The Blueberry Children's Foundation

230 older children in this orphanage!

The Ukrainian Pajama Parties!

The older children in the orphanages are the most neglected and forgotten. These kids know that they will most likely never be adopted. They also know that they are the "left over kids." They have little to look forward to. They have an extremely difficult time a head of them as they are pushed out of the system and integrated into society. It is these children who need the most love.

WE LOVE THESE KIDS!

With the help of the Hesperia Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints all 230 of these children received a new pair of pajamas! They know that someone loves them!

Your church, congregation, or club can help too! We are nondenominational. The Blueberry Children's Foundation will gladly work with you on any worthwhile humanitarian project! Just let us know that you have the desire to help!

Twenty local branch members came to help with this pajama party. It was a great experience for them as well as for the kids at the orphanage.

Elder Miles warms up the crowd with a "roaming" bean bag toss. The kids had fun trying to hit the moving target.

Branch members get the "cookie pole" ready.

The cup race! The winner gets some pieces of candy! (Everyone was a winner.)

The boys loved the cookie pole. They could not believe that it was "all you can eat" cookies! They had never experienced any thing like that before.

The kids had fun doing the "cookie walk" with Elder Higbee. I wondered if the older boys would enjoy the little games that we had. They DID! The kids get very little interaction with the outside world. They get even less interaction with adult men because most of the directors are women. We are so grateful to all of our volunteers, especially for the men who took time from their busy work schedules to come with us and to love up these kids.

Mrs. Gleason has found some new friends!

Mr. Gleason poses with the men!

Mrs. Gleason made scarves out of fleece for many of the children. This little fellow is showing how it will keep his nose warm when he goes outside.

Few of the kids have more than the very clothes that they are actually wearing in these photos. On one of our follow-up visits to this particular orphanage, we were able to see the lockers where the kids keep their personal belongings (looking much like a normal high school locker on the outside). On the inside of each locker were several shelves. Each child had a shelf assigned to them. Few of the shelves had more than a pair of socks, or a pair underwear on the shelf (a small few had a shirt, or a pair of pants, but most did not). I cried when I saw that each shelf had a new pair of pajamas. I then realized that something so small to us, could be so large to some one else. It changed my life.

We had brought a few balls to give the kids as group gifts. This young man told us that he had dreamed a couple of nights earlier that someone was going to come and bring him a basketball. To have a personal item is really something special. Usually all items like this belong to the "group" (This boy got to keep this ball as his very own.)

The young lady in the center is a volunteer from the Branch. She came to help with the pajama party and to visit the young ladies in the orphanage. She made instant friends with all of the girls there. The Branch Young Women now go quite often to this orphanage to spend time with the girls there.

Sizing up the kids. What a blessing it was for the Branch to be able to serve in this manner!

Two thumbs up means that the party was GREAT!

There is "thank you" written all over this face!

Look at this smile!

We would keep all of these kids if we could, but we can't. So we take them pajamas each year. It is a such a little thing, but then again, it's not so little to them.

Another two thumbs!

Thank you!

This young man hugged Mr. Gleason very tightly after getting his pajamas. Then the boy walked away about 15 feet, turned, looked for a moment, and then ran back as fast as he could go. He jumped into Mr. Gleason's arms and kissed Mr. Gleason on the cheek with a great big "thank you" kiss. It made Mr. Gleason cry. (It still does, when he thinks about it.)

Here is a tender "thank you" from a sweet young lady.

The boys looked tough, but they were all pretty soft and lovable. They soaked up the hugs and gave a lot of hugs back to us. It was very clear that a "pajama party" had never happened here before.

It is very easy to get hugs here, but it is very hard to leave all of the hugs behind when you leave.

Unlike orphans in the USA, who often go from foster home, to foster home, these kids are never around any "mom, or dad" at all. A "real" mom and dad is something that these kids can only dream about .

Everyone wanted their picture in front of the Christmas tree and Santa. Ukrainian people call Santa "Mr. Frost."

Thank you so much! It was so GREAT!

Thank you!

A picture says a thousand words. Thank you!!

Look at the angel with her chin on Mrs. Gleason's shoulder. This girl has never known any other home in her life, but the orphanage. It takes so little to help someone feel loved.

Thanks to the help of the Hesperia Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints all 230 of these children received a new pair of pajamas! They know that someone loves them!

e-mail us: info@blueberryfoundation.org

You Will Have The Time Of Your Life!

Blueberry will bless the lives of many children this coming year with your help!