Tom and Terry Tuszynski
Foundation for Russian Orphans
Our Story

Background Our Trips Trip Photo Journal How You Can Help Our Foundation Adoption Information News Coverage Thank You Contact Us

This web site is designed and maintained by Palmtop Publishing. © 2007 Foundation for Russian Orphans. All rights reserved. You are welcome to link to the home page of our web site - www.russianorphans.org. Individual pictures and stories may not be used without express written permission.

Background

In late 1998, Terry Tuszynski watched NBC Nightly News one evening while she prepared dinner in her West Seattle home. What she saw in the faces of the Russian orphan children featured that night haunted her until she and her husband, Tom, took action.

Just two months later, in January 1999, Tom Tuszynski and Terry's sister, Cyndy Sullivan, traveled to Russia with the cash that would begin to turn things around at the orphanage, and the camera that would bring the story home.

In October 1999, Terry & Tom Tuszynski traveled back to the orphanage together with many generous donations to purchase even more supplies for the orphanage - in the local Russian economy. It was during this relief effort, thanks to The Seattle Times, Cyndy Sullivan's vivid photographs, and NBC Nightly News, that most of you first met this amazing couple who didn't wait for someone else to help these kids - they just did it themselves.

In December 1999, the Tuszynskis established the Foundation for Russian Orphans whose mission is to, simply stated:

• improve the living conditions and quality of life of the Russian orphans and their caretakers at the orphanage
• expand the possibilities and opportunities for the future of these children.

And this is just the beginning. Through their Foundation for Russian Orphans, and through connecting with individuals like you and organizations who are also working to assist Russian orphans, the Tuszynskis are establishing a powerful network that is getting these children off to a very good start.

OUR TRIPS

• January 19th, 1999     The First Trip

• October 18th, 1999     Here We Go
• October 23rd, 1999     Our Second Trip
• October 31st, 1999     We're Home!

• February 14th, 2000     Our Third Trip

• September 14, 2000     Our Fourth Trip

Trip Photo Journal    Click here for pictures taken during our trips to the orphanage.

Pictures of Progress Click here to enjoy our before and after pictures! See the progress that's been made, thanks to the generous support of people like you! Kitchen, school, bath, laundry... See the difference!

ADOPTION INFORMATION

We have enlisted a well established and respected adoption agency named Cradle of Hope Adoptions of Silver Springs, Maryland to help families adopt some of the children at our orphanage. They have started the process of determining which children can be adopted and we hope that if you are interested that you will contact them for more information.

Cradle of Hope Adoption Center, Inc.
8630 Fenton Street, Suite 310
Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

(301) 587-4400
cradle@cradlehope.org
www.cradlehope.org

Executive Director: Linda Perilstein

HOW YOU CAN HELP

• Donations
  One of our important goals is to provide for these children by purchasing, whenever possible, the needed supplies in the Russian economy. While we do carry supplies with us we have found it easier to take only those items that are difficult to find in the local village. We have found that most things are available and at a substantially lower cost than we could get them here at home. Then everyone benefits, the kids and the fellow who sells us the shoes! We will take 100% of your donation and spend it on the children. We use our own money for airfare, hotel, meals and correspondence.

• Donation of Airline Frequent Flyer Miles
  We are in the process of establishing mileage transfer accounts with both Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines to accept transfer of your mileage awards toward our trips. Send e-mail to us at russianorphans@clearwire.net for details.

• Volunteering
  We are touched by the many offers weÌve received from families, schools, individuals and businesses volunteering to help us! We have already enlisted the help of many to translate pen pal letters, help with mailings, enter names into our database, and set up this awesome web site! We will need more help in the future to keep costs down. This will ensure that we can continue using 100% of all donations for the children and still have enough in our own, personal piggy bank to continue making frequent trips to the orphanage.

OUR FOUNDATION

Foundation for Russian Orphans

During the last year we were fortunate to have had the tireless and cheerful help of the Providence Foundation. We will be forever grateful to the staff for getting us off to a good start, processing our donations, and answering our endless stream of idiotic questions. In January of this year we spread our wings and developed our own Foundation, the Foundation for Russian Orphans. Now, Tom and I process all donations and correspondence that we receive and will send receipt of such for tax purposes. We will remain committed to using all donations for the children.

We hope to travel to the orphanage every 5 to 6 months and have thought about some future plans. Some of these may include:

• Bringing an adoption agency and qualified families together in hopes that some of the children can be adopted.
• Setting up a fund to help qualified families with the cost of adoption.
• Provide a shelter/home for the kids leaving the orphanage at age 17. A place where they could live, study and learn to take care of themselves under the supervision of an adult mentor.
• Teach them some skills now that would be critical to survival when they are forced to leave the orphanage. Currently these children are not involved with meal preparation, or cleaning.
• Continue working toward improving the conditions at the orphanage ie; repairing and updating the bathrooms, the bathing area, school, kitchen and bedrooms.

Please contact us anytime at:

Foundation for Russian Orphans
PO Box 4818
Wenatchee, WA 98807

Email: russianorphans@clearwire.net

Terry and Tom Tuszynski

News Coverage

• Incredible People Magazine , December 2000: "You Can Make a Difference". Story by Mark Reiman, photos by Cyndy Sullivan
  Visit www.IncrediblePeople.com - hope and inspiration from real people living real life challenges ... just like you

• Seattle Times, Sunday, October 17, 1999: "To Russia With Love, Shocking TV Story Inspires Seattle Couple to Bring Salvation to a Russian Orphange". Story by Mark Rahner, Seattle Times Reporter. Photos by Cyndy Sullivan

• NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw
  • October 22nd and 29th, 1999: Two part series entitled "The Family" by Roger O'Neil.
  • December 24, 1999: by Roger O'Neil.

• King 5 TV (NBC)
  • November 5th and 6th, 1999: Gift of Hope by Margaret Larson, a two part series.
  • February 27th, 2000, A Video Journal by Margaret Larson

• Komo TV 4: Northwest Afternoon, December 23, 1999

• North County Times: November 23, 1999: Story and Photos by Cyndy Sullivan

Thank You

• NBC - thank you NBC friends in Moscow, New York, Denver and Seattle - without you we would never have been able to help these children
• Providence Foundation - for facilitating us as we got started
• Trina Clickner and Palmtop Publishing - for preparing this incredible website
• Cyndy Sullivan - for her award-winning photography
• Our friends, neighbors and families - for their love and support

CONTACT US

Terry and Tom Tuszynski
Foundation for Russian Orphans
PO Box 4818
Wenatchee, WA 98807

Russianorphans@clearwire.net

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