Christ the Savior-Holy Spirit Orthodox Church
Archpriest Steven C. Kostoff
4285 Ashland Ave, Cincinnati OH 45212 - (513) 351-0907

 

OCTOBER 2021 EMAIL NEWSLETTER

 

ABOUT:

 

Mission Statement

To provide for the education, health, and welfare of Ugandan children, teens, and young adults.

 

Fundamental Principles & Goals

We are compelled by the biblical imperative to care for the least among us (Mat. 25:40) and to provide for “widows and orphans in their distress.” (James 1:27)
Beneficiaries are assisted based on need, regardless of age, gender, tribe, or religion.

Principal activities are directed to paying school fees and associated expenses, including lunches, school uniforms, learning materials, and health care.
Supplementary activities are focused on improving living conditions for these vulnerable children and their families, including nutrition, medical treatment, clothing, bedding, mosquito nets, and shelter.

We maintain financial integrity and transparency in all our activities.


Overview

The St. Nicholas Uganda Children’s Fund was founded in 2005 by Peter and Sharon Georges. Beginning with just three orphans, by the end of the year the number of children they were assisting had grown to more than fifty. Now in its thirteenth year, the Uganda Children’s Fund is supporting over 240 children in school and providing additional assistance to needy families. More than seventy-five students have completed university or vocational school, and are now gainfully employed.


The need

Half the population of Uganda is under the age of fifteen and there are almost three million orphans in a total population of 41 million. These children are being cared for by grandparents, aunts, uncles, and neighbors, and some are completely on their own. Teens are especially at risk, lacking the wisdom, guidance, and safety net that parents normally provide. We work in a slum neighborhood of the capital city of Kampala, where the typical family earns less than two dollars per day.

Parents, guardians, and children rightly see education as their best way to escape a lifetime of poverty—scraping by as subsistence farmers or unskilled laborers, and early marriage for teenage girls. Education is not free, and for these struggling families, it is not attainable without assistance. The cost to put two children in primary school for one year, or one teen in secondary school, would exceed the total annual household income. Higher education is only an impossible dream.


Donations

Help us help the children! We welcome donations of any amount. Checks should be made payable to St. Nicholas Uganda Children’s Fund and sent to the address below. We also accept online donations via our website. For donors who are interested in sponsoring a student, the annual sponsorship amounts are as follows:

Primary School: $300 ($25/month) Secondary School: $660 ($55/month) Vocational School: $1,200 ($100/month) University: $2,100 ($175/month)

Your sponsorship donation will pay for school fees, school uniforms, lunch, shoes & socks, school supplies, books, and medical care. If you would like to sponsor a child, please contact us by email or postal mail, or visit our web site.

The St. Nicholas Uganda Children’s Fund is a registered nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization eligible to receive tax deductible contributions.


Contact Information

Email: info at ugandachildrensfund dot org
Mailing address: P.O. Box 285, Chardon, OH 44024-0285

 

LINKS:

 

Scroll down for a recap of Peter & Sharon Georges' presentation and fundraiser at Christ the Savior-Holy Spirit in August 2015.

 

Recap and further Info on the St Nicholas Uganda Children's Fund

August 24, 2015

 

From Fr. Steven:

Yesterday, we heard a very impressive - and very moving - presentation by Peter & Sharon Georges (St. Nicholas, Mentor Oh OCA) on their incredible ministry to orphaned children in Uganda.  We made a spontaneous collection following their talk, and by the amount of envelopes collected, it appears that many who were present agree with my assessment.  If you were not prepared to donate yesterday, but would like to in the near future, we have other envelopes present, so please ask me for one when next in church.  Your donation is assisting an Ugandan orphan to pursue a good education, and hence a potentially good future. Peter and Sharon have accomplished a great deal from the humblest of beginnings, and they have truly been blessed by God in this ministry.

 

Scroll down for more info and to learn how you can help support

the St Nicholas Uganda Children's Fund . . .

St Nicholas Uganda Childrens Fund, Sun. August 23

Peter and Sharon with a large group!
Peter and Sharon with a large group!
Peter and Sharon with a large group!
August 17, 2015

 

Dear Parish Faithful,

Next Sunday - August 23 - we will host a special presentation on the St. Nicholas Uganda Children's Fund by Peter and Sharon Georges.

Please see the below info and attachment. I am hoping that you will make a commitment to stay and hear the presentation by the Georges next Sunday. It would be a good sign of parish hospitality and respect for the challenging work that they have done for many years now with AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in the slums of Kampala, Uganda.

-- Fr. Steven

Learn about the St Nicholas Uganda Children's Fund at their website.

For more info, photos and video, visit their Facebook page.

Visit this special page on the OCA website.

 

Christ the Savior-Holy Spirit Orthodox Church

invites you to attend a presentation by

Peter & Sharon Georges

Representing the

St. Nicholas Uganda Children’s Fund

 

Sunday, August 23rd, 2015
Divine Liturgy 9:30 am
Coffee Hour & Presentation after the Liturgy

 

Come and learn about this exciting Orthodox ministry to AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in the slums of Kampala, Uganda. Peter and Sharon will share their experiences from more than thirteen years serving in Uganda and provide a colorful and inspiring update on the current work of the Children’s Fund.