Christmas for Bethania

By Merlin Fabian, student (12)

Bethania Orphanage has received multiple donations to aid in our growing cause. Bethania received a wonderful donation of T-Shirts for the children, as well as a substantial amount of funds with which to buy toys and clothing for all the children. Some of the donors wish to remain anonymous, but our thanks goes out to them for their generosity. Arrangements were made to send the T-shirts, toys and clothes to Bethania before Christmas.

However, we would like to thank the entire AIS community. We have received support from sources such as the third graders, who, hearing about Bethania, showed instant support of the program and have already begun raising funds to go toward our cause. This work includes selling toys, receiving donations from parents, and even creating greeting cards that will be sent to our Bethania children. Esther Rosenfeld, and all the third grade teachers have shown tremendous support, and this interest created in our younger AIS children couldn’t have been possible without them. The family of Diane John has also supported us by raising funds over the summer, and our thanks to them is no less than that already expressed.

Finally, Jenna Sanborn, one of our own seniors, has volunteered to visit Bethania over next October with Ms. Shanta, in order to help the organization in the same way as James Brindley and Aude Mulliez did in previous years. Our entire advisory is overjoyed by the myriad of donations and volunteers that come to us, showing that our cause is continuing to grow.

Now, with half a year remaining ahead of me, I’m already imagining how I will miss this feeling in college. Before that though, I, together with the rest of my advisory are here for Bethania. Now, with so many people helping us, our task has never felt so far away from impossible.