Their smiles made it all worth it

I don't know how posting from Ukraine will work, but I hope that it will.

I just wanted to update everyone on our trip to Ukraine and that we made it. 

Yesterday we got a chance to go and visit the children's spychiatric hospital here in Kharkov. We had deliveded the school supplies for the kids that were there and left the rest for the classrooms.  It was such a blessing to see those kids and how their faces lit up when they found out that we brought them something. 

We had to get more supplies for additional kits, thank you to all of you who donated!

Getting to the hospital

Big thanks to Anya who helped me bring the supplies

Here we are in thier classroom

Here are some pictures of the kids

The youngest 5 year old pacient

These kids were so sweet! We were greeted with smiles and huggs.

This little boy on the left was from the orphanage.

UNFORTUNATELY we were not allowed to take pictures of the rooms in the hospital. I took a couple of pictures in their classroom, which was pretty nicely decorated with kids drawinds and crafts. But the rooms that these kids live in for one month at a time look like they need some color and liveliness.

There a lot of strikt rools in this place like no toys allowed in their sleeping area. I was thinking no soft bear to cuddle? That was kinda sad when you are a kid.

Teachers mentioned that they are in need of shcool supplies like watercolor paper, drawing paper and art and school supplies are always needed. I was very surprised that they were allowed to draw and do art. They also have schol there at the hospital during the school year.

What we are raising funds for...

Now that we have the  Donate Now button with Pay Pal I wanted to make sure I posted what we are raising funds for:

1. We need to get more school supplies for the orphans and kids that stay in the psychiatric hospital in Kharkov for an extended number of days(kids in Ukraine can stay in the hospitals ran by the government for months). We thought it would be nice to brighten up their day with some things that they can write and draw on, some goody bags and a soft toy. We are also hoping to get them some multivitamins, since the only food they eat there in the winter and spring are grains and no vitamins.

2. The Rest Home home or Dom Prestarelih in Kharkov is in need of bedding supplies like blankets, sheets, and pillows. They are also in need of Wheel Chairs.

These are the needs that we know of for the time being.

Putting school supplies together

Here is the quick thing we threw together before my trip to Ukraine. Thank you Leah for sending out E-mails to ladies in the Relief Society and having it at your house. Big thanks to Mandy for a huge bag full of school supplies. Also Big thanks go to all of you who donated with supplies and with monetary contributions.

Thank you Emily and Leah

Me with lots of little helping hands

We are officially organized!!!

Just wanted to update everyone that as of tonight, we have finished all the paperwork and all the legal stuff for His Hands Charity! We are Organized!!! Yey!!! 

Oh, I am so happy to have all that paperwork behind us. Thank you to my husband Jim, who has spent hours trying to figure out how to organize a charity and doing all the hard legal things for us willingly and without a complaint.

Now our fist little thing that trying to put together, as our time is running out before I go to Ukraine. We are getting together this Thursday morning at 11 am at Leah's house to put together school supplies kids for the orphans in the hospitals. Of you have anything you would like to donate for school supplies kits like:

coloring books
crayons

markers

notebooks

construction paper

glue stick

stickers

Please come to Leah's house, or drop it off at my house any time. 

Here is my phone number

801-789-6058

Thank You!!!

How it all began!

My life has changed because of this young lady here on the left. Her name is Karie Parrish and she is the sister missionary who taught my Mom and me the Gospel of Jesus Christ and gave an amazing example of selflessness, hard work and service 18 years ago.

In this picture me and Katie are on one of our trips to baby orphanages in Ukraine. I absolutely LOVED playing and holding those little babies. There in the baby orphanage they told us that all these babies needed is to be held. They had so many babies and not enough workers to even hold those babies every day. They said they would just lay in their cribs quietly until it was feeding time or changing time. Can you imagine?

 Now those of us who have kids know that holding the baby and playing with the baby at this young age is one of the most important things that you can do for them. That is how their nervous system develops, by touch and feel they learn about this world. If those babies don't get enough interaction during the day they consequently slow down in development and many other consequences follow.

This is me as a teenager in another baby orphanage. I did not grow up abound lots of kids. I remember how exciting it was for me to hold a baby.

At that time that was all we did, we just played with the kids and took them outside. This is an easy age, so to speak.  When these kids grow older and they don't have someone who they know that loves and cares for them they will grow up, drop out of school and end up in prison.

There is no much that we can do. I know you might be thinking :"Where in the world will I get money to go to those orphanages to help?" But there are other things you can do to help:

I just found a couple of people that volunteer at these orphanages. And if you don't have the means there are things that you can do from home check this out:

http://anorphansmiles.org/joomla15/index.php/howtohelp/volopp


this is a link to volunteer positions that are needed. There are other way on this web site that you can help with. check it out. I myself am excited to write letters to kids and hopefully find sponsors for some kids as well.