanage12.shutterfly.com Enjoy! I will try to upload more some time soon. Merry Christmas everyone!
Bogdan

First "feed the soul" trip for Myko

2008-12-13T14:06:00.000-08:00

An Orphan Smiles (www.anorphansmiles.org) has put together a trip for some students to travel to Kyiv to celebrate Russian Orthodox Christmas as part of our "Feed the Soul Project". The students will travel by train to Kyiv where they will stay with Bogdan and the students of Orphanage 12. While in Kyiv they will eat at a McDonald's, go to the circus, see a Christmas play, watch a 4D movie, play and interact with the children of O12, and enjoy the beautiful city of Kyiv.

The cost of funding this trip is a little short so we are asking for your help. It costs $100 to send a child to Kyiv on this trip. If you can help out with the cost of a Happy Meal or a circus ticket to make this trip a special one for the students it would be great. Donation links are on the "Donate Smiles" part of the website. A drop down for PayPal is available as a payment option for this trip.

Thanks

Family group available for sponsorship

2008-12-10T06:26:00.001-08:00

An Orphan Smiles would like to introduce a sponsorship program at orphanage 12 in Kyiv. This program is a little different than sponsorship programs you may already be familiar with. Kiev 12 (O12) is designed for students who live in family-style settings. These "families" live just like you and I do with responsibilities, rules, chores, and family time . I personally love this way of life for the students. It helps them to develop much-needed life skills as they grow, and gives each child a smoother transition upon graduating into the big wide world.

O12 has one family unit available for sponsorship! We would love to find sponsors for this "family" before the new year. Sponsorship involves sending packages, but in a different way. As a sponsor you will send things to the family unit. This could be bed sheets, a wall clock, games for family time, or bath towels (these are some examples of items that could be useful). We also ask that sponsors send $50 per family unit per calendar quarter to pay for heavy items like toiletries. It is more cost effective for the heavy items to be purchased in-country, and in doing so teaches the children how to budget their money.

If you are interested in pairing up with someone to help this group of students, please contact Marina at marinap@anorphansmiles.org While we are presenting this sponsorship as a two-person effort, it may also be something an office can do as a team.

Zhenia updates

2008-12-08T06:01:00.000-08:00

Zhenia was tortured and imprisoned on murder charges last year. His teeth and leg were broken, he was subjected to electric shocks and had his head stuck in a gas mask and the vent blocked.

The defense team have won three cases against the state on torture charges, despite the fact that the state would not allow an independent doctor or dentist examine Zhenia. This has not helped Zhenia, who still remains in jail waiting for yet another hearing.

Forensic evidence (in Zhenia's favor) has been stalled, delayed, and obfuscated several times. Hearing after hearing has been delayed. The attorneys continue the fight against the system to prove Zhenia's innocence, despite the IMMENSE difficulties and obstacles put up by the prosecutors and police.

The risks to Zhenia in jail are life threatening - tuberculosis is rife and many of the infected inmates resort to eating rats to get the necessary protein in their diets to survive.

Thank you to the donors who have helped to pay for ongoing legal fees. And a special thanks to Travis (age 12) who donated his Christmas money to buy Zhenia some goodies for a parcel in prison for Christmas and New Year, and donated his pocket money to help Zhenia.

Latest Update from Ukraine 7 December 2008

Well, this case is turning into a very dramatic Hollywood movie with unknown ending...The ONLY witness we had - Zhenya's neighbour who was watching TV with him at the time of the murder died of hypertensive crisis (supposedly)! We can't say for sure it was a murder but it is certainly a very sudden and suspicious death. The man was under 40! Moreover, the journalist who did the TV coverage on Zhenya's case has been given two bodyguards by the SBU (former KGB) after his TV channel reported numerous anonymous threats addressed to this reporter.

The Prosecutor's Office wants to launch an investigation against Oleg Veremeenko, one of our attorneys, for sharing video information from the case with TV people. The judge was very upset with Oleg for sharing information with mass media (which is perfectly legitimate by Ukrainian law). The pressure on the defence is enormous.

Today our attorneys brought an expert from the national television station (a camera man) who was supposed to confirm that the "shadow" on Zhenya's face on the videotape was not really a shadow but signs of beating. The judge did not want to hear him. The attorneys requested an examination of Zhenya's hand-writing (signatures) on police papers - the judge rejected that request, too. Our attorneys made several other requests but they were also rejected. During heated debates in court session the prosecutor felt sick so the judge had to stop the hearing and call an ambulance.

When we left the court another TV crew was waiting for us. We all spoke to the cameras and left. The next court hearing is scheduled for December 11th. I don't think it will be the last one but I do hope there will be a verdict before the end of this year.

Our attorneys were amazingly brave and professional today, as usual. I can't tell you how thankful I am to have them working on this case.

Latest Update from Ukraine 3 December 2008

THE most popular 1+1 national TV channel has just told Zhenya's story to the whole country! At prime time (7.30 p.m.) when the whole national watches the news!! They showed interviews with Zhenya's sisters, attorneys, the widow (she said Zhenya wasn't there when the husband was killed) etc. Our attorneys are simply THE BEST!!!!! I can't tell you how excited I am - there are thousands stories like Zhenya's but our attorney Oleg managed to make Zhenya's story known to the whole country. Now the highest ranked government officials will have to respond...Its not a victory yet but its a HUGE blow on the system. WOW!

Latest Update from Ukraine 13 November 2008

The hearing today lasted 4 hours. Our attorneys managed to get a copy of a video tape that was made by police during the investigation (Zhenya's 'confession'). The police taped him from the back so you couldn't see his face but when they moved the camera you could see Zhenya's face for a couple of seconds. The attorneys stopped the tape and everyone could see that the left side of his face was all black and swollen. The prosecutor claimed it was a shadow on Zhenya's face. The judge allowed an independent person to look at the tape and they brought a clerk from the court's administrative office (not quite independent but our attorneys were happy even with that). The clerk confirmed that the boy on the tape obviously looked beaten.

Another good thing today was that the Prosecutor General's Office has put Zhenya's case on their "monitoring list", which is the result of the UN Human Rights Group's report. This means more pressure on the judge to ensure proper procedure. The next hearing is scheduled for December 5th. It is likely to be the last one. Our attorneys expect a 'guilty' verdict but at least it will enable them to move the case to the higher court.

In the meantime, Zhenya asked for some shoes and clothes - turns out he still wears the pair of pants in which he was arrested almost 2 years ago. We will try to find some warm clothes for him at the orphanage. His 18-year-old sister will deliver the clothes and food. Relatives have to wait in line for 8-10 hours outside the detention center to submit care packages... And there is no guarantee everything will be delivered and not stolen, of course.

Latest Update from Ukraine 28 October 2008

The Unites Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights will try and meet with Zhenia in the CIZO 13 jail this week.

Update from Ukraine 27 September 2008

I spoke to Oleg today (one of our attorneys) and he said the hearing on Thursday was very long but good. The judge was hearing one of the cops, the other one didn't show up for the 4th time. The cop who was testifying was very nervous, gave conflicting information and 'couldn't remember' too many things. Our attorneys, on the other hand, presented another written evidence of Zhenia's alibi - a written statement from the TV channel with the exact timing of the soccer game that Zhenia was watching with the neighbor. The time of the soccer game coincides with the time of the murder.

The next hearing is scheduled for October 13th. Our attorneys are also preparing a complaint to the European Human Rights Court. Normally you can apply to the European Court only after the final verdict in the home country but when cases are intentionally postponed and last too long you can apply without waiting for the final verdict.

(If you would like to make a donation to Help Zenia please go to the "donate smiles" section of the webpage for information on how to do this)

We are on facebook

2008-12-04T21:03:00.000-08:00

In the past couple of weeks we have launched our facebook page. It has been a tremendous success with over 250 members so far. It is great to see faces of people we have been virtual friends with for a while now. Feel free to go and have a look.

I would like to thank Shanna, who has been a real trooper in getting the word out about facebook and really helped spread the word.

Ebay Auctions

2008-12-01T20:10:00.000-08:00

Special Thanks to Dan Soulia for donating this beautiful Handmade Polish Pottery to our eBay Auction Fundraising effort. These pieces are available for bid until December 8. These pieces would make excellent Christmas Gifts.

Here is a link to access An Orphan Smiles Auctions:
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZorphansmiles

We had our annual meeting!

2008-11-23T13:39:00.000-08:00

We are very pleased to announce that An Orphan Smiles held its first organizational meeting on November 8, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. It was truly an amazing experience for all of us that gathered to meet. Many of us have "known" each other for many years, but only thru an email connection. So to actually meet in person was truly very special. There was lots of hugs, and laughter,and sharing, and on Saturday we gathered from 10AM to late in the afternoon to discuss, to select, to approve everything from board of directors, to officers, to finances, to policies, to communication, to programs, to volunteers, to short and long range goals. It was a highly productive session.

We are pleased to announce the Board of Directors and Officers for An Orphan Smiles, Inc, as:

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Angie Albright
Liz Delmatoff
Amy Jordan
Diane Sitkowski
Kelly Smith

OFFICERS

Diane Sitkowski President/Treasurer

Rachael Davidson Vice President

Kelly Smith Secretary

Besides those named above, also attending were Marina Pravednikov and Leslie Reinhold and Lynn Kolber was with us for part of the time thru a webcam hook-up.

We all expressed a strong interest in making this an annual meeting in early November at a different site each year. So as we grow, hopefully, some of you could also join us.

The Minutes of the Meeting will be posted in the Files Section of the An Orphan Smiles Yahoo Group.

First feed the mind book order on it's way

2008-11-11T12:01:00.000-08:00

The Feed the Mind Project is off to a better start than we ever could have imagined with $751 donated so far. We placed the first book order for 112 books a couple of weeks ago, and they are now on their way to the children at Myko. Thank you so much Victor for putting this book order together!

Financial update

2008-10-24T18:17:00.000-07:00

An Orphan Smiles is please to announce that for the months of September and October we have sent $2565 to Orphanage 12 in Kiev to support the Gradudates and the Graduate Support Center. Thanks to all the generous and caring supporters that made this possible.

In Summary:

$1793 was sent to specifically help sponsored Grads.
$ 130 was sent to help with Support Center Rental.
$ 84 was sent to help with Support Center Food.
$ 136 was sent to help cover the Monthly Meeting expenses for Graduates.
$ 145 was sent to help with Legal Fees for Zhenia.
$ 277 was sent to help with the Greatest Needs of Support Center.

Tsurupinsk Graduates

2008-10-22T08:44:00.000-07:00

A huge thank you to Kelly who now has sponsors for all four graduates from Tsurupinsk. They will be able to purchase things like a warm winter blanket without having to worry about the cold.

Thanks again Kelly for all your hard work and to the wonderful sponsors who will make a difference in these students lives. I am sure these students will never forget your generosity to help them get ahead in life.

Thanks for helping Fedia

2008-10-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank the donor who send these art supplies to Fedia Romanov. This talented young man is one of our Tsurupinsk graduates who paints with his mouth. I can't wait to see his artwork.

If anyone is interested in sending more supplies to him please let me know at RachaelD@anorphansmiles.org

Boxes headed for Myko

2008-10-15T16:23:00.000-07:00

A huge thank you to Debbie Walker, her mother and their donor friends who mailed out two boxes by MEEST to Myko. The boxes are full of heavy sweaters and fleeces for the children. The winter's are extremely cold and this will help to keep them warm and toasty through the cold months. I am looking forwards to posting photo's of the happy children with this lovely gift.

I thought I would share....

2008-10-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

We got the below e-mail from Bogdan that I thought I would post. It's good news for the children.

Next week we have a 4-day conference at Orphanage 12 with people from Holland, Russia, the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and other agencies to present some of the changes we have made and share ideas about improving conditions in Ukrainian orphanages. We have invited Valentina from Myko for 2 days, and Alevtina from Tsurupinsk. They will be staying at O12 on Tuesday and Wednesday. Hopefully, this will be interesting and helpful to them.

October update

2008-10-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy first month for An Orphan Smiles. We have welcomed sixty supporters to our group with numbers growing almost daily. Things have started well with the Mykolaivka book project. We hope to get the library fully stocked by early spring. The winters are bleak for the Mykolaivka children and it's our dream to have a book available for every child who wants to read. It would be great to hear that each student has a book tucked under the mattress to read before lights out every night. We currently have over $500 donated for this cause which is fantastic news.

Our initial organizational meeting will be held the second weekend in November. It is a very exiting time for us all and everyone is welcome to attend. This meeting will be in Denver on November 8. If anyone would like further details please feel free to contact Angie at info@anorphansmiles.org. She will be happy to give to accommodation details for those interested in joining us. At this meeting the board will be elected as well as discussing future plans and programs for us. If you have any suggestions for discussions at the meeting we would love to hear from you. Please feel free to e-mail Angie at the above e-mail address.

A huge thank you to all who have helped An Orphan Smiles get off the ground. We have a great team of donors and friends and we look forward to a bright future.

The Beginning

2008-08-31T18:01:00.001-07:00

This is the first post for An Orphan Smiles. We are all looking foward to the exciting events that are coming down the pike. Please keep checking back with us as we add more content and find better ways of help the orphans of the Ukraine.