Wednesday 22 June 2011

Charity Visits: Women's Shelter, Infants Orphanage and Kids Care Home

One of the most important parts (if not the most important) to IWAV is its charity work. Thanks to our members we have helped and keep supporting those in need. There have been so many charity projects, I cannot keep up posting reports and photos. At the end of May, thanks to donations from IWAV members, several deliveries of clothes and other items to a shelter and orphanages have been organized by IWAV charity coordinator Irina Tuminiene.

First visit that day was to Shelter for Women and Kids (Vilniaus miesto motinos ir vaiko pensionas) IWAV tries to regularly provide support to the women and kids living at the shelter. IWAV charity coordinator Irina Tuminiene delivered several bags full of women’s clothes donated by IWAV members and American International School of Vilnius. Later she received a thank you call saying that all the women appreciated this help. This donation not only proved of material help to them but also raised their spirits.




Keti Tsami and I joined Irina and her husband Arturas to visit two more locations: Vilnius Infants Orphanage (Vilniaus sutrikusio vystymosi kūdikių namai) and Vilnius Child Care Home (Vilniaus 3-ieji vaikų globos namai)

At Infants Orphanage we visited 2 kids’ living areas. The first one consisted of 2 rooms and was for little disabled kids and the other was one room with something like a play pen in the center for tiny babies. Photos were not allowed. Staff was busy taking care of the little ones. We also saw galleries of photos on the walls showing babies and little kids living at the orphanage and those who were adopted with their new parents. Infants’ Orphanage mostly needs clothes and diapers for babies and especially Aptamil. Thanks to IWAV playgroup members, we were able to deliver such items! In fact, the need for Aptamil is constant, so IWAV hopes to keep supporting Vilniaus sutrikusio vystymosi kūdikių namai further.






In the second location Vilnius Child Care Home we brought clothes for kids and the staff. We visited many rooms (“groups”) and met a lot of kids of various ages.




We looked around living areas and saw that some of the rooms obviously need renovation. Hopefully this location could become one of the beneficiaries for the International Christmas Charity Bazaar.






We talked a lot with the staff about kids and their lives at the orphanage and the process of adoption and many other issues. Ladies working with the kids were very warm, kind and friendly. They also did their best to create cozy atmosphere in the rooms. It was dinner time and the tables were laid with plates, cups and bread baskets in the middle.







One of the observations was that the kids were not busy reading or doing some activity together. Mostly they were just standing around or each busy with their own things. But it could be becuase of that special before-dinner-time of the day...

At the last “group” kids were very warm, friendly and open and wanted to talk with us. We were especially touched when they asked for hugs and good-bye kisses. A kind lady taking care of the kids told us that she first visited this orphanage when she was 18 and then she decided to dedicate her life to working with these kids. Children asked us to stay longer and asked if we would come back. Of course- we said! We will come back and visit them! This time we will make sure we have some treats!!


Any help will be appreciated. If you would like to offer your help with charity projects or to donate clothes or any other items, please contact Irina Tuminiene.
irina.tum (at) gmail.com


Posted by Galina Soldatenko

Monday 20 June 2011

Blossom of Hope: Overview and Photos


This year for the third time IWAV joined forces with its partner Roche to organize an annual fundraising event Blossom of Hope. The goal of the event is to raise funds to purchase biopsy needles for several Lithuanian oncology hospitals. It also aims to raise awareness of breast cancer and of importance of timely diagnosis. Percentage of breast cancer cases diagnosed at late stages is still comparatively high in Lithuania. With Blossom of Hope we try to make a difference!




Thanks to the contribution from the sponsors, donations from artists and to the generous spirit of all the attending guests, this year Blossom of Hope raised over 55 000 LTL. These funds will cover the cost of more than 1300 biopsy needles.



Big thanks to all the sponsors and all the guests who listened, heard and understood the need for help and who contributed by donating or by buying a ticket and attending.



You can read a full review and see more photos at Blossom of Hope 2011 page.