Every day orphans come to the gates of Hearth to Hearth Ministries' orphanages hoping to be let in, or at least get some food.  Below is a fundraiser that Bless the Children is doing to help raise money for these orphans.

Children at the Orphanage Gates

Imagine...No parents, No home, No food, Dressed in rags… Your only Christmas wish that someone might give you some food, or a safe place to sleep. This is the situation for hundreds of homeless, orphaned children in Africa who arrive as early as 4 a.m. at the gates of the orphanages we help support. The children at the gates are actually small families of children who are trying to survive on their own, typically with no adults in their lives. Many times, children of 10 years or even younger are responsible for several smaller siblings.  They do not have the skills necessary to grow crops, collect firewood, or even purify water, so the children suffer from severe malnutrition. This sets up a particular vulnerability to diseases. There are countless numbers of children who have walked for days to the gates asking the orphanage to take not them, but their little siblings.  Often the older children turn to prostitution and other forms of crime in order to feed their little brothers and sisters.  A lack of tears… They do not have shoes, they do not have blankets, and often they have no shelter.  Most have no clean drinking water. It is unimaginable. The most shattering thing is the lack of tears. They do not cry, they just come, sit and wait. This is because children cry to be attended to, or get attention, and these children know that no one will respond.   Will you respond? The hundreds of children who come to the gates generally stay out in the bush in some sort of structure or shelter they have constructed, or what remains of the home their parents made for them. Often, they have buried their parents themselves.  Anything their family may have had with value is typically stolen from the children after the parents die. The children have no value other than as workers or servants.  So, they stay out in the bush until it is nearly daybreak, and then make their way down little footpaths to the gates, hoping to be the first in line in case there is a meal, or even more hopefully, an opening for them.  Their names are dutifully written down each day in a notebook, they are given a cup of porridge, and then they are told 'No, not today'...it is probably the only food they will have for the day.  During times of famine, when food is severely scarce, we resort to feeding these children just three times a week. More children are saved this way because food reserves will last longer. Unfortunately, every day is a crisis for the Children at the Gates but you can improve the situation. Please share the spirit of this season with those you love and the homeless, orphaned children of Kenya. What you can do to help the Children at the Orphanage Gates: Fill out the form on the reverse side, make your donation and receive your holiday cards to share with family and friends. Contact info@blessthechildreninc.org or 727-631-0088 to get information about how you can further help these children. Spread the story of the Children at the Orphanage Gates to friends, family and co-workers so that they too can help them. Our goal this season is to give each of these children a special Christmas by providing an especially healthy and delicious meal, a new set of clothes, a pair of shoes, a blanket, a malaria shot and basic medical care. We also hope to find sponsors to help meet the children’s needs on an ongoing basis. THIS CHRISTMAS YOU CAN HELP THESE CHILDREN. YOU CAN MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE. All proceeds benefit the Children at the Gates. All donations are tax-deductible in accordance with IRS guidelines. www.blessthechildreninc.org • info@blessthechildreninc.org 727-631-0088 • 411 Cleveland St., #195 Clearwater, FL 33755 © 2008 Bless the Children, Inc.