USA (MNN) — Today there are 159million children who are considered orphans around the world. Many of these children are in orphanages, both public and private. Unfortunately, many private orphanages need help. That's where Orphan Outreach comes in.
Today, Orphan Outreach is connecting people like you with orphans who desperately need hope. According to Tiffany Taylor with Orphan Outreach, they do that through child sponsorship. But their child sponsorships are unique. "There are a lot of wonderful organizations that do sponsorships to help vulnerable children. But ours are specifically to help children who are orphaned; they are in orphanages that need support."
The sponsorship programs exist in every country in which Orphan Outreach is currently working, including: Guatemala, Honduras, India, Kenya, Latvia, and Russia.
Monthly sponsorship is $36 a month. Taylor says, "It's everything in Russia. It helps orphan graduates, all the way to orphanages, like a sweet little orphanage called Little House of Refuge in Guatemala."
The program in Russia is the most unique because it's helping teens as they graduate from the orphanages, which can be very difficult for most children. "Those are children in Russia who were living in government homes, but now that they've graduated, their needs are overwhelming."
They need food, clothing, advice, and help with their government-provided apartment. "Their apartments are in such terrible shape that they don't even have windows or doors on their apartments."
As a sponsor, you will receive:
• A photo and information about your sponsored child.
• The opportunity to have a personal relationship with your child by writing and receiving letters.
• The opportunity to travel on a short-term mission trip to meet your child.
• Annual progress reports with updated photos of your child.
As a sponsor, you're asked to:
• Write to your child. You can send your letter and attached photos to [email protected]. Once Orphan Outreach receives your letter, it is sent to the appropriate country where it is translated and then delivered to your child. Letters are a great way to encourage your sponsored child and let them know that someone cares about them. Tell them about yourself, your family, and ask about their lives. Please do not make promises to your child.
• Pray for your child. Use the photo and information about your child as a reminder to pray for them. You can also join the Orphan Outreach prayer e-mail to receive updates on all of their programs, including your sponsored child's program or orphanage.
• Commit to support your child for one full year. Each Orphan Outreach sponsor commits to a $36/month sponsorship that provides for the daily needs of your sponsored child.
Your gift will be sent directly to the project to help with the costs associated with that child. Actual details about what your sponsorship covers can vary from project to project–from monthly tuition to food and clothing. All projects include Christian discipleship of the children.
"We have to meet their physical needs, just as Jesus met the physical needs of the people He met," says Taylor. "But then, that allows us the opportunity to feed these people spiritually. Every one of our programs has a spiritual component."
To get started, click here and follow the directions.
