Gentle hands

Last week The Relief Society activity was to go listen to a woman from Canada tell us about her foundation. Gentle hands, in case any of us would be interested in volunteering. She helps people qualify for foster care while children are waiting to be adopted. Her name is Charity Graff, her father was a pastor here in the Philippines so she grew up here and now she decided to do the same as her parents.  She told us story after story of how much help is needed to rescue children in the Philippines.

She basically sold everything she and her husband Evan had to start an educational  foundation for street boys in 2000. In 2003 they got registered under the department of Social Welfare and Development to rescue children in crisis who are being abandoned or abused so that they could be adopted locally or internationally.  She takes all ages even before they give birth. One girl age 12 came to her door pregnant who had been raped. She gave birth but the baby didn't survived. They cremated the body so Charity helped her in every step of the way.

Another child was rescued from the worst conditions possible. He didn't have a nose because it was bitten by rats. He had a few surgeries done and he is ready to be adopted in a week. Another nine year old girl came to her door because she was being raped by her father and even though she explains, "I had no room for her, how do you say no?"

This is why she is asking for foster parents to take on a child while he or she is adopted. Last year 15 children were adopted to good families. The process takes about a year. You need to check out www.gentlehands.org if you want to learn more. They actually have a staff of about 30 + paid and volunteer professionals that help with therapy for these soul wounded orphans. She is constantly dealing with therapeutic sessions for those children. She even gave us all a little of therapy because someone said" But what if I get too attached to these children and have to send them away." She smiled and said: " You get over it"

The good news is that the wives of the Area Presidency were in that meeting so they immediately arranged for the Humanitarian director to look into Gentle Hands as an NGO so now the Church is donating Thousands upon thousands of food, medicine, and many materials that they may need to sustain Gentle Hands.

Daniel receives applications like this daily and when he told me about this new one I said: Could it be gentle hands? He checked and it was. I am so proud of all the efforts the Church does all over the world in cases like this. Every dollar sent to the humanitarian services goes directly to those who mostly need them. In this case, Charity Graff didn't even ask. We were just there, learning about her NGO and immediately, the money has been approved. It only took two days!

I feel so grateful and overwhelmed for all the good the Church does each and every day!