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Socks For Siberia Fall Update 2009
Our Third Annual Family Festival fundraiser at Hyland Orchards was another
successful one, bringing in $12,000, putting us in a good position to bring the
love and support of the generous friends of Socks For Siberia to the orphaned
children of
Russia.
On July 16th we returned from our most recent trip to Siberia as part
of our ongoing efforts to bring hope and support to the orphaned children of the
Khakassia Region of Siberia in Russia. On this, our seventh trip, we were
accompanied by one of the members of our board of directors and good friend,
Wally Hall from
West Brookfield.
Together we did much good work and had lots of good fun. We found some of the
children in better situations than we had expected and some who were in more
serious need.
The Process
Our
partners in Abakan (Sergei, Natasha and Jenya) do much preparation work for us
before we arrive, making contacts with directors of the children’s homes that we
are already supporting, determining present needs and also reaching out to new
facilities which might benefit from our support. Meetings are scheduled where we
can discuss the present situation at each facility and prioritize the needs of
the children. Decisions are made, lists are created and then the shopping
begins! Once the needed items are secured, we are able to visit and spend time
with the children to present the things we have purchased for them, as well as
any things that we have brought with us from the U.S.
Old
Friends And New Partnerships - Abakan
Because
Russia is beginning to utilize a foster care system when possible, the Yoletchka
Children’s Home in Abakan has been closed and the children placed either in
Foster care or at Malishok Children’s Home. The Malutka Specialized Home for
Infants has also been closed and all children with disabilities have been moved
to one facility called “Teremok,” which means “fairy tale house” in Russian.
When we visited this new, state of the art facility, any concerns about the well
being of these special children were quickly put to rest. Money has been spent
building a wonderful home, but we found that there was a lack of therapeutic
equipment and even simple things such as sand toys for the play yard. Some of
these items were provided after our visit and plans were made for future
collaboration. While there, we were able to visit with several children who we
knew from Malutka and past visits.
The children of Malishok were away at a summer camp while we were in Abakan, so
we did not meet with them directly, but we did visit with our friend Ludmilla,
the director. She informed us that the children were doing well and that the
only thing she had been unable to provide in order to prepare for their return
to school was book bags. Forty book bags were purchased for the children’s
return to school, along with fresh fruit and cookies as a treat to be taken to
the children at the summer camp with our love. We also delivered some of the 300
Beanie Babies donated by Kate Chabot and her family. While there, we gave
Ludmilla an update about Nicolas Wilson (Dimitri) who was adopted from Malishok
by the Wilson family from Baltimore in May 2008. The Wilsons attended our 2008
Spring Family Festival as well as the Brookfield Fire Battalion's Father’s Day
Chicken BBQ.
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The
Krasnoyarsk Region
Our outreach and research led us to the village of Kuragino and an
emergency shelter and social program for families in crisis. What we
found was an old building in desperate need of repair and staff who are
forced to go into the village to ask their neighbors for food in order
to provide nutritious meals for the children. Money from their meager
budget has gone for coal for heat and hot water. A month’s worth of
non-perishable food and some games and arts and crafts supplies were
purchased and delivered and a monthly food allotment was established for
the next 6 months.
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The social program provides counseling and support in an effort to keep families
intact when possible. It includes a day program as well as a before and after
school program which provides meals for the children and also for their families
at times. The staff helps the children with homework and the older kids are
trained in job skills such as gardening, cooking, sewing and woodworking. We
purchased some items, including hand made “ritual” dolls, made by the children
in the workshop and encouraged them to pursue earning some income in this way in
the future.
We also visited the Minusinsk Children’s Home and met with children who
participated in the “School For Young Leaders” program which we sponsored at the
beginning of summer. The program took place for ten days at the Talovka Camp in
the town of
Irba. This very worthwhile program teaches independence and self advocacy to
children who could otherwise develop a very dependent way of life leading to
difficulty when they leave the orphanage.
While there, we delivered the rest of the Beanie Babies donated by Kate Chabot
and her family and the children really enjoyed choosing just the right one. Even
the older teens were touched by this gift and it was a treat for us to see the
delight in their faces. Soccer equipment, tents, basketballs and a hoop and
other recreational items were purchased for this orphanage as well as T-shirts,
enabling the children to participate in local sports groups with the things they
need in order to be successful.
Current
Needs and Projects
The focus for our
fundraising efforts right now is the following:
2009
Christmas Giving
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While
in Abakan, we have established relationships with many business owners and
shopkeepers who sell us the things we need for the children at a discount. This
year, due to the rising costs of shipping, as well as the increased availability
of goods in Abakan, we are going to look to raise money with which we will
purchase Christmas gifts in Russia to be given to the children. We will continue
to send letters, Christmas cards and photos of friends here who have donated as
well as gift bags for wrapping. We feel that this will enable us to do more for
the children and that we will be better stewards of the money that people
generously donate and by making this change.
Kuragino
Shelter
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Renovation of the bathroom and shower room
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Continuation of monthly food allotment
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Assist
with construction of a play yard
Minusinsk
Home
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Sponsorship of School for Young Leaders 4 day camp in November 2009 and 7 to 10
day session in June 2010
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Socks
For Siberia
