Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption (FRUA)

This e-mail is in response to an e-mail forwarded to the list from Stephen Baehr. 
As the orphanage population grows, there are scores of orphanages throughout Russia facing
increasingly more destitute circumstances.  Many adoption agencies, such as
the one whose employee sent the original message from Moscow, as well as
in-country humanitarian aid groups have told similar stories from the
regions where they work.
 
For those interested in ways to help, I would like to also suggest a grass
roots organization with various orphanage support projects underway.
Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption (FRUA) is an all-volunteer, 501
(c)(3) non-profit support, education and outreach organization comprised of
families who have adopted from Russia, Ukraine, and neighboring countries.
FRUA started five years ago and now has over 1500 members in the U.S. and
abroad and several chapters across the U.S.
 
In response to government funding cutbacks and the worsening food shortages
affecting orphanages, we have established an Immediate Response Fund
through
which 100% of all (tax-deductible) contributions goes directly to help feed
entire orphanage populations (100+ children) in Russia.  With the
assistance
of trusted and concerned physician contacts who are widely recognized for
their work with orphanage children, we are identifying and working to help
the "forgotten" orphanages that receive little to no outside support and
where few adoptions, if any, occur.  Careful oversight of food and vitamins
purchased through donated funds is in place.
 
Several of our chapters maintain orphanage support projects that include
sending goods donations to orphanages through adopting families.  Over 40
FRUA families carried additional goods donations to orphanages in Russia,
Ukraine, Romania, Lithuania and Bulgaria during our last fiscal year, and
the
numbers are increasing. FRUA donations were also delivered to an orphanage
in
Tblisi by an adoptive family who returned to Georgia through an academic
invitation. We have an ongoing need for donations of basic items such as
infant vitamin drops, children's chewable vitamins, iron-enriched infant
cereals and powdered formula, and have traveling families to transport
them.
 Donations of these items or resources for obtaining them are welcome.
 
FRUA recently purchased and distributed a practical manual containing
hundreds of simple and cost-effective physical and occupational therapy
techniques to all 250 baby homes in Russia and will distribute 140 more to
orphanages throughout Ukraine.
 
General information about FRUA and the Immediate Response Fund can be
obtained through our website: http://www.frua.org.  If you or anyone you
know
would like to help, please contact me directly.
 
Lauren Szymanoski
FRUA National Board
Ways and Means/Orphanage Support Chair
lauren@frua.org

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Last updated:    April 1, 1999