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This was an amazing group of volunteers!

The DreamCenter is a facility focused on the orphan graduate. The roughly 3,000 square foot facility will contain the resources to administer a number of ministry activities.  Centrally located, the DreamCenter will be a common place for graduates to congregate and receive the services and/or training desperately needed to raise their life expectancy.

Services: The following services are immediately available to graduates; Life Skills Training, Discipleship, Cooking Classes, Crisis Counseling, Crisis Housing, English Classes, Legal Aid, Apartment Placement Assistance, Apartment Furnishing Assistance, Job Training & Placement, and Recreation.

Vision: The facility enables C30 to not only provide graduate support services but to also open services based businesses to help self-support the ministry.

The DreamCenter is a facility focused on the orphan graduate. The roughly 3,000 square foot facility will contain the resources to administer a number of ministry activities.  Centrally located, the DreamCenter will be a common place for graduates to congregate and receive the services and/or training desperately needed to raise their life expectancy.

Services: The following services are immediately available to graduates; Life Skills Training, Discipleship, Cooking Classes, Crisis Counseling, Crisis Housing, English Classes, Legal Aid, Apartment Placement Assistance, Apartment Furnishing Assistance, Job Training & Placement, and Recreation.

Vision: The facility enables C30 to not only provide graduate support services but to also open services based businesses to help self-support the ministry.

If you remember from our previous posts, this charity shop will provide the people of Kaliningrad with a place to purchase affordable clothes and household items, provide a steady source of income to sustainably fund our in-country programs, and also provide a few jobs for orphan graduates in our program. Amazing!

We will keep you updated on the latest charity shop happenings, as the store gets established. Thanks for your interest in and support of Change30! (with partnership from the foundation Mercy to Neighbor)

*  It would give the city of Kaliningrad a place to donate, as well as receive quality goods and clothing.

*  It would be a model of sustainability, as any profit would be put straight back into our in-country organization, funding programs such as our life skills and cooking classes. Also, a portion of the profits would be donated to a local children’s shelter.

*  It would provide two full-time work opportunities for orphan graduates from our program.

Well, April is here and we are glad to announce some big news! We now have a storefront ready to be renovated, and we have received a generous grant to get us started!

March was a big month, as the contract on the building was signed and the keys were handed over to us. As we prepared to begin the renovation process, we had even more good news, as we were awarded a $2,100 grant from Kingdom Mission Fund (https://www.facebook.com/KingdomMissionsFund)! They have been a great partner to us over the past several years and this project really caught their attention. So much in fact, that we were one of three organizations nominated for their Innovation Award. While we did not ultimately take home that prize, the recognition of the value and the importance of this project was a huge confirmation for us.

As the $2100 from KMF is a great start, we are still in need of an additional $3900 to get us up and running for the first six months. After this initial investment of $6000, we estimate that we will be fully sustainable. We would love to have you grab hold of this vision with us and make a donation to get us through the initial half year. You can click over to the Change30 page to set up your gift (http://change30.org/donate/). Please be sure to write “Charity Shop” in the Notes section so that we can make sure you gift goes directly towards the shop.

We are tremendously excited about this project, and know that it will make a huge impact on the city of Kaliningrad, our organization, and especially the Russian orphans and orphan graduates that we love to serve.

Back in the old days, charity was not about giving money, but about giving love and kindness and compassion. Actually, the word charity and the word love are both derived from the Greek word agape. Cool.

Change30 loves to be on the giving end of charity, in both the modern and old-fashioned sense, and we are proud to be putting a long-term vision into action by opening a first-of-its-kind charity shop (aka a second hand store) in Kaliningrad.

The initial plans are underway to open a storefront where clothing (infant to adult), household goods, and furniture can be bought at a fair and reasonable price and put into the hands of people in need. Any profits will go directly back into the Change30 organization to fund our continued effort to help Russian orphans and orphan graduates, and also shared with a local shelter for teens.

While outside of Russia, the idea of a second hand store is common, here it is quite unique. We have found that there is a great supply of donated goods in the city, but the method to distribute them is lacking, and that is where we will step in! Plus, an added bonus of opening the shop is that it will be able to provide two full-time working positions for orphan graduates. This is what you call a self-sustaining, win-win-win situation!

We will keep you updated as we progress in our new project, and will have some exciting news to share soon.

Charity does not just need to begin at home, it needs to begin everywhere and with everyone. Providing love, kindness and compassion to orphans and orphan graduates is what Change30 has always been about. Now, we are about to take the next step to provide charity in a bit wider circle, reaching more people and the city of Kaliningrad.

Our goal is to raise $3000.00 as we will visit nine different orphanages and centers. Here is the breakdown of what your support can provide:

$20.00 will buy gifts for three orphans

$50.00 will buy gifts for seven orphans

$100.00 will buy gifts for fifteen orphans

Your tax-deductible donation can be setup on-line through our Donate page, or you can send a check to our P.O. Box, which can also be found on our Donate page.

Again this year, as we distribute the gifts, we will also be providing some great entertainment as Clown Vova makes another appearance during our orphanage tour. He was a huge hit with both kids and adults last year, and had everyone laughing to the point of tears.

Thank you for your support this holiday season, as we take to heart this quote, which sums everything up quite nicely we believe.

“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love” – Hamilton Wright Mabie

But oh, the things that can happen in three years.

Change30 was told from the very beginning, by experts on Russian government, contacts in Kaliningrad, and close, personal friends, that they would be on their own. The local Russian government would not be interested in involving themselves with a group of Americans with the goal of helping orphans. And why would anyone really think any differently? Russia and the U.S. have not been on the best of terms when it comes to international diplomacy over the past seventy plus years, and the plight of the orphan problem in Russia is well documented. So why in the world would the Russian government want to get involved with these two, let’s say “uncomfortable” groups?

The answer to that question lies in the vision, dedication and hard work put in by the Change30 staff and volunteers over the past three years. The Russian government could not help but notice the positive influence that this organization had, and continues to have, in the region when it comes to working directly with the kids and the local orphanages. As relationships were established, not only with the kids, but with the directors and administrators of the orphanages as well, word spread up the ladder to the highest officials in charge of orphan care.

The programs that Change30 put in place – Life Skill classes, cooking classes, financial planning, social nights, an orphan conference, etc., were all so out-of-the-ordinary for a culture that had never put a premium on the life of an orphan. So, after the many years of relentless dedication, Change30 was recognized as the leader in orphan and orphan graduate relations, and the Russian government was ready to take a stronger look at what needed to be done.

From the highest level of the Ministry of Social Justice came the decree that orphanages needed to work with Change30 to learn the methods and knowledge that was proving so successful with the kids. Also, the government offered Change30 the pick of a number of social centers in Kaliningrad – free of charge – to hold the life skill classes and weekly meetings. This, is what you call favor.

And the favor that Change30 has in the region continues to multiply. Currently, there are nearly fifty Russian volunteers that are active in our programs – something else that we were told from the beginning would never happen. And most recently, Change30’s newly appointed Director, was nominated for a spot on the Board of Directors of the government committee that is in charge of granting an apartment to each orphan as they come of age. Amazing.

Three years ago, there were hopes and prayers for the vision that was cast for the orphans and orphan graduates in and around Kaliningrad. What was hoped to be accomplished in four years has not happened – far more than the original vision was accomplished incredibly in only three years! The momentum that Change3o has at this time is strong, and we can only imagine and dream what the future will bring. But that’s the way it works, right? Visions and dreams.

Similarly, this month’s blog post will give you a preview of the programs that Change30 will be rolling out this fall. We will keep some the same, as they have proved to be very popular and successful, plus we will be debuting a few new programs – always keeping in mind our mission: raising the life expectancy of Russian orphans.

Our girls and guys Life Skill programs will continue to meet each week, as they have throughout the year. This is our cornerstone program, and there has been a noticeable increase in attendance (both girls and guys; both graduates and volunteers) over the past few months. Why, you may ask? Because we are seeing the fruits of our labor after years of building relationships with the kids while they are living at the orphanage. Trust does not come easily, and we have had to work hard to earn it. Now, we are being paid back with their participation in our program. The graduates really enjoy coming to our Orphan Graduate Center (provided by the Russian government no less), and meeting with our incredible volunteers. This is what you call a Win – Win.

Other programs that were started in the past, and will continue, include a graduate English class led by Change30 volunteers, as well as social nights for both guys and girls, hosted by volunteers. This has proven to be very popular, as the kids get a home cooked meal and time to hang out playing video games and watching movies in a home environment.

Orphan graduates will also have some new opportunities starting this fall, with a few additional programs rolling out. We will be hosting a Graduate Club in a newly built housing community where many of the graduates are receiving the apartment that the government is required to provide. The Graduate Club will be an excellent opportunity for orphans from all around the region (many that are moving to Kaliningrad from other cities), to get together to talk about relevant topics and meet with Change30 volunteers.

Also, a new program for Young Mothers is in the works, as we recognized the tremendous amount of support that these girls, and their children, need.

Volunteers will also continue to travel a few times a month to the technical school in Svetly, where many of the orphan graduates are enrolled. With classes and the travel involved, it is sometimes hard for the graduates to make it into Kaliningrad for our programs, so our volunteers take the programs to them. Time is spent in discussion about school and issues they are facing.

As was mentioned earlier, the time that our volunteers spend with the kids while they are living in the orphanage is the key element of our future success. We have many programs throughout the week where we are able to connect with the kids.

At Hope Orphanage, we have a time to work on crafts, and on another day we are there for English lessons and tutoring / helping with homework. One of our new programs is an afternoon to meet, enjoy some tea and talk about morals and values. We have experienced volunteers that love the time they get to spend at Hope.

At Edelweiss Center (formerly known as Orphanage #1), we have an alternating program every Wednesday: one week, the guys come to the Change30 Graduate Center to meet with volunteers and mentors to discuss a relevant topic; and on the opposite week, one of our volunteers (who is a fabulous cook), teaches a cooking class in one of the Edelweiss kitchens. Another new program is a jewelry making class, that we think will generate a lot of interest.  Also, we will be starting a Graduate Club at this location in the fall, as this center has made arrangements for orphan graduates to live here as they begin working on their independence.

Not only do we work with orphanages and graduates in Kaliningrad, but we travel to several towns outside of the city. Twice a month, we visit Pravdinsk Orphanage, and have been doing so for years. We bring in guest speakers, teach crafts, play games, and this fall, will start cooking classes once a month. Also, twice per month, we will  travel to Zelenogradsk orphanage. This is a new opportunity that was just formed this past summer, and we are very excited that we will get the chance to build relationships with these kids. Change30 also makes periodic trips a little further out in the region to Chernyhovsk Orphanage, where we always have a themed program planned around events like “back-to-school” or holidays.

Change30 has a great fall/winter/spring schedule lined up. While busy, we know that the time is well spent and the pays big dividends for both the orphans, graduates and volunteers. You can keep up with all of our programs and their progress by following Change30 on Facebook (Change30), Instagram (Change30now), Twitter (@change30russia), and of course our website (www.change30.org). We post lots of pictures and content and would love to hear from you. Enjoy your fall season!