A friend recently introduced me to an organization called Hands to Hearts International (HHI). This Portland, Oregon-based non-profit was created in 2004 by Founder and Executive Director Laura Peterson. Laura’s commitment to the health of women and children globally grew from her years of working with troubled youth and from her travel experiences in developing countries.
In their first year alone, HHI helped train 285 women from more than 30 orphanages in Southern India. This work ultimately reached 1,470 orphans and vulnerable children. After the training, orphanage directors reported that the children were sick less often, recovered more quickly when ill, had an increase in weight and were easier to soothe.
In addition to helping children, HHI also has programs in place to empower women in India. Many of them are widows who are shunned by the rest of Indian society (see the movie, Water, for a look at how widows were and are treated in India). HHI recognizes that women are integral in helping bring their families out of abject poverty but they often lack training and employment opportunities. HHI is helping these women out of their circumstances.
Through May 18th, HHI is holding a raffle that includes some excellent prizes including:
One week at a Sunriver, Oregon cabin (value $1,500)
A gourmet dinner on a private sailboat on the Columbia River, Oregon
One $300 gift certificate to the store of your choice
Raffle tickets are $10 each or three for $25. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold so hurry to take advantage of this opportunity to support a very worthy organization.
Happy Travels!
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