What is the Slavic Humanitarian Association?

The Slavic Humanitarian Association, Inc. is a Michigan 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization with over 10 years of experience in adoption related charitable work!  SHA was organized in 1994 with one idea in mind -- to help orphaned children in the former Soviet block countries with clothes, food, vitamins, and toys.  We sent donations to many orphanages and children’s organizations in Russian Siberia, Ukraine and Belarus. Many adoptive families contributed funds to promote our programs.  As years passed, our work expanded to other directions.

Many foreign specialists visited the United States on invitation of the Slavic Humanitarian Association. Among them were social workers, doctors, administrators of children’s institutions and hospitals – in other words, those who directly deal with orphaned children on a daily basis came to the United States to meet the adoptive community. Please keep in mind that in early 90's international adoption was a new uninhibited territory for the most Eastern-European countries. Their specialists wanted to learn how the “system” works in the United States – what is “child protective services” and what they do; how foster families operate and who licenses them; what’s the role of a licensed adoption agency, etc.  We are proud that we were able to contribute in promoting international adoptions in general.

Slavic Humanitarian Association also participated in Summer Hosting Project for older “hard-to-place” orphaned children from Russia. In the result thirteen children from Siberia, from 8 to 13 years old, found homes in the United States!

As 2011 is coming to its end, Slavic Humanitarian Association is announcing two new initiatives, both aimed at helping the world’s orphans to reunite with permanent families. Slavic Humanitarian Association is not an adoption agency, but we seek to promote international adoptions of children.  It’s the main reason why we belong to the Adoption Pros family. We strongly believe that our world will be a better place for each of us if each child can be loved and taken care of. We strongly believe that through our Sponsor a Family and Sponsor a Child programs we in fact support children of the world who need homes.

SPONSOR A FAMILY!

The primary barrier in many successful adoptions is the high cost associated with domestic and foreign fees.  Do you know how many more children would have been adopted if all families could afford it?  International adoption cost ranges from $15,000 to $40,000!  Our primary goal is to provide assistance to the families, who want to parent a child.

Our goal is to raise funds to supplement adoption associated expenses by families who cannot afford to adopt internationally. There are so many of us who want to do something to help matching “the word of homeless children with world of childless homes” that we cannot imagine that our initiative won't succeed if the word is spread!  Tell a friend about our program. Ask your friends to tell their friends about families who want to adopt and cannot afford to do it. Tell them that how expensive international adoptions are! Ask them to contribute to our General Fund Pot. The more contributions we receive the more families will be able to adopt. It’s that simple. Sponsor a family and that family will be able to sponsor a child!

Donations received will be distributed among our Applicants after their applications are reviewed by our Board.  Please remember that Slavic Humanitarian Association won't accept “target” donations to support a certain family.  Donors are invited to contribute to our SPONSOR A FAMILY program without having any individual or family in mind.

Slavic Humanitarian Association, Inc. will cover all or part of the program cost for our Applicants depending on the funds availability. The funds will be paid directly to the facilitating agencies that process international adoptions.

SPONSOR A CHILD!

Our second initiative is called SPONSOR A CHILD in a foreign orphanage.  There are many older “hard-to-place” children in foreign orphanages. Some of them have special needs and require medical attention, such as a visit to a dentist or an eye doctor, a simple surgery or a complex surgical procedure. We would love to help such children to get medical attention they need.   You may donate to sponsor this initiative in general, or target your donation to help a specific child in a specific orphanage. We will feature some children who need assistance on our web site.

There’s another category of orphaned children who desperately need assistance. They are kids between 16 and 17 years old, who are “too old” to be adopted.  They are about to leave their orphanages and join the outside world, which may be hostile towards them. Many of them do not know how to live on their own, how to shop, how to cook, and what kind of food to buy. Some of them would steal and break laws, some of them would join prostitution.  Many adults would take advantage of them… Many of them do not have any skills and are very naive about life.  Not many will make it.  To sponsor such children often means to give them the second chance in life. Would you like to help? Please send your donations to Slavic Humanitarian Association, Inc., PO Box 517, Ada, MI 49301

We cannot do it on our own and, therefore, we ask you to help.  Any contribution will be greatly appreciated!  The amount of your gift will remain confidential. Your gift is tax deductible and you will receive a tax receipt.

Please contact us at any time! We are always available to answer your questions.  Thank you for making a difference in an orphan's life.

Larissa N. Popova

Founder and President