October 2007

The International Center for Hope began the sessions with the group for chemically dependent women.  The program follows the "12 Step Program" and is very successful. Many adults have benefited from this program.

ICH's Club, "These Children are not Somebody Else's Children" is a program to train adults who are interested in becoming a Foster Parent to some of the children in the orphanages or for those who are interested in adopting a child from one of the orphanages.  The staff and volunteers have begun this program this month.

Also, ICH has developed a new program that will assist parents with disabled children who need psychological rehabilitation.  The first session was held during October, 2007, with volunteers willing to work with the parents. The volunteers are being taught by a psychologist as to how to deal with these parents and to help them in accepting the situation of  having disabled children.  Many of these parents have a difficult time with the roles they have and blame themselves for the children's disability.

Also at The Center, classes/meetings are held weekly for the graduates of one of the Internoit School/Orphanage in Izhevsk.  Our staff counsels the graduates on topics that will allow them to enter into the social life outside an orphanage.  Many of these children, now adults, have no one to help them when they do leave the orphanage and this program will teach them and help them adjust to life on the outside.  ICH also assists them in obtaining employment, housing and any legal holdings they may have on properties that their "parents" may have owned that is now legally theirs.

Assistance was given to Orphanage #2 and Orphanage #75 in the area of hygiene products and 21 needy families were helped with food and clothing.

VOTKINSK-ICH

At the Branch Office of ICH-Votkinsk, assistance was given to many needy families, with food and clothes.  Our staff also helps with the children through classes and entertainment at The Center.  They play different games, have TEA with the volunteers of The Center, watch  films and talk about topics that are on their minds at that time. The staff also organized The Birthday Party Program for the Votkinsk office, this month.  The children with birthdays were entertained by clowns, had treats and just had a wonderful time. The Staff at ICH-VOTKINSK visited The City Children's Home (asylum for orphans) to become acquainted and to entertain them with the puppet-show and present them with toys, developmental games and balls.  The children were so excited and happy to receive presents  and gave thanks to the ICH CENTER.

Due to Christmas coming up, the staff of ICH-Izhevsk began purchasing the items needed to begin forming the little houses that will contain a variety of candies.  ICH is in it's 6th year of presenting gifts at Christmas time to each orphan that attends/watches "The Christmas Story."  Our hopes are that each child that ICH has met in these orphanages will listen to the story and that they will come to know our Savior.

Our many thanks to all that have contributed in helping ICH assist the needy families and the many orphanages in and around Izhevsk and Votkinsk, Russia.
May you all prosper and be in good health.