Waving goodbye

I had the pleasure of taking a run on a beautiful spring evening today.  Shortly into my run I went by a little league soccer practice.  I immediately became nostalgic for the football pitch behind Sovietsk Orphanage.  I've had a lot of fun there playing pick up games, losing at banana, or watching others play.  I was reminded of one young man in particular we've mentioned before on this blog who has shown a lot of promise as a soccer player, but hasn't been particularly open with us.  When we visited last September he, along with the orphanage director and some other kids from the orphanage, were invited to an athletic competition.  They left the same day that we left for home, but we were able to see them off.  As they were driving away we waved goodbye to them.  Some of the kids waved enthusiastically back to us but he remained indifferent. But as they drove around to the other side of the building on their way out we took a shortcut to the other side so that we could wave goodbye to them again.  The second time he actually cracked a smile and waved back.  A small gesture I realize, but it was a good reminder for us that you just have to keep trying.  Sometimes you won't get a response for a while, or at all.  But it's worth it to keep trying.

Sending Smiles

Some of these kiddos at Sovietsk just don't smile enough. It's understandable. When you've lost your family and feel rejected by the ones you love most, why should you smile? These children are cautious when it comes to trusting people, and they are guarded from showing emotions. They've been vulnerable before, to disastrous results. So one thing we strive to do with these children is bring a few more smiles.

That's why I love this picture! We're visiting the Sovietks history museum which had a special wax figure display. So, you see Kolai, me, Zhenya, and Piotr the great in the background. You can see a glimmer of smile on Kolai's face, and Zhenya's eyes are smiling. He tried to hold it in, but the smile comes through.

We met Kolai last year, in 2009, for the first time. He's had a hard life, and he is a sweet young man. He and Ben spent a good amount of time together working and playing soccer, and he is very personable. We've known Zhenya since our very first visit to Sovietsk. This is the FIRST time he's spent an extended period of time with us, accepted hugs, and shown a glimmer of smile. It warmed my heart and brought me to tears when we left. After 4 visits and many, many letters, maybe he buys it. Maybe he knows we're not kidding, and we truly care about him. He's among the oldest at the orphanage now, and he was so proud of his position as a leader. We are so proud of him.

Writing letters and sending photos is a great chance to send smiles to these kids. When I write, I like to use the word 'smile' every so often, maybe sharing a memory about them that makes me smile. Reading the world smile often leads the reader to smile, and smiling increases oxytocin and other positive hormones while decreasing stress hormones. This is SO healthy for our over-stressed, under-smiling children. If you want to do your part in sending a smile, let me know and we'll connect you with a child to whom you can write and send your love.

Thanks for caring about these special children!

I want to introduce you to a friend of Sovietsk Orphanage. His name is Father Nikolai and he is the priest at the Orthodox Church just down the street from the orphanage. A number of the children at Sovietsk Orphanage have been baptized by Father Nikolai and he has taken it upon himself to look after their spiritual needs. We fully support Father Nikolai and believe that spiritual health is part of being a well rounded person. We spent a few hours with him and he was very warm, welcoming, and kindhearted. And he has an amazing beard. He took us on a tour of his church, which was founded before the United States existed. He shared with us the history of the church and the persecution it experienced through the years, especially at the hand of the Soviet government. We'll have more on Father Nikolai and the time we spent with him later.

It Ain't Workin'!

On our recent trip to Sovietsk I had the opportunity to sit down and play guitar with some of the boys. (The girls play, too, but this was intended to be male bonding time.) One of the young fellas asked me to show him how to play a C chord. I put his fingers in the right spot and told him to press down and then strum. He did okay at first but before long his fingers got tired and the chord started to break down. Soon it was just an atonal plunking sound. He then looked up at me and said in Russian, "IT AIN'T WORKIN'!" Before I knew it I was laughing so hard I could hardly breathe, and then our interpreter started laughing, and soon the aspiring guitarist was laughing. I couldn't explain then or now why it was so funny, but it was positively hilarious. There's not really much of a point to this story other than it was good to share a moment of levity with a kid who really needed one. My young friend had some traumatic experiences that led him to living in the orphanage and it was good to share that moment of laughter with him.

Introducing Toma

Remember Lonya? The sweet little guy with hearing impairment? We haven't found his sponsor yet, sad to say. We haven't given up, but with December here, we’d love to introduce you to his sister, Tamara.

Tamara is 6 years old and came to the orphanage this year with her 16 year old brother Sasha, her 11 year old brother Armik, and of course, her 7 year old brother Lonya. Tamara, or Toma, hid for hours when we first arrived, but we eventually saw her sweet and playful nature. Toma would run up to the group, then run away. She would peek around the corner, giggle, and hide. By the time we broke out the face painting fun, she was a part of the group. She loves to make funny faces and has the sweetest smile.

Toma has been essentially raised by her brother Sasha for a few years now, and she is starting to make up for lost time. Sponsorship can help her gain medical and educational assistance and show her that she is loved and cherished by a special someone half a world away.

Will you be Toma’s sponsor? Through sponsorsehip, American friends connect one-on-one with children at the orphanage through letters, prayer, and financial support. For $34 a month (that’s $408 a year), the children receive financial assistance for educational and medical needs, regular visits from mentor Anya, and birthday and Christmas parties. While ideally sponsors stay connected to the children through their entire time at the orphanage, a minimum one-year sponsorship is encouraged.

Sponsorship payments may be made monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or yearly by check, credit card, or EFT. Sponsors are encouraged to write one letter, one page long, once a month. It’s a simple task with a HUGE impact!

If you are interested in sponsoring Tamara or any of the other children at Sovietsk Orphanage in Kirov, Russia, please drop us a note or leave a comment. We know you'll be glad you did!

For me?

A charming bit of Russian culture is the giving of gifts. I'm not talking about giving gifts at birthdays and Christmas. We've experienced the tradition of giving gifts to your host or visitor as a show of gratitude. One of the special things we like to do for the kids when we visit is to take each of them a gift bag that is all their own. We like to give them things that are fun but also useful. Flashlights, stress balls, gel pens, stationary, lip balm, sugarless chewing gum... you get the idea. The kids who have been there awhile aren't surprised when we give them out, but they're still grateful. But I have them most fun giving them out to the new kids who've never gotten one before. When I handed the gift to one of the new boys he looked at me with big eyes and a tiny voice and said, "minya?" or "for me?" And I replied with a hearty, "da!" It's rare for these kids to have something to call their very own. We're not trying to make them into greedy Americanized consumers. We just want them to feel a little bit special.

Yogis and Yoginis

One of our travelers, Katherine, is working toward her certification as a yoga teacher. We are so thrilled that she led two evenings of yoga practice for our children.

At first, it was tough to get everyone settled, with our rambunctious little boys who had never done yoga before. With some time, patience, and a few extra adults walking around the room, we settled into a lovely practice.

Two children in particular, Natasha and Sasha P, were amazingly connected and grounded. It doesn't surprise me at all that those children have spent the least time in the orphanage--they just arrived this summer.

Experiencing trauma, such as violence, abuse, or losing your family for any reason, changes the brain. So does being in an institution. Our children struggle with self-regulation. Many are overly sensitized and hypervigilant, with elevated heart rates and shortened breath. Others are under-responsive and lethargic. Yoga is a wonderfully therapeutic way to calm the mind and reconnect to the body. Yoga can connect people to their centers and help them find their power. Many people around the world have found yoga practice to be a healing experience, and the same can be true for our children!

One of my favorite parts of this trip was at the end of yoga practice, seeing a roomful of our children in savasana, completely relaxed and at peace. It was simply beautiful.

All People Yoga Center is working with Katherine to provide yoga mats, supports, and practice for our children at the orphanage. If you're interested in contributing, please leave a comment and we'll be in touch.

Meet Lonya

When we arrived at Sovietsk this year, one of the first questions new director Alexei asked was “How can we find more sponsors for the children?”

Sponsorship is the lifeblood of our collective work at Sovietsk. American friends connect one-on-one with children at the orphanage through letters, prayer, and financial support. For $34 a month (that’s $408 a year), the children receive financial assistance for educational and medical needs, regular visits from mentor Anya, and birthday and Christmas parties. While ideally sponsors stay connected to the children through their entire time at the orphanage, a minimum one-year sponsorship is encouraged. Sponsorship payments may be made monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or yearly by check, credit card, or EFT. Sponsors are encouraged to write one letter, one page long, once a month. It’s a simple task with a HUGE impact!

In an effort to find sponsors for all 24 of the waiting children at Sovietsk, we are focusing on finding a sponsor for one child each month.



Meet Lonya. Lonya is 7 years old and came to the orphanage this year with his 16 year old brother Sasha, his 11 year old brother Armik, and his 6 year old sister Tamara. Lonya has 30% of his hearing. The doctors believe he had little hearing at birth, though there is some speculation he lost some at age 3 in an accident. After coming to the orphanage in May, Lonya received hearing aids for the first time in his life. Though at times he is overwhelmed, Lonya is a little sponge, soaking up language skills and sounds all the time! He is expert at communicating through animated gestures and is beginning to read lips and mimic sounds. He loves taking photographs and is purposeful and artistic when composing them. Lonya needs financial assistance to get picture cards and other visual materials to expand his language. Lonya will be attending a special school in town for children who have hearing impairment, and Lonya will continue to be evaluated by specialists to determine the best approach in treatment and education. Lonya is a sweet, loving boy who enjoys his siblings and playing games at the orphanage. Sponsorship can help him meet his full potential and show him that he is loved and cherished by a special someone half a world away.

If you are interested in sponsoring Lonya or any of the other children at Sovietsk Orphanage, please send me an email. We hope to hear from you!

Sponsorship Matters

It's so hard for us to communicate to people who haven't visited the orphanage how important letters and sponsorship are. Each child receives it differently. Some are shy but enamored. Some are slow to trust but learn over time. Some are eagerly waiting for a sponsor. Some write beautiful letters. Some children are around only a short time, others are around for the long haul. One little guy, Sergey, is a big fan of his sponsor John.



Sergey has never met John, but they have been linked since sponsorship began in 2007. This year, on our very first evening, Sergey asked me enthusiastically "Do you know John?" I do, and I shared some about his interests and how we think he's a great guy. Sergey asked if he was ever coming to visit, but understood that it is difficult. He shared that he loves getting letters and photos and stated confidently "We've been friends for a long time."

For a boy living in an institution with no family, his sponsor has become Uncle John. Through consistent communication and simple, kind words, Sergey has learned over the last 3 years that he is loved and valued, even from half a world away.

With so many new children at the orphanage, we have 24 children waiting for sponsorship. The first question the new director asked us was how we can get more sponsors. Please, if you are interested in sponsoring at all, send me a note and I'll give you more information. We'll be featuring a child for sponsorship each month, so tell your friends!

We're home!!!

Ben, Katherine, Jen, and I have returned home from this year's visit to Sovietsk Orphanage. We had a full 10 days, visiting museums and historical sites, connecting with the local school and church, making friends in the community, and trying new Russian customs. We painted little faces, braided hair, painted nails, kicked soccer balls, and did yoga. We played outside, hunting mushrooms and rosehips, visiting special sites, and crossing rivers and hiking in Dolbiylova. We made paper airplanes, bracelets, photo albums, balloon animals, and smores. We shared master classes in cooking, music, traditional crafts, and village life. We delivered letters, photos, craft supplies, warm clothes, and a gift for each child. We left provisions for 2 nebulizers, medical equipement, sports equipment, and school support. We shared joys and sorrows, important conversations, successes, and tears. We hugged old friends and made new ones. We came home tired (and I came home sick), but we are energized and full of new ideas. We'll be sharing stories in the coming weeks and working hard to find sponsors for all 35 of the children. Until then, from us and from the children, THANK YOU for your support! The beautiful children of Sovietsk felt your love.

Orphanage Hymn

The song below was written by one of the music tutors at Sovietsk Orphanage. It's a really sweet song that all the kids sang for us when we were there last year. The English translation is below. Maybe we'll be able to see along with them this time around.

1. Начиналась жизнь наша с трудностей
Нет, вины нашей не было в том
Он нас принял с любовью и нежностью
Детства причал, санаторный наш дом

Chorus:

Родной детский дом
Начало начал
Ты в жизни моей
Надежный причал
Родной детский дом
Пускай много лет
Горит в твоих окнах добрый свет

2. принесли мы поклон воспитателям
За богатую щедрость души
Мы пред вами в долгу неоплаченном
Будем помнить об этом всю жизнь

3. Мы встречаемся здесь с нашей юностью
Вспоминаем былые года
Все что дорого, все, что нам помнится
Сохраним в душе навсегда

1. We began our life with difficulties, through no fault of our own. We are accepted with love and tenderness in childhood security at our sanatorium house.

Chorus:
Native orphanage, beginning of the beginnings. You are the life of my safety, Native orphanage. Let there be many years. The good light burns in your windows.

2. We bow to educators for their rich generosity. We are in your debt and we will remember this our entire life.

3. We meet here with our youth and recall the years. All which is dear, let us remember in our souls forever.

Banana

In light of the ongoing World Cup I thought I'd write a bit about my experience with soccer in Russia. During our visit to Sovietsk last September I had the chance to prove once again that Americans are worse at soccer than Russians. Since males need activities in order to carry on a conversation, it's fortunate that we had plenty of opportunities to play together.

One type of game in particular is called "banana." The name probably has something to do with the half cirlce formation that the players stand in around the goal. The rules are pretty complicated and it took me a while to catch on. One person plays goalie while the others try to score. You can't touch the soccer ball twice in a row and you have to kick the ball into the goal from the air and not the ground. If someone kicks the ball out of bounds, they end up as the goalie. You can also end up as goalie if you break one of the other rules that I didn't understand and constantly broke. I played A LOT of goalie. But I had so much fun. It made a memory for me and gave me something to write to the boys about and say "remember when we played banana and it was hilarious." I think I'll brush up my skills so I don't spend so much time as goalie now. ...Ah well, who am I kidding?

Come Along

It's nearly time to plan our next trip. Will you join us?

Here is a beautiful slideshow, still in progress, showing last year's trip from beginning to end. Thanks to Jen, a good friend and fellow traveler, for her love and care in putting this together!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Try Being in the Minority

I've devoted a lot of brain space over the past few years to historical issues of race and ethnicity. It is one thing to undertake this as an academic exercise, but it's something else altogether to actually experience it. My brief and benign experience as a minority was nevertheless an enlightening one.

As a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant being a minority isn't something that I do very often. In fact, the only time is when we travel to Russia. I'm an American and most people there are Russian. Obviously. It's a strange feeling to know that everyone on the metro is looking at you because you aren't like them. I dress kind of funny to them, I speak a different language, and I tend to make eye contact with strangers. This makes me different and it's a pretty vulnerable feeling.

But there is a perhaps more subtle minority group into which Sarah falls, if only just a little. She looks a little bit Gypsy. (Or, to be politically correct, Roma). There's a good chance that because of her prominent Bohemian ancestry and her dark, curly hair that she does indeed have some Roma blood in her. On our most recent trip one of the Russian ladies remarked to Sarah that she looked like a Gypsy--and upon further discussion, we realized we have never seen anyone else in Russia with Sarah's hair (aside from some beautiful Roma children). Apparently there are some stereotypes that go along with this: Roma are good at music and equally adept at stealing. We've been advised to watch out for them because you just never know. Sarah is good at music, but she's never stolen anything.

Many Roma have more pronounced ethnic features: dark skin, hair and eyes, and perhaps a distinctive style of dress. Being Roma in Eastern Europe certainly brings its share of challenges. It's interesting to me to travel halfway around the world and run into the same sorts of (unearned) stereotypes for racial minorities that we have here in the U.S.

Home for the Holidays

It feels good to be back! I have been in a different world for the last few months, swimming in all kinds of wonderful things. I've been working on a trafficking prevention program for Doma International, which is pretty exciting, and working on growing my skills and expertise as a youth & child social worker. It's been wonderful, but I am thankful it is winding down and I am able to spend some more time at HOME, where I am able to just be me.

This weekend, I spent time with my big, wonderful family and made some great memories. Our choir shared a special moment Sunday singing Богородице Дево (turn up your sound to hear it!) and thanking our Precentor, who is moving on to new opportunities. And we received a surprise package from Sovietsk! We received letters, letters, letters and a copy of the full-length documentary shown on Kirov News. Tonight, I will be sorting Christmas and New Years cards sent from Sovietsk Supporters to the children at the orphanage. I have spent the last few days with people and activities which are central to me being ME, not a professional or a student, but just plain Sarah.

I've been thinking a lot lately about a special evening we spent in Sovietsk, largely thanks to you, Sovietsk Supporters. While Ben, his dad, and Mischa were boxing with the older boys, we ladies stayed back to paint faces and make bracelets. Jen and Katherine were face painting pros, and Barb was our jewelry queen. While they did their thing, I had the privelege of sharing a special moment with each of the children who were there. We called the children to a private room one at a time, and Sveta helped me present them with their special gift packets. Each child received plenty of gum, chapstick, lip gloss for the girls, hackey sacks for the guys, stationary, a special pen, and a mirror, all bundled up just for them. I wish I could share with you the look of delight each face had when they received their gifts, and the pride they had when they heard the gift was special, just for them. It wasn't so much the gifts, although they were welcome and much appreciated, but it was the thought that someone cared enough about just them to send a gift. They weren't one of 30 when I gave them your gifts. They were just themselves. It was a special night, and I saw more life in those young eyes than I had ever seen before!

Last week, we put together birthday Smile Packets for each of the children at Sovietsk. We are sending them early so each child will receive one on his or her birthday. We are sending a special picture, a memory of them which makes us smile, and wishes for the happiest birthday yet, specially made for each child. We hope this small gesture will have a big impact, and the kiddos will know they are remembered and loved on their birthdays, just for who they are.

These are tiny ways we can remind these young people of how special and important they are, just themselves. Some of them will have special moments over the holidays which help them grow in who they are, as I am so thankful to have had already this season. Some of them will go home fo the holidays. Some of them will not, and that will hurt.

If any of you would like to send a special holiday card or email to one of our children, just reminding them that they are important, remembered, and not alone, please email me. We sent many letters, but we have a few children who could use some extra love.

Thank you for all you do for these children! I wish each of you a Christmas week full of special memories and love, just because of who you are.

From the October Newsletter

The following is from the October edition of the monthly newsletter we receive from our friends in Sovietsk. The note below was written by one of the young ladies who was relatively new to the orphanage. Over the course of our time there she developed a close bond with two of our travelers in particular.

Dear American friends,

Today it’s me who will send you all our love and I will tell you what’s new in our orphanage. So it’s already October and we all study hard. I had some very bad marks but I’ve managed to improve them. By the way, thanks to your visit my English has become better, even my teachers admit this fact.

We had much fun in September. We had a Disco. Now I also have many friends here in Grehovo and in Sovietsk. I feel at home. Though of course there were some hard things and feelings and so on…but now everything is great!!! Soon I will have my 15th birthday. I nearly can’t wait!!!!

I miss Sarah and Ben, Steve and Barb, and especially Katherine and Jennifer. We all miss you here and want you to return next year!!!

Kisses, hugs and much love from us all and me especially,
Sasha

Stay tuned for more excerpts from the October newsletter...

Vadim Petrovich

Here's a guest blog from my parents, Barb and Steve Clark. about their experience visiting Russia as a member of our team.

We enjoyed a trip to the Sovietsk Orphanage that was filled with new experiences and adventure. We met many wonderful people, both staff and children at the orphanage as well as really great folks in the local community. The interpreters were exceptional, speaking several languages in some cases. We would like to single out one individual to write about in this blog because he did something so nice for us that we will never forget. Vadim Petrovich Antsygin is the Technology Instructor for the Sovietsk Orphanage. He really, really cares about the children. He devotes a great deal of energy helping the kids learn some basic skills with tools and achieving an understanding of how to do some things that will prove useful throughout their lives. He is a craftsman, especially with wood. He teaches crafts, basic carpentry and even electrical wiring. Steve really enjoyed touring the shop and engaging in lively conversation about the things that Vadim has a passion for. The shop was so versatile with many opportunities and with tools and machines that Vadim made from whatever was available. He is very resourceful. Steve was very glad that he had spent time with Barb’s dad, Kilby Davis, who was an excellent craftsman with wood in his own right. Steve’s background is engineering, welding and metal working, but he had just enough understanding to really enjoy the time in the shop. Later in the week, Vadim appeared in Galina’s, the director’s, office with a special gift for us. He had prepared a presentation speech which he delivered with heartfelt emotion that really touched us. He gave us a beautiful piece of his own personal work – a handmade frame and handmade picture of winter snowbirds made from shaped pieces of colored bark. It is gorgeous and hangs in a very prominent place in our home. The caption has blessed and inspired us more than we can say: “For the people who give part of their good hearts to children”. We pray to live up to that statement. Thank you, our friend, Vadim!

It's a Small World, After All

So, you'll never believe what we saw in a small children's store in Sovietsk:

That's right! 6,000 miles away from Indianapolis, our home, right after we missed our favorite NFL team on opening day, Ben's lovely mother makes this discovery.

Sovietsk has a population of 20,000.

Lucas Oil Stadium (for our Russian readers, that's where the Colts play American Football) seats up to 70,000.

We talk a lot about how different life is between here and Sovietsk, but this is just more proof that we're really more alike than different.

I knew we found a good home away from home! GO COLTS!

Community!

This trip was different than some of our other trips. While we had too many wonderful moments to count with the children of Sovietsk, they were in school during the day. This gave us opportunity to spend time with community leaders and begin forming bonds for the benefit of the children, much like we did last year in Dolbiylova.

We observed speech pathology lessons and soccer and boxing demonstrations, seeing sponsored programs in action. We visited a tech school where two of our grads attend, studying welding. We visited 3 schools in the community, sharing tea with teachers and administrators, and even watching our teachers teach. We visited the main arts school in Sovietsk and enjoyed a special concert by the students, complete with a bayan duet, and a special presentation from a touring group. (Our girls thought the boys in the group were pretty cute!) We returned to a few stores in town and the history museum. We met the director of an orphanage for children who are hearing impaired, the Father of the largest church in Kirov, and many, many educators who contribute greatly to our children's success. Galina had us very busy, and there was definitely a purpose in her plan.

This was an excellent opportunity for us to see the children beyond the orphanage, visiting them in lessons and having them share their friends and activities with us. Little Olga was just beaming with pride as we made the rounds at her arts school. At tech school, Andrey had the perfect adolescent mix of embarassment and pride as Galina and the rest of us fussed over him in front of his friends and teachers. It was so hopeful and heartwarming to see the children embraced as a part of a community beyond the orphanage walls.

Even more amazing was the community response Galina has reported over the last year. Examples: We were prepared to buy graduation gifts for everyone this year, but we received word that wasn't necessary. Galina told us why--last year, word spread that 'the Americans' purchased gifts for all the grads. So, this year, a local group of business people decided to do the same. Last year, we purchased a guitar for the orphanage, both for Ben to use when we visit and for the children to use for lessons. When we returned, there were four guitars. And when we visited the music school, International Charitable Programme "Music of Life" made a special presentation of an additional guitar for the orphanage. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was the playground. Last year, I took photos of an open field and a few rusty swings the kids used to play, and in my wildest dreams, I would have found a way to have a playground built for the children. But, in the last year, a group of local tax collectors rallied together and built the playground, together with the children. I met Tatyana from this group, and we talked at great lengths about our hopes for the children and how we could continue to work together.
I could write volumes on each of these subjects, and in future posts, I probably will. But for now, I wanted to share just the surface of the exciting developments in the Sovietsk community. Research on youth development tells us that the more connected a child is to his or her community as he or she enters adulthood, the greater probability he or she has for success. Ben and I are only there once a year, though our hearts are there constantly. But from halfway around the world, there is only so much we can do. I am so thankful for the openness of the people of Sovietsk, and my deepest hope is that they will embrace every one of our children as their own.

The Importance of Playing Soccer

After our third visit to Sovietsk Orphanage, it was nice to see yet again how the kids are progressing. One boy in particular is a great example of the hope for success that we have for these kids. Through a soccer program at the orphanage, he was able to prove that he has no small measure of athletic talent. Before he started playing soccer, he was considered one of the "naughty boys." While he still has some trouble now and then, he seems to have turned it around and improved his behavior as well as his performance in school. He now has a goal of attending university so that he can become a Phys. Ed. teacher when he grows up. This might not sound like staggering news to the average American, but for an orphanage kid in Russia, this is nothing short of amazing. About 4% of orphanage graduates attend university. It's not that these kids lack the talent to be able to attend university, it's simply that they lack the opportunity and the means.

We're so glad that, through past sponsorship and the funding of this soccer program by Kids First Foundation, this young man now has a goal to achieve, the motivation to get there, and the moral support if he falters. This is the kind of support that we're trying to offer to all of the kids at Sovietsk. Some of them want to be truck drivers, singers, artists, beauticians, welders, etc. Whatever they want to be, we want to give them a chance.

We are trying to fund soccer for the remainder of this year. Along the right side of the blog, where it says "Sports and Arts Change Lives" you'll see an opportunity to contribute towards this and other critical programs for our kiddos.