Our milk program is one we hope to begin in 2016 in an elementary school in Cabarrus county school. The program is very simple. For a small donation of around $2, a child will be able to donate a package of milk to a child in Vietnam who lives at Duc Son Pagoda Orphanage. He or she will be able to send their picture and a card with a note about themselves along with the milk and, in return, the will receive a thank you from the Vietnamese child who receives the package of milk. 

 

There are over 160 children at the orphanage who are undernourished because the nuns who care for them are Buddhists and are, therefore, vegetarians. And, since dairy milk is so expensive, they very little access to it. In fact, it is hard for them to get milk at all. The packaged milk is a cost effective alternative that does not need refrigeration and keeps for a long time.

 

Our intention in starting this Program is to foster better global relations between these young children, to teach our American children how very fortunate they are, and to encourage charity at a young age by introducing it on a level and in a way that they can understand it. And even if they do not want to give or do not have the money to donate a package of milk, we will certainly allow them to participate in sending a card or note if they want to. It's never too soon to extend the hand of friendship across cultures.