A local organization is working on a global mission: to rescue kids around the world. Headquartered in Valparaiso since 1983, when State Representative Ed Soliday relocated the U.S. office from Chicago, Kids Alive International works to rescue orphans, and abandoned and abused children in 65 locations worldwide.
“All of our ministries are overseas…that is our mission,” shared Phyllis Pierson, Community Liaison at Kids Alive, “There are different systems in place in the United States but overseas, there is nothing. We work overseas where children have no hope.” With one fourth of all children living in poverty and about 150 million children experiencing homelessness, the need worldwide is great.
The organization serves children who need help through residential homes, care centers and schools. The homes house 8 to 12 children with national house parents and offers the kids the chance to become “part of a family. They do chores, homework, go to school,” stated Randy Hall, Director of Development.
Not all of the children receiving help from Kids Alive are abandoned; some just need a little help that their families can’t provide for them. The care centers allow these kids to stay with their families but receive meals, clothing and medical attention. Through the schools, Kids Alive is able to ensure the children get the education they need. “We tailor the program to the need of each location,” Hall commented, sharing how some areas are in great need of the residential homes while others need help with their educational system. “Guatemala, for example, has horrific school systems,” he stated, “The children are very behind.”
Currently, Kids Alive serves 3,957 kids across the world, including those who live with their own families but receive help from the care centers. This year alone, the organization took in almost 800 new children.
For those in the community wanting to get involved, Kids Alive offers the neat opportunity to sponsor a child. For $35 a month, a donor “becomes a real part of that child’s life…they make a difference in the life of a child overseas,” stated Pierson. The monthly gift provides financial support to one child, so they can lead a healthy, productive life. Sponsors are also able to communicate with their sponsored child, via email and letters, “watching them grow up through correspondence,” Hall shared.
Once done with high school, children in the program receive help transitioning to the community. Some go on to a university for further education; others take skills classes and learn how to get a job. Kids Alive International works with each child to make sure they can successfully support themselves and continue to lead a healthy life.
As a non-profit, Kids Alive International relies heavily on donations from private parties, gifts of money and service hours. One of the opportunities available for groups looking to serve is becoming part of a service team. Sending out over 80 service teams a year to locations around the world, these teams help build and restore structures so Kids Alive can continue their work. Some do concrete work, building structures, walls, and foundations, while others may build playgrounds for the kids, tearing down unused playgrounds here in the U.S., refurbishing, and setting them up overseas.
“We are right here in Valpo,” smiled Pierson, welcoming people in the community to stop in and say hi, and learn more about the organization firsthand. “We are very open to the public!”
To learn more about Kids Alive International, visit their website or stop by their office, at 2507 Cumberland Drive in Valparaiso.