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Children of Chernobyl Program
Click
here for a mission trip update dated May 2, 2008
Click
here for a mission trip update dated May 6, 2008
Click
here for a mission trip update dated May 7, 2008
About the Program
On
October 4, 2007
the Children of Chernobyl program was honored for its work in helping the
world’s vulnerable children at the ninth annual Angels in Adoption gala,
sponsored by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI).
Congressman James Moran presented the Children of Chernobyl committee with
an award at the ceremony on Capital Hill. We are very pleased with the
recognition our program has received and hope it will generate greater
public awareness of the long-term effects of radiation and support for the
program.
The Children of Chernobyl mission at Christ
Church is in its 14th
year. The founder of the program was the late Joe Bailey, a photographer for
National Geographic, who went to Belarus after the Chernobyl nuclear
disaster that occurred in April 1986.
Moved by the desperate situation of
the people of Belarus, particularly the children whose immune systems were
seriously compromised by radiation, he returned in 1992 to distribute needed
medical and food supplies. While there, he learned about international
efforts to evacuate children for recuperative trips to western nations, and
determined to involve Christ Church in these efforts.
Today, Christ Church hosts between 15-20
children for six weeks each summer, and works with other churches to bring
more than 60 children to Northern Virginia to enjoy clean food, water,
dental care, and experience life in another culture. Altogether, Christ
Church has hosted more than 200 children in the last fourteen years. They
have all gone home with dental care that is not available in their country,
winter clothing and medical supplies for the children of the family, and
happy memories.
Studies have shown that even a short six-week
visit helps restore health. A radiobiologist from the Academy of Sciences of
the Republic of Belarus found that all 76 children who were immune deficient
before their travel abroad had normal cell function within six months after
their return. “The overwhelming majority of children state the improvement
of their health, disappearance of headaches, dizziness, irritability,
tearfulness; improvement of sleep, desire to study and go in for sports
after their rest.” One young woman, Julia, who came on the program in the
early 1990s and is now a student at the prestigious Linguistic University in
Minsk, wrote:
“Of course, my health has improved and
my teeth are better than that of many of my friends, who were not able to
receive dental care in a timely manner.
But the most important thing is I have
become kinder myself . . .
Just to know that somebody, who is not
a relative or a social worker, somebody who lives thousands of miles away
from you, in other words, someone who doesn’t have to help you, but is
willing to . . . it fills your heart with warmth and appreciation.
It feels like these people touch your
soul.”
To learn more about this award-winning program please contact the Chair of
the
COC
committee, Mary Beth Stein.
Click
here to send Mary Beth and email.
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