3,2,1… Happy New Year! The best way to brighten up the upcoming year is to shine light into a child’s life. January is a time to reflect. A moment of gratitude often comes when the calendar resets. Adriana, a young girl from Ukraine, finds herself looking back on the year and processing all the moments of her journey. She had a dream of becoming a teacher when she was a young girl. She is 19 now and she has a little slip of paper that takes her back in time.
Adriana and her twin sister Snizhana are the eldest of a very large family. “I am blessed to have my wonderful parents and 12 siblings: six brothers and six sisters,” she says. “Our parents work very hard to keep such a big family, but I realize how hard it has been for them to provide for us.” Adriana was sponsored through Chalice’s sponsorship program, and it has made a significant impact in her life. “Owing to regular sponsorship support, we have had proper nutrition even in the times when our parents didn’t have any income. Foods, clothing, and school supplies helped us get basic needs.”
Adriana looks back fondly over eight years of site Christmas celebrations that Chalice’s Ternopil site hosted. “Every performance was appreciated. These moments have become my everlasting memories.” She also “loved to receive a Christmas card from my sponsor.” She would make her own card every year to show how much she appreciated the support. Adriana says, “I owe my happiest moments in life to the site, which has become my second family.” The ongoing support and contact that her sponsor had with her made all the difference. Being present and connected brings life into both the sponsor and the child. It brought so much joy to Adriana’s childhood.
“My journey with Chalice started eight years ago,” she says. “I remember the day when my mom took me to a place where I wrote my first letter to Chalice. I keep the draft sheet of my first letter and sometimes reread it.” Adriana remembers the moment she was sponsored. She was so excited and grateful that someone who she had never met wanted to support her. “From that day on, my life started to change. The sponsorship program has made a great impact on my family’s life.”
“The sponsorship program has given me a chance to pursue my dream and achieve my goal to become a teacher.” Adriana will always cherish the opportunity she was given. “Chalice is a gift from Heaven. I am infinitely grateful to the founder of the sponsorship program and all donors who provide such precious support. If it wasn’t for Chalice, my life wouldn’t be so bright.”
This year, you can be the brightness in a child’s life! Let 2024 be the year of connection and lasting memories. A gift that will stick with a child forever.
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