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Assist International Partners with the California Sunshine Foundation
We are proud to have a new partner to help us assist the growing orphan population in China: The California Sunshine Foundation.
No one knows for sure how many children are abandoned each year in China. We do know that the abandonment of children in China has surged, in part due to the one-child population control policy and in part due to policies restricting adoption by Chinese couples who are not childless. Chinese official records fail to account for most of the country's abandoned infants and children, only a small proportion of whom are in any form of acknowledged state care.
The Human Rights Watch has reported that the majority of abandoned children in China never reach the dubious security of a state-run orphanage. Many are sent instead to general-purpose state institutions, where they are confined indiscriminately with the mentally ill, disabled, elderly, and mentally disturbed adults. Many institutions, including some in major cities, appeared to be operating as little more than assembly lines for the elimination of unwanted orphans, with an annual turnover of admissions and deaths far exceeding the number of beds available. The enormous loss of life occurring in China's orphanages and other children's institutions calls for immediate action by the international community.
>> Donate to Our Partners: The California Sunshine Foundation
The California Sunshine Foundation is a new charity dedicated to abandoned Chinese children with a mission dedicated to preparing Chinese orphans for a healthy, loving and productive life through nurturing, medical care and education. With education as the primary focus, CSF volunteers has helped orphans improve in vocabulary, fine motor skills, creativity, behavior and social skills and resoning. The medical care that CSF provides have helped children stand, walk and hear. These medical interventions provide the first step necessary to make it possible for these children to begin to reach their potential.
Last November, the CSF held its first board of directors meeting. Bob Pagett of Assist International has volunteered to be on the board and he is joined by Daniel Brown of Coastlands, Richard Starr of Exquisite Designs Corporation, and California natives Brad and Emily Bauer and Scott and Judene Irvine. The board discussed the efforts that are currently underway to improve the lives of abandoned children in two local institutions and explored several ways in which CSF could impact the lives of children on a long-term basis.
The progress of the California Sunshine Foundation has made great strides in their first three terms, which was accomplished largely by volunteers. As the charity transitions into an even more robust, education program in September 2008, a financial foundation of $100,000 will be necessary to hire and train full-time, qualified teachers and project managers. To make a donation, please designate your gift for "Sunshine School" or "Medical Interventions" by indicating in the memo section of your check. 100% of the funds go directly to the benefit of the children.
California Sunshine Foundation
Attn: Richard Starr
P.O. Box 66659
Scotts Valley, CA 95067
For further information or questions, contact sjirvine10@shekou.com or emilybauer@yahoo.com.
>> You can also donate to The California Sunshine Foundation right now.
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Did You Know? 97% of all resources donated to Assist International in the past ten years go directly to programs in the field.
