“Everyone, grab a partner, its time to go!” yelled the caregiver. It was field trip time, and it was my first time out of the orphanage. I knew the field trip was to a museum but I did not know what a museum was. I had asked the caregiver earlier and she said “it was a special place where things from the past are kept;” I was only 7 and had never seen the city before. That was my first trip outside the secluded orphanage

Exited chatter was heard as everyone was getting on the bus and taking their seats for the upcoming journey.

As we traveled, many of the children were talking about a "Wishing Well" they saw at the Children's Museum. I was sitting next to Maria, a girl in my class, so I asked her what a wishing well was. She told me that you threw money in this white, round wooden thing, then you made a wish and the wish would come true.

"Anything I want will come true?" I asked her.

"Anything!”

When we got there, I walked over and could see the wishing well was behind the front door, sitting back in the corner. That is why I could not find it right off. I made my way to it, looked inside and saw there was lots of money lying in the bottom. Several of the kids were throwing money into the well and then closing their eyes for a minute or so.

"Why are you closing your eyes?” I asked a boy.

"If you don't close your eyes, your wish will not come true," he said.

I closed my eyes real tight and stood there making my wish. He tapped me on the shoulder and said, "You got to put money in it first or you don't get a wish.”

"I don't have any money."

"Then you don't get a wish," he said walking away.

I did not know what I was going to do. I walked around for a long time. I kept looking for any money that might have dropped on the floor so I could make a wish in the wishing well. However, I never found any. I finally walked back up front where the wishing well was and saw there was nobody around. I walked up and looked inside. There I saw a shiny dime lying on top of all the pennies. I knew that wish would come true because dimes were worth a lot. I looked around behind me and no one was anywhere in the area. I slowly reached down into the wishing well, but could not reach the coin. Further and further I tried to stretch, but I just could not reach the bottom of the well.

However, many children can never get their wish. In a perfect world, every child will have a parent, and there would not be a need for adoption agencies. Unfortunately, such place does not exist and thousands of orphans across the world struggle every day to survive.

YOU CAN HELP. You can help the children that need help the most. The ones who never find parents and spend their lives in orphanages in poor countries whose governments cannot afford to take proper care for them.

Our founder, Vesselina Ratcheva, was born and raised in Bulgaria, and personally visits orphanages several times a year. She strongly sympathizes with the hardships of the children, the unfavorable conditions in which they are raised, and has always had the passion to help with whatever she can, little or big, to improve their lives because she knows that even little necessities can be vital to these children.

Since January 2007, Saint Mary International Adoptions has been granted an IRS tax exempt non-profit status under section 501 (c) 3 of the Internal Revenue Code. Therefore, Saint Mary International Adoptions is a Public Charity and contributions are deductible under section 170 of the Code and ALL DONATIONS GIVEN ARE TAX DEDUCTABLE.

We have been blessed with the opportunity to be eligible to collect funds which we can put towards improving the lives of these orphans with more resources. Therefore, we ask you to take a moment and consider how you can help fulfill one child’s dream.

Donated funds, and resources go towards:

RENOVATING OF ORPHANAGE BUILDINGS/CONSTRUCTION:

Countries in Eastern Europe are still struggling economically. Orphanages are supported by the government funds which are barely enough to cover the necessities. Orphanage buildings are these children’s only homes and most of them are not maintained properly. Renovations are strongly needed. Pictures of renovations or improvements made with donated money are often available.

MEDICAL DONATION

Simple and inexpensive vaccinations and medications can save the life a child. Unfortunately numerous fatalities occur with babies and toddlers for reasons as simple as diarrhea.

Larger funds will be used for more complex medical procedures and rehabilitation services for special needs orphans.

Donor often receives a picture of a child or children who benefited from the medicine bought with donated money.

CLOTHING

Eastern Europe has a harsh winter. Even an item as inexpensive as a thick jacket can play a vital part to keep children warm and make them less vulnerable to diseases and flues.  

If you are interested in making a donation and your employer has a matching gift program you should be able to visit your corporate intranet and find us listed as a qualified organization (ie. public charity). You may qualify to be able to take the contribution as a tax deduction (http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc506.html) provided you itemize your deductions.