Transforming Lives on Giving Tuesday: Support OSSO's Mission to Empower Orphaned and Vulnerable Children in Ecuador

As the holiday season approaches, the spirit of giving becomes more profound, and there's no better way to embrace it than by participating in Giving Tuesday! We hope you’ll join this worldwide movement to give to causes that you love.

When it comes to orphan care, one organization stands out above the rest - Orphanage Support Services Organization (but you can call us OSSO for short)! This Giving Tuesday, let's explore how OSSO is making a difference to children in Ecuador and why your support matters.

Since 1999, OSSO has been dedicated to providing love, care, and support to orphaned and at-risk children in Ecuador. We currently support 300+ children in eight different orphanages across Ecuador.

OSSO’s mission is to create a brighter future for these children by offering them a safe and nurturing environment. We provide holistic care for orphaned children by meeting both their physical and emotional needs.

Why Donations Matter:

OSSO relies heavily on donations in order to continue providing the children in our care with food, education, medical care, full-time caregivers, mental heath counseling, legal assistance, and more. Your orphanage donation will go directly towards providing these essential resources that enhance the children’s quality of life.

One of OSSO’s most important initiatives is Hogar de Angeles or “Home of the Angels” - an orphanage for 16 children and young adults with disabilities. Most of the residents are wheelchair users and nonverbal and rely completely on OSSO for their survival. Here, the residents receive the proper medical care they require that other orphanages could not provide them with. Hogar de Angeles is completely funded by OSSO and extremely expensive to run.

From providing physical therapy for a child with disabilities to paying for school uniforms and textbooks for another, every donation makes a difference in shaping a better future for these children.

Volunteer Abroad with OSSO:

One unique aspect of OSSO's approach is our volunteer abroad program. Although all of the orphanages we support in Ecuador have employed caregivers, there are a lot of children and typically not enough staff members to meet each child’s emotional needs.

This is where volunteers come in! When you volunteer abroad with OSSO, your role is to fill in that gap and help ensure that each child receives the individual love and support they need to truly thrive!

Volunteers play a crucial role in creating a positive, fun, and loving environment for the children - creating healthier and happier childhoods.

Why Should You Donate to OSSO this Giving Tuesday?

There are many incredible organizations and causes to choose from, but we hope you’ll consider giving to OSSO during Giving Tuesday this year! In case you’re still on the fence, here are a few more reasons why your dollar will have a direct impact when you give to OSSO:


1. Transparency and Accountability: Here at OSSO, we are committed to financial transparency in all of our operations, ensuring that your donations are used efficiently and effectively to directly benefit the children. We’ve recieved nonprofit transparency awards multiple years in a row - including this year - from both Candid and GreatNonprofits.

 
 

2. Holistic Approach: OSSO goes beyond basic orphan care, offering a holistic approach that meets both children’s physical needs (food, shelter, medical care, education) and their emotional needs (mental health counseling, legal assistance by social workers, volunteer support).

3. Ethical Orphanages and Children’s Homes: Since 1999, OSSO has thoughtfully and carefully screened each orphanage that we partner with to ensure that they are providing the children with the highest standard of care available. Many of the orphanages we currently support have been our partners for 24 years and we’ve built strong relationships with them. When you donate to OSSO this Giving Tuesday, you can trust that your donation will go towards trustworthy and reliable orphanages.

This Giving Tuesday, we hope you will consider making a difference in the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children by supporting Orphanage Support Services Organization. Whether you choose to volunteer abroad or make a monetary gift, your involvement will help provide some of the world’s most vulnerable children with hope for a brighter future.

Join OSSO in spreading joy, hope, and love this holiday season. Together, we can make a lasting impact on the lives of those who need it most.

A New Home in Ecuador

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to volunteer in an orphanage? Ashley, one of our most recent volunteers, tells about her experience volunteering with OSSO in Ecuador! Check out her story below.

Please note - children’s faces are not shown to protect their privacy according to Ecuadorian law.

“A little over a year ago I had seen a billboard in Rexburg, Idaho that said, ‘OSSO’. I had remembered hearing stories that my aunt told me about her experiences during her college years when she went down to Ecuador for a few months and helped children in orphanages. I never thought that it could be me doing those same things for children in a third-world country. 

During Christmas break I was determined to complete the application process for OSSO and had shared a quick video with friends about what I wanted to do in the spring. One of my roommates immediately texted me back and said, “Where do I sign up?” I was thrilled to hear that she wasn’t even questioning the idea of it and she was willing to go.  About two weeks after that text was sent, both my friend and I had sent in our applications and we were accepted!! It was easily the best decision I have ever made!

Arriving in Ecuador on April 26th was a lot to take in. My friend and I had been traveling for about 48 hours and were so exhausted when we arrived. During my first day on shift I remember very distinctly that the kids LOVED me. They didn’t know who I was, but they were glad I was there with them, experiencing what they do every single day. At first I was overwhelmed when 12 little kids came running and they all wanted to squeeze my leg, but then I was calm when I realized all they wanted was a new friend. The best decision I ever made was leaving my home and joining a new one here in Cuenca, Ecuador. 

I’m going to miss the gentle but joyful hugs from the kids, and the way they pronounce my name with their cute Ecuadorian accents. I’ll never forget the big brown eyes that stare up into mine as they ask for “twinkle twinkle” a million times each night. They have made my life so much better in every single way. Moments like these are some that I’ll remember forever.”

Thank you, Ashley, for your wonderful service and for sharing your story with us!

Are you ready to volunteer with us in Ecuador too? Apply now to become an OSSO volunteer!

Not Your Typical Volunteers

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We are not your typical volunteers.  I am a parent of an adopted child from Quito. When we adopted our son in 2011 we briefly met these really nice young people who were there volunteering.  We ran into a few different volunteers while traveling around the area and everytime we did our son ran up and hugged them so tight.  I could tell that these young people were so very special to the children. From that time on I have wanted to be one of those volunteers and give back to other children what my son received ..... unconditional love and my time.  I later found out that these volunteers were from OSSO.  I have followed OSSO since.  In 2018 I decided it was time and my now 11 year old son wanted to come too. In October we traveled to Cuenca and spent two weeks there.  My son was asked many times why he wanted to go and he always replied "the food and to play with the children"!  And that is exactly what he did.  He became a big brother, little brother, friend and amigo to many of the wonderful kids that we got to spend time with. He was in awe as to how happy they all were.  As we traveled around to other orphanages he couldn't wait to meet up with the buddies he had made. They were excited to see us arrive and sad to see us leave.  He taught a few kids how to catch grasshoppers, build a racetrack, do handstands and make paper airplanes. The experience was very hard work at times but priceless to see my son give to these children exactly what they wanted and needed...and exactly what he received when he was a child of an orphanage.  I feel it gave my son a sense of who he is and what his life was like when he was a young child.  He saw the love that these kids and himself were surrounded by.

Mari and Danni Creque

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7 Things You Should Know About Volunteering with OSSO

This blog is brought to you by alumni, Brooke Johnson

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  1. "You’ll never forget this experience. I’m going on 12 years since I volunteered in Ecuador and I STILL think of those kids, pray for them, relive my memories, and count the whole thing as a huge life-altering blessing." Although you may feel 'done' when you get home, we have many options for alumni to continue supporting the children that they love. You can become an orphan advocate, a sponsor, volunteer again at a discounted price or help us spread the word to family and friends. You can continue to help those orphans even years later!

  2. "It’s hard work. But anything that is worth it, will be. To change a life (yours or the children’s) takes effort. But, to make a difference in this world pays off ten fold and is priceless to oneself."

  3. "It’s a blast! The getaways are awesome. The country is BEAUTIFUL. The people are amazing and intriguing. And the food is delicious." We offer many different field trips and excursions for our volunteers in between shifts or on their days off.

  4. "You will wonder how you can leave and really go back to “normal” life. It’s a trip."

  5. "It’s worth every penny. And don’t be afraid to use the fundraiser ideas on the website." Our prices may seem high to some, but we are paying for your room and board, field trips, transportation, your OSSO sweatshirt and a donation that goes directly to the orphans. We have LOTS of ideas on fundraisers and those that choose to do them, are very successful!

  6. "Your eyes will be widened and your heart is going to grow in ways you didn’t expect."

  7. "Those very real kids need you."

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Equestrian Therapy

Equestrian therapy is a form of therapy that makes use of horses to help promote emotional growth. [It] is particularly applied to patients with ADD, anxiety, autism, dementia, delay in mental development, down syndrome and other genetic syndromes, depression, trauma and brain injuries, behavior and abuse issues and other mental health issues.(source:https://www.equestriantherapy.com/equestrian-therapy/)

 

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From our director "The children go each week.  It really was a miraculous blessing that it happened.  Keenan happened to be with some of our friends at the spa and while they were chatting with a man there, Keenan had mentioned the our OSSO children used to go to horse riding at the Calvary base down the street from OSSO.  The man actually owns and runs a horse training facility and said that a woman was running a hippotherapy section.  Long story short, she (Carol) invited us free of charge to ride every week and to pay for the transportation to get there and back from OSSO.  We now take all the casa children (those who aren't in school or are pulled out) and the OSSO children every Tuesday.  

 

Carol studies hippotherapy (or horse therapy) in University and even in Spain for a while.  She has 3 different groups come including a down syndrome group and an autistic group and many other individuals.  The children ride the horses in various different positions to increase movement, balance, relaxation among other things that you can look up online.  Interaction with horses has proven to be very emotionally stimulating as well.  Some of the positions include riding backwards, to each side, on their backs, on their stomachs and leading the horse by hand if the child walks.  While on the horse, those children that are able to, are sometimes asked to do a task like throwing a ball through a hoop.  These things help them balance and stimulate them.

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We've seen children who normally never react to much of their surroundings just cry their eyes out on the horse.  Although it may seem disturbing to witness or hear, it's actually a great experience.  That child is able to react and express emotion and is stimulated by their environment.  You can watch some children get on the horse worried and tense at first and then just melt like butter by the end, at one with the horse.  Some of the children have grown accustomed to going each week and one now heads straight to the horse in the arena and climbs up the steps and swings his leg over the horse without even being prompted practically.

 

To insure the upmost safety for our children, we coach the volunteers a bit to be sure they feel comfortable with the task at hand.  OSSO volunteers know the children better when if comes to the individual children.  The Physical Therapist is the one that knows best though and she always accompanies us each week.  Some children can't open their legs so they can only sit in specific positions.  Some children don't hold themselves up on the horse well and our volunteers must help them which can be difficult.  There are volunteers from the schools that come to help while we're there and there are people from the horse facility that help us out as well."- Sasha

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