How we help

In order to best serve Bulgarian orphans, One Heart Bulgaria builds strong relationships with directors and staff at the orphanages we serve. These men and women have a great deal of influence over the day-to-day lives of the children under their care. By partnering, we can provide the most effective help possible, tailored to fit the children’s specific needs.

One Heart Bulgaria works with Bulgaria’s social services, health care services, foster care programs, and local government leaders to stay connected with the most pressing needs and concerns at the orphanages and of disabled children. When possible, we also help provide training and support. It is important that these groups work together to stay current on the needs of the children and the complexities of the ever-changing orphanage system itself.

One Heart Bulgaria works to provide long-term solutions to mitigate the problems in these children’s lives. We support and encourage self-sustaining projects and look for ways to help the orphanages help themselves. We design each sponsorship, program and special project to match the needs of the children. Orphanage staff training is an important part of One Heart Bulgaria’s ongoing efforts. We encourage orphanage workers to participate in job training that will help them learn skills necessary to provide focused, loving care to the children they interact with every day, regardless of age or ability. One Heart Bulgaria hires qualified Bulgarians to work as teachers, doctors, nurses, mentors, orphanage grandmothers and therapists at the orphanages and child care facilities.

One Heart Bulgaria strategically works towards the closing down of Bulgaria’s orphanage system. One way we do this is through abandonment prevention programs. We also provide and/or support special health services for families who have children with disabilities so that parents can keep their disabled children at home instead of at orphanages where their conditions become dramatically worse. Abandonment prevention is a key part of ending Bulgaria’s orphan crisis.

Each member of One Heart Bulgaria’s board and many of our team directors have  strong personal ties to Bulgaria and deep interest in improving the orphanage system. Several members of the board have personally visited the orphanages and have interacted with the children. Some have adopted children from Bulgaria. The compassion we feel for these children is heightened by the fact that we know them—we have seen, held, cuddled, and played with many hundreds of these children. These children are dear to our hearts. We hope others will catch the vision of our work and join us in saving Bulgaria’s children.