Each year World Orphans DayTM is observed around the world on the second Monday in November. This year that day is November 12, 2018. The Stars FoundationTM, Nashville, TN based nonprofit, has declared this as a day devoted to empowering the orphans and displaced children in the world, while uniting with One Voice to call for global solutions to aid the most marginalized children in the world.

The theme for the World Orphans Day in 2018 is “Empowered by Love”. Organizations, churches, orphanages, college students and advocates for orphans worldwide are all asked to take an action step of love to help even one orphan on that day. Contribute to your local orphan feeding programs, orphanages, schools and non profits that best help the orphans. Candlelight vigils in your home are encouraged on World Orphans DayTM as prayers are lifted for the orphans and disenfranchised.

Founder of World Orphans Day, Cheryl Robeson Piggott states, “With approximately 140 million orphans in the world, Africa’s 52 million make up more than 30 percent of the orphan population. The sad fact is that 70% of those orphans, which include children with only one parent, claim that being hungry is their number 1 problem. Millions go to bed hungry each night. Our goal is to work with partnering local organizations to empower the children of third world countries with sustainable skills including vocational training, education, as well as agricultural training so that they can learn to rise up above their circumstances. We empower them to respect themselves, and to grow into productive citizens in their country.”

In Canada, the Baby Rescue Program of The Stars FoundationTM and Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness, rallies a cause to provide safe havens for abandoned babies. The laws in Canada do not currently provide safe havens, like police departments and fire departments, which are available for drop off in the United States.

The issue of baby rescue hits home to Kim Deardorff, who was found abandoned in a garbage can in Seoul, Korea. His story is unfortunately just a reflection of what happens tragically worldwide.

Discovered in a garbage can a few days after birth, the story of Kim Deardorff is one to make you cry and at the same time marvel at God’s hand on his life. Pedestrians passing by found the baby and took him to the Holt Orphanage where Kim was given a name and a birthdate of January 1, 1964. But God knew him before that date and had already claimed him for His own. Kim’s life reads like a novel as he was adopted at the age of 4 months then physically and mentally abused by his adoptive parents. Playing
piano by age 3, music became his healer and connection to God as it soothed his soul. By the age of 5 he was writing music.

It was in college when Kim started his personal relationship with Jesus Christ. “God placed incredible mentors in my path and one of the mentors who I credit for helping change the course of my life was a man named Larry Otto” Kim says. Otto was on the music faculty at the college and encouraged Kim to use his gifts to the fullest, which Kim continues to do years later. His music now soothes the souls of many listeners.

From being found in a garbage can to living his passion for music, Kim has been across the globe, humbly telling his story and is a voice of hope for many Christian organizations. Through his music, motivational speaking and on his website http://www.mystorykim.com, Kim is committed to sharing with others that regardless of your past and what you have been through, you have a purpose.

Call To Action

In the lead up to World Orphans Day, November 12, we call upon all around the world to take action. Use your creativity and your circle of influence to make a difference in the world. Social media volunteers globally can empower the day and the orphans by creating acts of kindness for a child and send out on social media your random act of kindness with a post of the Hearts on Fire logo jpg found on Google Images, or learn more about World Orphans Day at http://www.thestarsfoundation.net/world- orphans-day3.html. Say a prayer for all the orphans of the world as you send the heart and send the message of love. Post your comments, Love Action videos on Twitter#worldorphansday, and on Instagram, and send written/or video proclamations from your organization to the headquarters of World Orphans DayTM at [email protected].

About The Stars Foundation

The Stars FoundationTM, which has facilitated the day since 2006, works with the music and sports industries to convey the powerful messages of the rights of orphans and will be Co-Convening a First Ladies World Orphans Summit in Nashville for World Orphans DayTM in Nashville in 2019. Some of the partners on the event will include Duke University, International Strategic Studies Association, AMICAALL (Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders for Aids in Africa at Local Level), and National Religious Broadcast TV (NRB TV) and the UN World Orphans Day Promotion Committee. Visit www.thestarsfoundation.net