When you look into the lives of orphans you hope and pray that somehow, above all odds, they will be able to make it in the world. One positive step at a time, one right decision at a time, some orphans make their way to success.
You are there, every step of the way, making it possible!

Chris Burgin | Founder and CEO

Zhenya Says Thank You! Cheesecake and YOU by Konstantin

Zhenya is a boy who doesn’t remember his life before the orphanage in Omsk. And he almost didn’t have a future outside of the orphanage. Taken from his mother as a very young boy because he was neglected, Zhenya was placed in an orphanage. The orphanage didn’t offer Zhenya much more in the way of care than his mother did. There were 50 other children in the orphanage and only enough caretakers to meet the most basic of needs.

No hugs. No kisses. No bedtime stories. No affection. No love for this little boy.

It is no wonder that Zhenya began to fail in his studies, even though he dreamed of going to college. He skipped classes... a lot! But he only needed to pass an entrance exam to receive a full scholarship to attend the university! Zhenya was smart, but he was unable to focus and set goals for his future. This is where you stepped in to save him! Through your generous gifts, Zhenya was connected with the Allies Tutoring Program which gave him the focus to set goals and work towards going to college.

“It helped me solve a lot of difficult tasks and get new knowledge,” Zhenya said of the tutoring program. “I really think this program should be expanded to other orphanages!”

Zhenya passed his entrance exam and recently finished his first year of studies in electrical equipment engineering at Omsk State Technical University.

Because of you, Zhenya is equipped to achieve his goal of going to college and is now on the path to a successful career. Thank you!

And how does cheesecake factor into this story? Well, we would be remiss if we didn’t give a shout out to Michael Henshaw and his family. They have baked and sold hundreds, maybe even thousands,of cheesecakes for this cause. And that’s how cheesecake saves lives! It’s our favorite dessert.

After spending the summer visiting the orphanages that you support through your generous gifts, I am excited to tell you how you are changing the lives of these precious children!

Dr.Tatiana Baeva | Director of International Operations

I went to several areas in Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova to meet with leaders to see firsthand how your support is changing the lives of orphans through summer camps, the Allies Mentoring Program (AMP), and through equipping area leaders and volunteers.The summer camps were a needed refuge for orphans to have the freedom to spend time in nature, play games, sing songs, and learn valuable lessons. An obstacle course was a perfect representation for these children to learn that just as they can overcome physical obstacles, they can do the same in themselves and in their own lives.

Your support made it possible for children from orphanages and adoptive families to have these wonderful experiences at camp.

On my travels, I also met many dedicated leaders and volunteers. Using the tools you’ve helped to provide, they are able to guide orphans on the path to a promising future. One couple I met, both former orphans, love our programs so much that they are star volunteers. They now come back to the orphanages to change the paths of other orphans. It was amazing! It was overwhelming to see the growth in the Moscow area! One leader there, a single mother with two children, began with just a handful of volunteers when the program was started a year ago. She did a fantastic job recruiting this past year and now has more than 20 volunteers! We hope to assist her in instituting Allies programs at another orphanage this year.

The tutoring program has been a HUGE success! With your generous support, 100% of 11th graders in the tutoring program passed the university entrance exam!

Because of the success of these programs, many other orphanages are eagerly awaiting help. There are enthusiastic leaders and volunteers in countries including Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine ready to begin Allies programs in orphanages there. Our desire is to give them the training and resources they need to bring hope to even more orphans!

We are so thankful for you. None of this would be possible without YOU! Your continued support makes it possible for Allies programs to expand to new areas and will help many more orphans in the future!

Not only are Allies volunteers making a difference, they are saving lives!

Margie Brooks | Volunteer Coordinator and Office Manager

James 1:27 says helping widows and orphans in their suffering is considered pure and undefiled religious expression before God. This is the heart of Allies advocates and partners. They care for those who are in need and most vulnerable: orphans. One way you care for orphans is with your in-kind donations and those donations this summer were off the chart! Many wonderful groups including First Methodist Mansfield, Walnut Ridge Baptist Church, Park Springs Bible Church, Decatur Church of Christ, and GDPT Pha’p Quang Temple partnered with us to help collect donations. Other non-profit organizations like The Main Place, SOS Local, and Christ’s Haven for Children also donated out of their abundance.

This commitment to giving enables Allies to send the necessary supplies, not only to the current orphanages that you support, but to also ship to new areas such as Belarus, Tajikistan, and Peru, as well as the expanding areas in Ukraine. None of the shipping would be possible without the tireless work of our amazing volunteers who support the mission of Allies week after week.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You are our heroes!

Love in Action: Allies Volunteers

Mike Luna | Live Events Videographer

Moldova is by no means a wealthy country. Many people there have very little according to American standards. Even so, the volunteers there are amazingly generous with their time and their spirit. Vasile and Nadya Rusnac, Volunteer Leaders in Moldova, have gathered a dedicated group of volunteers to visit multiple orphanages every month. Each orphanage they visit is over an hour away from their home, but every volunteer loves the work they’re doing.

They understand that they’re making an impact by spending time with these children each month, and the good they’re doing pushes them to do even more. This is true for every Allies volunteer around the world, whether in Moldova, Russia, or locally, in Texas. When good people dedicate themselves to doing good in the world, it really does draw like-minded people together.

Over the years Allies has found, or been found, by good people who genuinely want to make a difference in the world. They are central to all we do.