An Orphan Smiles just received the list of students who are graduating from Mykolaivka Internat and Kiev Orphanage 12 this June. Once the school year is over the graduates will spend the summer at the orphanage, go to camp with the rest of the children, and then during the last week of August they move to their assigned Trade School. These children will be leaving the only “home” that they have ever known out into the world alone. This transition is extremely difficult for them. They are not prepared for it, and do not have the love and support of a family to help them on their journey. These children also miss their orphanage life and caretakers very much.
An Orphan Smiles would like to help ease the transition by providing some of the everyday necessities that would help them live more comfortably on a daily basis.
AOS is asking you all to help with our Grad Pack Project in any way you can. There are three ways to participate:
Whole Pack Donation – If you can volunteer to assemble a complete grad pack (list of items below), email Rachael for a Myko student or Leslie for an Orphanage 12 student. You will be given a name of a student and you can put together a complete Grad Pack using the Grad Pack list provided below. This effort can also be a great project for a club or group to do together. We ask that the Grad Pack Parcel be assembled and shipped no later than June 1. Detailed shipping instructions can be found here.
Item Donation – If you have one or some of the items shown on the list below and can help with a partial donation, this would be a great help. Partial donations can be sent to either Rachael (west coast) or Diane (east coast) to be assembled into full Grad Packs. Choose the location closer to your home for the most economical delivery. (Fed Ex Ground is generally the cheapest delivery for heavier items) Please email Rachael and let her know what you have to send. She will provide to you the appropriate shipping address. She will also be keeping track of items and posting updates to what is received and what is still needed.
Monetary Donation - There will be need for An Orphan Smiles to make
purchases to fill in the gaps and to ship the Grad Packs that are put together
as part of a Group effort. For example,
last year we were able to purchase 15 very nice pot sets from Ikea and blankets and covered the shipping costs with
donated funds. Please consider a small
donation. It really helps make this
project very successful.
Other note: The items do not have to be brand new, but should be clean and in very good condition.
Grad Pack / Life Pack List
Table Settings:
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2
heavy duty plastic plates
·
2
plastic cereal or soup bowls
·
2
plastic tumblers for drinking
·
2
coffee mugs
·
4
each stainless steel forks, spoons, knives
Kitchen Utensils/Cooking:
·
1
good manual can opener
·
1
potato peeler
·
Cooking
utensils: 2 wooden spoons, ladle & 1 cooking spatula
·
1
medium size frying pan
·
1
medium cooking pot with lid
·
Small
cutting Board
·
Small
colander
·
Kitchen
sponges
Linens:
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1
set kitchen towels & pot holders
·
2
twin size sheets - flat sheets only
·
1
bath towel and 1 wash cloth
·
1
twin size blanket (wool or thermal, for colder weather)
·
Throw
Rug (2'x3' or 3'x5') to place by their bedside.
Other:
·
1
basic (travel type) clothes-line with clothes pins
·
1
padlock and key
·
Thermos