Dr. Richarda Russ, founder and President of the Polish Orphans Charity.
Helping orphans since 2000
The Polish Orphans Charity was founded in 2000 by Dr. Richarda Russ, a prominent Toronto dental surgeon, to help improve the conditions of children living in Polish orphanages. While our original focus was on the Polish Canadian community, we have since sought to involve Canadians from all of our diverse ethic backgrounds.
Since 2000, the mandate of the Charity has expanded to include helping orphaned children throughout the world and, in this way, build bridges between Canadians and the concerned citizens of other backgrounds and countries. In 2009, the Polish Orphans Charity is taking a major step by directing its fundraising efforts towards helping the children of Afghanistan.
Dr. Russ and her colleagues founded the Charity because they were moved by the plight of Polish children who had lost family guardianship.
Many of these children suffer from serious physical and psychological problems and are not considered suitable for adoption or placement in foster homes. As a result, orphanages are the only homes many of them will ever know.
Reach Out
In its early years, the purpose of the Polish Orphans Charity was to bring happiness into their lives by constructing well-equipped playgrounds for their play time. We hoped that these recreational facilities would bring laughter and joy into their hearts. The evidence of our success can be found in orphanages throughout Poland.
As we grow, our goal is to expand our efforts beyond the borders of Poland to reach out to children across the world.
The Polish Orphans Charity is registered with the federal government and is recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency. All of our financial information is published on the CRA web site. We are governed by a Board of Directors, whose members are drawn from all walks of Canadian society. Our administration is handled by volunteers and our administrative costs are close to zero.
As a non-profit organization, we depend upon the generosity of many individuals and corporations to continue and to expand our outreach efforts on behalf of the needs of orphans. Contributions in the form of annual pledges are especially welcome.