Orphans in Africa say "THANK YOU"

Hundreds of donors like you contributed to the special shipment of pre-packaged, chicken-flavored rice casserole meals to the orphans in the Central African Republic. This is the first time that the orphans had ever seen this kind of food, so they had to learn a new way of cooking.

But when they tasted this new food, they loved it! And as you can see in the pictures, they eat it in the traditional way,with their bare hands! How fun!

Thank you for blessing the orphans with this special shipment. It is exciting to know that together, we have provided them much needed food.

I am sure that you have saved many lives. You are a blessing to these orphans.

To continue to feed these orphans, go to http://www.foodfororphans.org/ and make your donation.

GIVING BACK: Feeding orphans is couple’s mission

The darkness of cancer hasn't extinguished the light that impassions Gary and Renee VanDyke to feed hungry orphans. Although both were striken with cancer last year, donations to the nonprofit organization, Food for Orphans, grew 4,000 percent from 2007 to 2008.

"The desire to help orphans is universal. It's been phenomenal," Gary says.

Gary has witnessed first hand the realities of orphans who are barely surviving. In the Central African Republic orphanages are full and children living on the streets create human piles at night to keep warm while they sleep. AIDS is rampant in many countries. In Thailand, evidence of the flourishing child sex trade is obvious and seemingly unstoppable.

"There's a big difference seeing it on TV and walking into a village of poverty, seeing the need and feeling it under your feet and tasting it on your tongue," Gary says. "I found organizations were helping with education and health care, but no one was focusing on food for orphans."

A visit to Myanmar has already been made this year, where they found the orphanage they were supporting had burned to the ground in a kitchen accident. The children were distributed to other orphanages to live while they waited for the slow wheels of government beauracracy to turn in order to rebuild. Gary and Renee plan to visit South Africa and the Dominican Republic this year. Other countries where they support orphanages include Venezuela, Liberia and Peru. They also want to visit Haiti, Cambodia and China to see about starting projects in those countries.

"Children hear the Gospel,but they aren't required to become Christians or agree. We're talking about survival here!" Gary says.

Renee says, "It's rewarding to visit and see the difference in children from when they began the program. They no longer have lice; their hair is shiny. They are healthy looking. You can see the impact."

To Help: http://www.foodfororphans.org/ or call 719-591-7777.