SOS Children's Villages USA, Inc.

Description

Since its founding in 1949, SOS Children's Villages has expanded to over 500 villages in 135 countries. We are currently raising over 80,000 children in our villages and through our many education, family strengthening, medical, and outreach programs, we impact the lives of over 1 million people each year.

Children who have been abandoned or orphaned come to SOS Children's Villages where they are integrated into a loving family environment. They are nurtured and supported by an SOS Mother and up to 15 other children in their SOS home who become their SOS brothers and sisters. Strong bonds develop within these "SOS families", and even after the children are grown and leave the village, these family relationships endure.

While growing up, SOS children have the benefit of a stable, loving family environment that includes the necessities of life such as clothing, meals, medical care and a high-quality education. Children remain in their SOS home within an SOS Village until they are prepared to create lives for themselves as independent adults.

SOS Villages do not operate independently of their environment. Each SOS Village is a role model for the community in terms of quality care-giving, education, and health care and aims to be fully integrated into the larger community - not isolated from it. At SOS, we embrace and respect the local culture, wherever we operate, with the exception of situations that might violate human rights.