Here’s an awesome guest post by a fella, Matt. If you know him, you’re probably aware of his heart, if you don’t, you can still give him some birthday love! Read his blog post to find out more:
My Birthday in Ukraine.
No, I am not really going over to Ukraine for my Birthday, but I am “donating” my birthday to an amazing organization called Open Arms Ukraine!
What do they do? I’m glad you asked!
First let’s talk about the problem…
What if I told you that 60% of girls end up in prostitution, 70% of boys will end up in jail and/or a life of crime, and the truly disturbing statistic is that 10% of orphans in Ukraine will take their own life before the age of 18! On top of that they live in a society that tells them that they’re outcasts, worthless, and beyond redemption.
Those alarming facts are the reality that these kids face! There are well over 100,000* orphans in Ukraine and most of them are “social” orphans, meaning that one or both of their parents are still alive but unable or unwilling to care for their children. (*Get this – No one knows the real number because the government doesn’t even bother to count them.)
For some a life on the streets or dealing with alcoholic and abusive parents is their everyday life… For others life in a government run orphanage is reality. When they “graduate” from the orphanage they are typically sent back to the village/ part of the country they came from and start trade school. Some of these graduates are as young as 14 years old! Could you imagine your 14-year-old child living on their own with little to no supervision???? (Sorry I had to say that)
But There Is HOPE. This Is Where Open Arms Ukraine Comes In.
Started by a group of American’s, Open Arms Ukraine runs a variety of ministries solely focused on serving these forgotten and outcast children, loving, caring, and walking through life with them on a daily basis to SHOW them God’s love! This is not a new organization. They have been over there doing this amazing work since 2008! But they are a small team of people trying to tackle an enormous
This Is Where WE Come In Friends!
Here is how we can help:
1) Give – This is a small well-run organization that has managed to bring a great deal of healing and restoration to these children even with limited resources. Help them continue to do this amazing work by donating money. No amount is too small, you would be amazed at what $5 or $10 can do in a child’s life.
2) Share – Help spread the word! Take a look at the Open Arms Ukraine website, Facebook page, Twitter, YouTube, or Instagram and then help share the amazing work they are doing.
At this point you may be asking, “Why are you doing this Matt?”
It’s really quite simple… although my life has not been perfect, I have never truly needed anything in my life. I have always had the support of my family (Even if they drive me nuts sometimes). I have lived with the security of knowing that I have a support system behind me. I simply cannot understand what it would be like to not have that. So I’m going to take the blessed life that God has given me and do what I can for these children.
I’m also going to tackle the 900 pound gorilla in the corner of the room. Maybe you’re asking yourself, “Why Ukraine Matt? Why not help kids here in the States?” Simple – although our government and social systems are not perfect, kids here have a much better chance at having a full life than those in Ukraine. We cannot fix all of their problems, but we can do something.
So will you help show these children that they are NOT forgotten and that they are a beautiful creation of our God? Let’s help this amazing team of people at Open Arms Ukraine spread the gospel one hug at a time!
You can click the video link to hear more about my heart in all of this – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA1umhjsnWE
Or if you have any questions feel free to contact me directly! 🙂 You can also go ahead and click the donate button down below!
Grace & Peace My Friends,
Matt Meeks
*If you’d like to have your own birthday in Ukraine, contact us at openarmsministry@gmail.com!