Odessa Children Fund is a non-profit, 501C (3) charitable organization that works directly with the orphanages and its children in Odessa, Ukraine. The mission of Odessa Children Fund is to raise awareness about the abandoned children and to provide financial assistance to the orphanage. We believe our assistance is a vital link in restoring the lives of children who have endured much pain, sadness and neglect.

The plight of children left behind in orphanages is a national crisis in the Ukraine due in part to the socio-economic changes brought by the collapse of the Soviet Union. As countries such as Ukraine moved towards democracy, rising inflation and rapidly sinking living standards were accompanied by high rates of unemployment. Amid such tough economic conditions many people could no longer cope or provide for themselves. This led to a new social crisis - that of abandoned and orphaned children. The orphanages began to fill up with unwanted kids as parents either abandoned them, gave them up in despair or had their parental rights terminated by the state.

In August of 2005 we traveled to Odessa in search of the orphanages and the children that live in them. We met with the assistant director of the orphanage and the children, listened to the children's stories and were deeply touched. When we returned to the States, we made a commitment to help the forgotten children of Odessa.

Click here or on the image above to see our photo galery.