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News/Event Item
SOS Children's Villages Wins World's Largest Humanitarian Prize
17 September 2002
SOS Children's Villages Press Release
New York - SOS Children's Villages will receive the 2002 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize at a formal presentation on October 14 at an international assembly of world leaders involved in humanitarianism and human rights. Dr. Oscar Arias, former president of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, will address the gathering.
"This is a tremendous honor for our international organization and an opportunity to celebrate our successful work with families throughout America and abroad," said Christopher Zappia, SOS Children's Villages - USA Executive Director. "There are more than a million children in the foster care system in the United States. For some of these kids, traditional foster care works well, but not for all of them. Our villages offer a fresh approach to foster care: a permanent family and a home of their own. We keep biological brothers and sisters together. That's what sets us apart from the traditional child welfare system in the United States."
SOS Children's Villages, the largest non-governmental child welfare organization in the world, has been providing displaced children with stable, permanent homes and families for more than 50 years. In response to the needs of children orphaned or abandoned after World War II, Hermann Gmeiner founded the first SOS Children's Village in Imst, Austria in 1949. An orphan himself, Gmeiner had a simple but profound concept: every child deserves to have a mother, brothers and sisters, a home and a village. Today, his model has been adopted in 131 countries and territories, where there are 439 villages and more than a thousand youth facilities, kindergartens, schools, medical clinics, training and social centers serving SOS children as well as families in the surrounding communities.
SOS Children's Villages was one of nearly 200 nominations for this year's Hilton Prize. It was nominated by The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson. The Conrad H. Hilton Award is the world's largest humanitarian award, named after the late hotel entrepreneur who left a large part of his fortune to help the most disadvantaged and vulnerable throughout the world.
"The million dollar award will be used by our international organization to expand several pilot projects in Africa testing new ways to support AIDS orphans and assist children and families affected by AIDS. The AIDS epidemic is leaving many children parentless," said Zappia. "Our over-riding commitment is to find solutions for long-term support for children and families both here in the United States and abroad."
Today, SOS Children's Villages enables 50,000 orphans, destitute children and youth to experience life in loving family-oriented environments that provide the security and stability needed to prepare for an independent life. The SOS Childrens Villages in the United States are a place in the community for children who are unlikely to be adopted or reunited with their biological parents. The recently published book, "50 Ways to Save Our Children ," poises SOS Children's Villages as an 'alternative for children in foster care' because every effort is made to keep brothers and sisters together.
General Colin Powell described the SOS Children's Village model as "an outstanding approach giving children the resources they need to live healthy, fulfilling lives."
American citizens and corporations can support the organization's growth in America and abroad by making a donation online or by calling 1-888-SOS-4KIDS.
Copyright SOS Children's Villages - USA
For this Press Release, go to:
http://www.soschildrensvillages.org/_pressrelease_page.cfm?LID=D1630652-CA49-11D6-BD1700A0CC76FF4C
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/
category: News from Other Sources : General Health News
contributed by Andrea Welch on 15 October 2002
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