An Orphan Smiles would like to make the Christmas Holidays a special time for all the children that we assist. In Ukraine, there are two special "Holiday" celebrations. The first celebration is called St. Nicholas' Day which is on December 19th. St. Nicholas Day, not Christmas, is the usual gift-giving day in Ukraine. On the eve of this night, we hope the caretakers will be able to hide a gift for each of the children in their rooms, and when the children awake, they can look for their "gift". The second celebration is on New Year's Day when Father Frost (Ded Moroz) comes with the big red bag and hands out gifts similiar to Santa (December 31/January 1). During the years of Soviet domination, Father Frost was introduced to Ukraine as a non-Christian replacement for St. Nicholas. Ukrainians enjoy a secular Christmas on December 25 and their Church celebration on January 7.
An Orphan Smiles is collecting donations for our Christmas Smiles Fund for each orphanage - Kiev Orphanage 12, Tsurupinsk Children's Home and Mykolaivka Internet along with the Graduate Support Center.
Our hope is to provide enough funding to provide a special Holiday dinner and celebration at each orphanage. Additionally, if funding allows we would like to provide a special gift to each child. Because of the planning involved and the time it takes to ship donations, the AOS Christmas project is essentially a year round collection and donation effort. We actively accept donations all year long to provide for Christmas. We plan to ship by the end of September to ensure parcels are received in time.
Christmas Smiles Donation using Paypal:
OR Check Donation:
Mail your check to: (Use Memo line to indicate Donation type)
An Orphan Smiles, Inc.
PO Box 175
Kimberton, PA 19442-0175
USA
2010 Christmas Smiles "To Be Delivered"
Mykolaivka Internat
Vicki and her sister have created goodie "stockings" for the children to be "hidden" on Saint Nicholas' Day on December 19th.
150 stockings have been sent to Mykolaivka Internat. Thank you Vicki and Family.
For Father Frost's visit on New Year's Eve, many volunteers have created Holiday Gift Bags, personalized for each of the children based on age and gender. The Gift Bag contains toothpaste, a toothbrush, a washcloth, a pair of socks, several bags of edible treats and a toy or article of clothing.
(i.e. puzzle, lego set, doll, makeup set/nail polish set for older girls, t-shirt/baseball hat/flashlight set for older boys).
These New Year's Eve bags will be received at Mykolaivka Internat in time for the holiday.
Thanks to a collective effort of all the KIDS sponsors at Mykolaivka Internat, $500 will also be sent in December for a Holiday Meal and Celebration.
Kiev Orphanage 12
At Orphanage 12, An Orphans Smiles is providing funding for all the children to enjoy a special holiday meal and celebration. There has also been individual and personalized "goodie" bags sent for the 29 boys and girls at O12. These special bags include items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, socks, granola bars, popcorn, candy, and hot chocolate.
Tsurupinsk Children's Home
Tsurupinsk is a larger orphanage with 118 physically and mentally challenged children. An Orphan Smiles is sending funding to help provide a special Holiday celebration. An Orphan Smiles has accumulated two large boxes of gifts (dolls, coloring books, crayons, cars, paint set, etc) to be shipped to the Tsurupinsk Children's Home in time for Christmas. The caretakers will sort and distribute the gifts based on age, gender, and ability.
Graduate Support Center
An Orphan Smiles also is thinking of our struggling orphans during the Holidays who have graduated from the orphanage system and may be alone for the Holidays. The GAP sponsors have sent individual gifts to many of the students and An Orphan Smiles has arranged for a small monetary Christmas gift for unsponsored GAP students. Christmas Funding has also been sent to the Graduate Support Center in Kiev to provide some additional Christmas cheer!!
Please consider a donation to our Christmas Smiles Fund. Sadly, many of these children have never received a gift in their lifetime.
Copyright © 2009 An Orphan Smiles.