Christmas is coming!

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.

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?

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

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)

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.

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!

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