Telephone:
412-721-4070 PO Box 751
Pittsburgh, PA 15146

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Dreams Fulfilled!

Before coming to Angels' Place, these children you see pictured would never have dreamed of becoming a teacher, a social worker, or a bank officer.  They knew well, without an education and support, it could never happen, so they pushed their dreams aside.  But just last month, they completed a career survey, the first step on a path toward fulfilling those buried dreams.

One of the most important things we do at Angels' Place is help the children become successful and productive members of their community.  Of course, providing a good foundational education is a big part of achieving that objective.  But that is just the beginning of what we do.  There is much happening inside the walls of Angels' Place you may not even be aware of - far beyond the basics of math and science.  Career counseling is just one example.

First, the children from classes 8-12 completed the survey to assess their personal strengths and interests.  In addition to obvious questions about their favorite subjects in school and extra-curricular activites, there were also questions like:  "What challenge excites you?" and "What impact do you want to have in the world?".   There were also questions designed to help counselors identify potential psychological and emotional barriers to their success so they might better guide them through these obstacles.  Once the surveys were complete, each individual child had a one-on-one counseling session to discuss their responses and help them develop some career goals suited to their unique interests and personality.  As of this date, counseling sessions for all children in classes 8-9 have been completed and upper grades are currently in process.

We are so proud of the many children of Angels' Place who have gone on to successfully pursue their dreams, to become productive healthy members of their community  - and the world.  But there are so many more still waiting for someone like you to open the door of opportunity for them.  To learn more about what you can do, visit our Ways to Help page today.

Our New Vocational Director

This year Angels’ Place added a new staff member, Sangi Duhlian. Sangi’s primary responsibilities will be overseeing the new vocational program at Angels’ Place and providing academic counseling and mentorship to support the learning of the children there. She was contacted about the position in early 2019, and the opportunity to help the children held immediate appeal. She began her new position earlier this year, and we are delighted to report on the expansion of the staff and the program growth that comes with it.

Sangi comes to Angels’ Place with substantial credentials in education and work experience. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in social work, and completed a second master’s degree (MPhil) in December 2018, right before coming to the orphanage. Her years of education and work include participation in multiple conferences, where she has explored issues of social services and health care in rural India.

Her position at Angels’ Place follows a family history of service to the community. Sangi says that she grew up in a family that always puts faith into action. Her grandparents and parents are “always accepting and helping the needy,” and she continues by saying “they always believe in the principle that when you serve the needy, you serve God.” In her childhood, her father would bring her to spend time with orphans and destitute children, and as she grew, the wish to serve continued. In college and then in her graduate studies, she has pursued study of social work in order to help those in need, especially women and children. “I started developing a strong determination for working for society and giving back to the community to weave change.”

It is wonderful to add Sangi’s sense of generosity and caring to the community of Angels’ Place. In our next article, we will talk more about the program where Sangi will be working.

Angel of the Week: Lal

About the Angel of the Week Project: From 2014-2019 we featured stories about some of the amazing children living at Angels' Place. Each child received a special recognition presented personally by Jan, our founder, when he visited the orphanage the following year. The children were delighted when they were chosen to tell their story!

The first Angel we want you to meet is Lal, a cheerful young boy who dreams of being a scientist one day.

You see, Lal loves animals and he wants to help protect them.  He also knows it takes hard work and a good education to achieve this goal.  It was an impossible dream two years ago before he arrived at Angels' Place.  Today, thanks to his sponsors and the loving support of the caregivers at the orphanage, he dares to consider such a path.

Two years ago, before Lal lost his father to cancer, he was living with his family in a small poor village near the border of Burma (Myanmar).  Food was scarce and Lal remembers often being sick from malnourishment.  Things were pretty bad.  They became even worse when his father passed away and his mother was left with no source of income.   She had no choice but to give up her son.  He had dreams and she could barely feed him let alone get him the education he deserved.

Flash forward to 2019 and Lal is thriving at Angels' Place and talking about his future in a way he would never consider before.  He loves to read and play with his new friends.  The caregivers know him as "a cheerful boy with good leadership qualities".  Most importantly, he is getting the education he needs to pursue his dream of becoming a scientist and helping animals.  His dreams are no longer just the wishful imaginings of a poor destitute child.  Today, thanks to the James Connection, they hold real possibilities and he has the support he needs to make them come true.

There are hundreds of children, just like Lal, on the waiting list to get into Angels' Place.  Children with big dreams but no resources to realize their true potential.  Won't you consider helping one?  Visit our Ways to Help page if you want to learn how.

To read more stories about the children living at Angels' Place, click on "Angel of the Week" under Categories to the right of this page.

Inside Angels’ Place: Mary Donthianmawi

There are many wonderful people working with our children at Angels' Place.  Here is a chance to meet one of them...Mary Donthianmawi, Nurse and Supervisor.

Mary's job is to take care of the children's physical and mental health as well as provide guidance in their daily lives.  Her role is extremely important because of the challenges many of them face coming from very poor families with little or no access to healthcare.  Most of them have been largely neglected by caregivers who were barely able to care for themselves.  Some had no caregivers at all.

Mary faces many challenges when working with children from such difficult circumstances.  Motivating some of the kids is not easy but with consistent loving care and a good dose of patience, she has been very successful, even with some of the toughest cases.  Mary finds tremendous reward in helping these troubled kids blossom into healthy thriving young adults.  In her own words..."I love helping the orphan children in whatever way I can.  Giving medical care, helping with their studies and teaching them right from wrong."

Mary is an invaluable asset to Angels' Place.  Not only does she provide the routine healthcare the children need, but she also provides the emotional support and structure required for them to flourish.  We are very blessed to have her as a member of our team caring for all our precious Angels.

Look for more "Inside Angels' Place" stories coming soon!  If you want to meet some of the amazing children Mary works with, click on "Angel of the Week" under categories to the right of this page.  To learn what you can do to help more kids find a home at Angels' Place, visit our Ways to Help page.