For Immediate Release For more information:
Randy Souza
Feeding The Nations
574-968-1566
Local Group Feeds Orphans in the Ukraine
SOUTH BEND, Ind. - Feeding The Nations (FTN), a South Bend-based non-profit organization, recently returned from distributing $325,000 worth of food and supplies to the Ukraine. While they were there, the FTN team visited three orphanages and a women's prison, taking with them much-needed food and supplies. Though FTN has returned to South Bend, a team is still in place within the Ukraine to continue with the distribution to 15 more orphanages, two prisons and five churches.
"The Ukraine is home to hundreds of thousands of orphans caused by years of economic hardship and Chernobyl-related issues," said Steve Sumrall, president of FTN. "These children have had little hope during their young lives. We were so blessed to be able to show them Christ's love for them and brighten their days by giving them supplies."
The team visited Radomishe Orphanage located 20 miles outside of the Chernobyl forbidden zone. The orphanage cares for about 180 children - most of whom have lost their parents to cancer or alcohol. They also stopped at an orphanage in Tripoly and one in Kiev that is home to 250 orphans. At each place, the team preached to the kids, performed skits and puppet shows, played games, and delivered a truckload of supplies, including rice casseroles, canned vegetables, Kellogg's cereals and Pop Tarts, Dove hand soap, new shoes and clothing. The children were always dressed in their best and some even sang and danced for the team.
The team also stopped at the Chernigov Women's Prison - home to 927 imprisoned women. The guards first opposed the team's entrance until they saw the food at which point they immediately opened the doors and welcomed the team. The prison has a child care facility where children who are born to imprisoned mothers can stay from birth to age three, allowing the mothers the opportunity to be with their children each day.
The Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe - roughly the size of Texas - with a population of about 47 million people. It is home to a generation of hurting children due to the imprisonment of parents, or abandonment often because of suicide or alcoholism caused by economic hardship or Chernobyl-related illnesses. An estimated 300,000 orphans live either in the streets or in one of the 200 orphanages within the Ukraine, spending their formative years without parents to guide them and with no training for the future. At 16 years of age, they must leave the orphanage. Some go on to college or a trade school, but every year thousands of teens end up on the streets, often falling victim to hunger, drug abuse and alcoholism.
Feeding The Nations is a non-profit 501(c) (3) International Christian humanitarian relief organization with supporting international offices. FTN is a division of Provident® whose ministries are headquartered in South Bend, Ind. The mission of FTN is to deliver food, medicine, clothing and other necessities to families who lack these essentials due to famine, war, poverty or other natural disasters. FTN directly oversees the entire relief process to assure all contributions are delivered into the hands of those in need. FTN brings the abundance from developed nations to meet the critical needs of people in the third world nations. For more information, visit www.FeedingTheNations.org or write Feeding The Nations, P.O. Box 2438, South Bend, Ind. 46680.
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