“Anyone who does anything to help a child is a hero to me.”
~ Fred Rogers, aka Mr. Rogers

Dear friend,

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about children and heroes. Actually, I’ve been crying a lot lately, thinking about children and heroes. As a mother, a grandmother and a former teacher, I cannot stop thinking about the children in Uvalde, Texas, and the children in Ukraine.

One thing I have learned from my travels is that people all want the same thing – a safe place to live, enough food to eat, and a better future for our children. The war in Ukraine, and now the school shooting in Uvalde, are proof that despite a parent’s best intentions, this is not always possible.

The images on the news from Uvalde remind me of the horror the people in Ukraine are facing every day. Families whose lives were turned upside down and will never be the same. Children who lost their innocence and childhood in an instant. Moms and dads asking the same question every parent asks when faced with a terrible situation involving their child – “What could I have done differently?” And the answer to this is the same – nothing. There is nothing any of those parents could have done in Uvalde or Ukraine to keep their children safer. And sadly, these families must find a way to move forward, one day at a time.

With your support, we are helping moms and their children in Poland and Romania figure out what their future might look like. They don’t know you, but you are their heroes – offering them hope for the future.

Grand Circle Foundation is committed to providing long term support for housing, food and hygiene needs, and language education, so these families can acclimate to their new countries, with the hope that some day in the future, they will be able to return to a peaceful Ukraine. Until then, they have a safe place to sleep, enough food to eat, and the hope for a brighter future for their children.

Thank you for your previous support. I hope you are as committed to providing support as Grand Circle Foundation is, and will consider making an additional donation. 100% of every donation will be used to support women and children who have been impacted by the war in Ukraine.

I will continue to share weekly updates on the communities, organizations and people Grand Circle Foundation is supporting, and the impact of your donations. Thank you again for your support and trust. Previous updates can be found here.

Peace and love,

Harriet R. Lewis
Vice Chairman

Ukraine: $100,000 Wine to Water delivers 12,500 water filters

The map above shows the areas where the filters were delivered in Ukraine, and the photos below are of some of the recipients of the water filters. Grand Circle Foundation’s donation of $100,000 funded the purchase and delivery of 8,500 filters.

Lena Grochowska Foundation, Poland: $100,000 to support the renovation in Siedlce to house 450 refugees

Siedlce is the 5th location we are funding in partnership with the Lena Grochowska Foundation. We have committed $825,000 to support the renovation of buildings and have funded $525,000 to date to support 5 sites. As Kadir who is overseeing these projects for us in Poland receives updates and reviews the receipts, we send additional funds as needed. In the photos above, volunteers work together to paint rooms, build bunk beds, and create a safe haven for mothers and children.

Romania: $109,000 funded to date

A quick update from Stefan, who is overseeing our relief efforts in Romania:
“As I’m writing to you, another 3 of our vans left for northern Romania where our help is very much needed. In the last few months, thanks to Grand Circle Foundation donors, we made a huge difference in the lives of people that had lost hope. We provided everything ranging from basic needs – potatoes, meat, and hygiene products to medication, sterilizers and items to meet specific needs.
We are delivering more goods tomorrow including clothing, coloring books and toys for the children located in Transylvania & Bucovina.
We have identified more projects that are in desperate need of help and I’m sure that we can bring some more hope and smiles together with GCF.”

Thank you for your generous support of Grand Circle Foundation, and the trust you place in our team to ensure your donation is used as intended.

Because all administration costs are funded by the Alnoba Lewis Family Foundation, 100% of all donations are tax deductible and returned to our partner sites.

If you made a donation to support a specific project and would like an update on how the funds were used, please feel free to contact us at: [email protected], or call 1‑800‑859‑0852.