ophans

Orphan: "a child who has lost both parents or someone who lacks support or care or supervision."

I think of those sweet, precious and innocent babies/children who are orphaned all over the world… I think of them and feel…

• Helpless

• Sad

• Overwhelmed

And then I feel passionate and determined to do my part, however big or small, to give these sweet little ones what they need in life.

They need clothing, food, and shelter. They need to know others care for them, love them and want the best for them.

They need hope and parents.

I sometimes let my mind wander to a little  boy or girl in a far off land. I think of them being born into poverty. Being born of a Mother who desperately loves her baby but simply cannot afford to care for him. She leaves him on the street, or at a church, or maybe at the local orphanage. She leaves him in hopes he'll have a better life. She can only hope that he'll be adopted by a loving set of parents.

He may or may not find that loving set of parents.

UNICEF's last number of orphaned children came out in 2008. They say there is an estimated 13 million orphans living without both parents.

I can't see how any one organization could possibly put a number on how many orphans there really are in the world. Most likely much more than 13 million.

I think about that child I mentioned earlier on this page. The one whose Mother left him somewhere as a baby with the high hopes of her baby having a better life.

I think about that boy growing up in an orphanage with countless other children, and only a handful of caregivers. I think about him crying in his crib for long periods of time, because he has no Mother to pick him up and soothe him. I think about him taking his first steps, not towards a loving parent, but towards another orphaned child… with no one around him to applaud.

I then think of him spending every year of his childhood in that same orphanage, with each year bringing the dashed hopes of a family for his birthday. I picture him sitting in his little corner of the 'home' crying quietly and praying for God to bring him a Mommy and Daddy.

Then that little boy turns into a 'man' and is forced out to make his own way in the world, with no real family to love him for the rest of his life.

I'm sure there are many orphans that do end up in homes with loving family's. I'm sure their dreams do come true. I'm sure the Mothers who gave them up for a better life live feeling a sense of peace that their babies surely found a good home.

I'm equally certain that most don't live that dream.

To them… well, to them it's just a fairy tale.

My heart has room for them all — sadly my home and wallet do not. If I could be the Mother to all the lost and hurting and orphaned children in this country, and all around the world… trust this, I would.

I bet many of you feel the same way.

But what can we do?

Here are some ideas and organizations to consider…

• Orphans Promise

• Compassion International

• World Vision

• UNICEF

• Feed the Children

• Show Hope

• Save the Children

Help with your hands

1. Become a CASA and help local children
2. Find local homeless and women's shelters and volunteer
3. Become a foster parent
4. Adopt

Whether you want to help you with your wallet, or your hands, there are many ways to touch a childs life. A homeless child, battered child and orphaned child.

I hope this page has given you a good start in deciding where to focus your efforts and your heart.

What about you?

Are you helping children? Please leave me a comment and share how. I'd love to expand my own ideas of how to touch the lives of the needy.

Maria's Big House of Hope Video

{Show Hope}