Sisters-based charity helps World's Children

From an office on Hood Avenue in Sisters, World's Children reaches out across the globe to offer a helping hand to some of the world's neediest children.

World's Children was founded in 1965. David and Jean Purviance took over its operation in 2009 and moved it from Corvallis to Sisters last year.

"We were ready for a smaller town," David Purviance told The Nugget. "We looked all over Oregon to see where we wanted to live and have the charity. We feel really fortunate. We've got great employees and the future looks good for the charity."

World's Children was founded by the late Rev. Edwin and Mable Purviance in 1965 as a kind of a living memorial for an infant they lost at childbirth. Realizing the grief they felt was akin to the grief and helplessness felt by children who lose their parents, the Purviances started World's Children to support orphaned children in developing countries. Using their own savings, they traveled to Central America and Asia seeking orphanages that provided loving care but struggled to meet expenses and began making appeals for support in the U.S.

"We rely on sponsorship, but that's not exclusively what we cover," Purviance said.

World's Children also provides a small scholarship program for children in India, is supporting a program to end child trafficking in a rural area of India, and researched, wrote, and illustrated a primary healthcare guide for child care workers titled "The Healthy Child Handbook: A Guide to Childhood Wellness In Developing Countries."

"I think we're pretty agile in how we meet needs," Purviance said.

Purviance's personal experience helps him recognize that the needs of bereaved and needy children go far beyond the immediate material requirements of food and safe shelter.

The communications professor at University of Montana moved to India in 2003. When a massive earthquake and tsunami hit southern and southeast Asia, "I knew I had to go," he recalled. "I had to go to the ocean, even though I had no charity behind me. I had never seen such devastation in my life."

The emotional needs of bereft children had to be met. Purviance gave out teddy bears and used art therapy to help children. He built playgrounds - anything to to help give them back a bit of their childhood.

"They had lost all the joy in their hearts after the tsunami," he said.

Soon after, a UK-based charity called Wherever The Need asked Purviance to be its India Country Director, providing water and sanitation systems for orphanages. That work positioned him perfectly to understand what orphanages were doing good work and needed help when, in 2009, he and Jean took on the struggling World's Children.

David was ready. During all of his work with orphanages, "a very magical thing happened," he recalled. "I fell in love with the kids."

World's Children now supports 29 orphanages and two nursing schools in India, as well as orphanages in Ethiopia and Guatemala.

The staff consists of David Purviance, executive director; Jean Purviance, finance and communications director; Andy Gillihan, operations director; Amy Burgstahler, development director; and Kat Larson, administrative specialist.

"We could use some volunteers," Purviance said.

One important volunteer function is to write personal letters to the children at the orphanages.

"We want all the kids to feel that they're wanted and loved," Purviance said.

In addition to his work with World's Children, Purviance offers talks to churches and civic organizations on topics including street children in India, child trafficking, HIV/AIDS and more. Anyone interested in Purviance's talks can call World's Children at 541-904-0789 or email [email protected]

worldschildren.org to find out more or schedule an event.

Area residents also are welcome to stop by the World's Children office, located above La Magie Bakery, 473 E. Hood Ave. The entrance is at the back of the building, off Cedar Street.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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