Community Connection: Clothing the Orphans

Supporting Local Non-Profit for Global Impact

By Kate Huffman

There’s no denying that the past two years have been agonizing. The COVID pandemic has adversely affected many people in many places, but it has impacted impoverished countries even harder than most. Without access to medical care or the resources to stay safe, the poverty level in these countries has risen even further, causing issues like child labor, human trafficking, and lack of access to education to skyrocket.

That’s why organizations such as Forgotten Children Worldwide are working even harder than ever to meet needs in India and Malawi. As stated on their website, “Forgotten Children Worldwide safeguards orphans and vulnerable, forgotten children, from poverty, abandonment and the evils of human trafficking.” They do this through several means, such as building and funding orphanages and schools and providing access to clean water. They also ship containers of clothing to indigenous partners in these countries, who then distribute the clothing to children and families in need.

Based in the same city as The ROP Shop and Outdoor Concepts, Forgotten Children Worldwide offers us a unique volunteering opportunity. For the past few years, we’ve been able to lend our hands and our time to sort and pack used clothing to send overseas. In doing so, we’ve competed against other local businesses to see how many boxes and how many pounds of clothing we can pack in 75 minutes!

This year’s packing challenge was a bit different, however. Forgotten Children Worldwide had received a generous donation of gently used clothing worn by peoples indigenous to India. Outdoor Concepts and The ROP Shop had the tremendous opportunity to prepare the clothes for shipment to an orphanage in India, where the children will be able to wear clothing suitable to their culture and surroundings.

It’s truly a joy to be part of a company that actively participates in making the world a better place. Even if we don’t consider ourselves rich by the standards of the western world, we’re truly blessed to have access to all that we do. Reliable transportation, clean water, clothing, and education are all things we tend to take for granted, yet Forgotten Children Worldwide brings these to children who desperately need them. And they can use our help.

Don’t live in Indiana? Although Forgotten Children Worldwide is a local non-profit organization, you can still get involved by donating to cover shipping costs, or even by donating your used clothes! For more information, please visit www.forgottenchildren.org.