The goal for this trip is primarily to provide for the children in 2 orphanages for the upcoming Spring Festival (known to many in America as Chinese New Year). The first orphanage I will visit will be Bengbu SWI, which is in Bengbu, Anhui province. There are currently around 70 young children in the orphanage under the age of 3, and 40 "school age" children at the orphanage. I will gather more specific information about these statistics when I visit with the staff.
We will be providing mostly clothes, jackets, and shoes, which are the traditional gifts for Spring Festival. But we will also be providing some washing machines.
Packages of Hope has been involved with the Bengbu SWI since 2005. Through a very unique mix of dedicated and cohesive adoptive families, key local volunteers, and open orphanage staff, we have done great things for the children of Bengbu SWI over the years. Packages of Hope has been very proud to be part of the Spring Festival at the orphanage now for the 8th consecutive year. You can read about how we became involved with the orphanage from my 2005 blog (you can see the link on the right, or click here).
The next orphanage I will visit will be the ChangDe SWI in Hunan province. This will be my first visit to this orphanage, on behalf of the powerhouse that is Bonnie Ward. She is THE main person behind the successes that Packages of Hope can claim in ChangDe. Search the web, and you will find her, with her history of working tirelessly for the benefit of the orphanage and the children there. She has 2 daughters from the orphanage.
I will be going there to provide clothes and shoes for the children, as well as items for the orphanage, which I will detail in later posts.
There are several other reasons for the trip, and through the blog posts, if you so care to read along, will become apparent to you:
- To provide a connection between the donor families and the orphanage of their family beginnings by providing feedback, photos, video and observations. Spring Festival is the most special time of the year in China for family and connection. I chose this particular time to go to emphasize to the orphanage that WE, the families of children from China, are standing with our cousins at the SWI. We are thinking of them, DOING something for them, and reaching out in spirit to hold them tight. Likewise, I want the families to know that the orphanage and the staff and the children know THEM as well. We yearn for connection in this world which seems to be growing ever more impersonal. I want to help to make the connection.
- To provide the orphanage with letters from the adoptive families who would like to provide feedback to the staff. I currently have nearly 30 notes carefully organized in my suitcase to present. I want to do so each individually, for each carries a very personal and heartfelt message to the orphanage. I will also be providing private feedback to each of the families.
- To speak with local young people about the importance of volunteer work and helping the orphans in need. In both Bengbu and ChangDe, I will be visiting with local students to present to them our charity, and to hopefully inspire community service for the orphanages.
- To meet and thank our local volunteers personally for all they have done, without ANY compensation, over the last 8 years. THEY are extremely important in our communication to the orphanages, and they are with us in spirit and in cause. They are AWESOME!
- For me to be in the country that I have come to love, and is so much a part of my heart and my family. I first stepped foot there in the late 90's, and fell in love with the place almost instantly. I have worked there on business, developed long and lasting friends.
- To gain 20 pounds by eating ALL THE CHINESE FOOD I CAN GET MY HANDS ON!!
- And there is one final reason, which is actually the most special part of the whole trip, which is the topic of my next blog post.
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