2011 Year in Review
2011 was a banner year for the Han-Schneider International Children’s Foundation. The Associated Press picked up a story about the founder, Sam Han, and our work in North Korea. That article was released and ran by several newspapers nationwide including the Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times and the Boston Herald, to name just a few. It was also picked up by web based news providers such as Forbes.com, Yahoo.com and Foxnews.com. <!-- break -->The article touched the masses and we received donations and well-wishers from as far away as London.
The HSICF was also featured on TV. Sam Han had the honor of being interviewed by CBS Sunday Night News, a nationally televised program and our local CBS affiliate who ran different segments on our work. This also garnered much attention and has led to several partnerships and opportunities to speak to many about the plight of the North Korean orphans. Sam’s story was also televised internationally with segments on Arirang TV, KBS, and MBC.
As to not discriminate, HSICF was also featured on the radio. Voice of America, did a 4 part series on our work that was disseminated in Chinese. Their network reaches millions of people daily. As a result of this piece, we got donations from as far as Singapore. We were also highlighted on a segment on National Public Radio.
In February, we shipped 155,520 meals to our orphanage in P’yongsung valued at a little over $37,000. This specific orphanage houses approximately 1,200 children with ages ranging from infancy to 12. Our work there, and your donations, has been paying off as the children, upon last visit, seemed much healthier and happier as a whole. We continue to pray for these children and hope they will continue improving.
Sam Han again travelled to Washington DC in support of the North Korean Refugee Adoption Act of 2011. The event was sponsored by the Korean Church Coalition. Sam spent 3 days there speaking with key legislatures, spoke at a national press conference, and spoke to Chong Ang Church’s congregation and guests in Fairfax, VA. Although the bill did not pass this year, the HSICF saw great strides from last year and look forward to again be at the forefront for the push to pass this legislation in 2012.
On August 27, the 50th anniversary of Sam Han’s special bill that allowed him to come to the United States, 380 students and their parents gathered for the first “Meet Mr. Han Day.” The students volunteered their summer to work feverishly on behalf of the foundation’s effort with the North Korean Refugee Adoption Act of 2011. The event was to allow the students speak to Mr. Han, ask him questions about the bill and his life, and to thank them for all their hard work. It was extremely well attended with the students providing the entertainment with dance and music and the T.H.A.N.K. club from Peninsula High School sold baked good with all the proceeds going back to the HSICF.
In September, the HSICF began working with a new orphanage in North Korea. The Hwang-Ju orphanage houses 800 children with ages ranging infancy to 8. We again shipped 155,520 meals and can only hope to see similar results as the other orphanages we have worked in. On top of the food shipments we were also able to send 6 medical packs valued at $7,500 each. In addition to the medical supplies and meal packs, our man on the ground in North Korea continues to hand carry food and other novelties from China to our orphanages.
On November 18, we held the 3rd Annual Benefit dinner and Silent Auction. This was the first year the event had been held at the Taglyan Cultural Centre in Hollywood, California. The event was the most successful yet with over 330 people in attendance. During this event we gave the first Volunteer Awards to those who exemplified volunteerism in their work with HSICF. The recipients were Chelsea Lim, founder of the T.H.A.N.K. club, Yoon Lee, our hard-working accountant and Yubin Chang, the mastermind of Junior HSICF the volunteer group who worked with us with the North Korean Refugee Adoption Act. They are very deserving of the recognition and are forever indebted to them for their time and sacrifices.
We are in the middle of a project for a Cambodia street mission ran by our man Tola, who the foundation continues to support in his mission work. We are collecting old computers and shipping them to Cambodia for the children to learn on. The computers do not necessarily need to be in working condition. They have a facility in Cambodia that will get the computers in working order. If you have an old computer and would be willing to donate it please contact us. We’d love to have it!
Finally, I’d like to welcome and thank the Mosiac Church in Hollywood, the Moses Mission Group from The Way Church and Seong Myung Alumni Association for joining the HSICF as sponsors. We would also like to thank Sunnyside Church and Torrance First Presbyterian for their continued support.