FAQ
- Who is WBOCI?
- What are Orphan Mission Groups (OM Groups)?
- What is a Church Orphan Home?
- Why Church Orphan Homes?
- How much of the money I give gets to the actual Church Orphan Home?
- Is my gift tax-deductible?
- What does my monthly contribution provide?
- What does it mean for an Orphan Mission Group to partner with Warm Blankets Orphan Care, Intl.?
- Can we see pictures?
- What if I join this Orphan Mission Group and then my financial situation changes?
- What if there’s a special need or an emergency at our Church Orphan Home?
- How many kids are in a home?
- Where do the kids come from?
- Who cares for the kids?
- Do the children leave when they turn 18? Where do they go?
- Can we go visit our Church Orphan Home?
- What else can we do?
- Who cares for the kids?
Q: Who is WBOCI?
A: Warm Blankets Orphan Care, Intl. is a non-profit Christian mission, dedicated to the rescue and care of orphans and widows in the developing world. Our mission is to restore the lives of orphans in partnership with churches, corporations, organizations, and individuals who have a passion to help needy, parentless children. We provide holistic care to orphans in the context of a family environment; through our effective Church/Home Model, they are raised to be disciples of Christ and leaders in their generation.
Q: What are Orphan Mission Groups (OM Groups)?
A: Orphan Mission Groups (OM Groups) are circles of individuals with a joint passion to serve and care for the poor. They take seriously the mandate set forth in James to “care for orphans and widows in their distress.” As an Orphan Mission Group, you will sustain an entire home of orphaned children. Your OM Group will act as a support network to restore childhoods, provide for fundamental needs, and share a message of love and hope with the 30-40 children living in your particular orphan home.
Q: What is a Church Orphan Home?
A: Church Orphan Homes are a response to the typical orphanage. Rather than a sprawling, dingy, isolated institution, WBOCI Church Orphan Homes are designed to develop a family atmosphere.
The buildings are planned for multiple purposes. As the name suggests, each building serves as both a church and a home. The children’s safety is our main concern, so sleeping and privacy quarters for the children and caregivers are strictly separated from the public areas. Usually, the church operates on the first floor, while the children live upstairs. The public area is not limited to church services. At times, it serves the community as a training center and temporary medical treatment facility.
Q: Why Church Orphan Homes?
A: The church also serves as a community center in the area. The children who were once abandoned and alone are now at the core of social activity in their village. Since orphans do not have biological parents to raise them and be role models, the relationships the children experience through the church play a vital role in their development.
Q: How much of the money I give gets to the actual Church Orphan Home?
A: It is vital that you understand and are confident that 100% of the money you send is going directly to the Church Orphan Home you are supporting. None of it goes to cover overhead costs; your contributions are purely dedicated to your OM Group’s Church Orphan Home. Warm Blankets Orphan Care, Intl. is committed to giving you the opportunity to see the extraordinary return on one of the greatest investments you will ever make. To make this possible we work with other generous contributors and foundations that provide support for WBOCI.Back to Top
Q: Is my gift tax-deductible?
A: Yes, your gifts to WBOCI are tax-deductible. Warm Blankets Orphan Care, Intl. is a certified 501(c)3 organization.
WBOCI takes financial integrity and stewardship seriously:
- They are ranked in the top 10% of charities by the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), www.ecfa.org
- Certified the Better Business Bureau, www.BBB.org
- Given four stars (the highest possible rating) by Charity Navigator, www.charitynavigator.com
- Have received the Presidential Points of Light Award.
Other awards and certifications include: Christian Service Charities, Combined Federal Campaign, and GuideStar.
Back to TopQ: What does my monthly contribution provide?
A: Remember, 100% of the money you send is going directly to the Church Orphan Home you are supporting – no exceptions!
Your monthly support provides:
- Food for the children and caregivers
- Education, including school fees and supplies
- Operational costs related to the home, including repairs, maintenance, etc.
- Routine medical and dental care
- Bible education
- Vocational training Back to Top
Q: What does it mean for an Orphan Mission Group to partner with Warm Blankets Orphan Care, Intl.?
A: Orphan Mission Groups partner with Warm Blankets Orphan Care, Intl. to provide for all of the needs of orphaned children in a Church Orphan Home. WBOCI will build the Church Orphan Home, rescue the orphans, and help them get stabilized. We also find, train, and provide continuing support for the home parents. OM Groups care for orphans in a specific Church Orphan Home through monthly financial support, prayer, and community advocacy. Your involvement can be as deep as you’d like to make it.
Once you have formed your OM Group, you will:
Establish your monthly financial support goal and make monthly pledges;
Stay informed about your home through OM Advisor;
Pray for the children and caregivers in your home.
Once your OM Group has reached your financial goal, you may consider getting more involved in these ways:
Taking a trip to your OM Group’s Church Orphan Home to meet the children for whom you are caring;
Service projects, such as a book or toy drive, to provide for extra needs of the children;
Sharing the vision with others who may want to develop an Orphan Mission Group of their own.
Q: Can we see pictures?
A: You can always visit your Church Orphan Home’s website on www.warmblankets.org and see pictures of the kids and caregivers, as well as family photos. This is a great way to better understand the children’s everyday lives.
Q: What if I join this Orphan Mission Group and then my financial situation changes?
A: We understand that circumstances arise and, sometimes, changes in your financial situation are out of your control. In this case, contact your OM Advisor to press the “pause” button on your monthly giving. You’ll still be a part of your OM Group and you can press the “play” button to resume your giving when you’re ready.
If you need to stop supporting the home altogether, we will look for another Orphan Mission Group.
Back to TopQ: What if there’s a special need or an emergency at our Church Orphan Home?
A: We want your Orphan Mission Group to be as connected as possible with your Church Orphan Home. Please let your Advisor know if you want to be updated about special needs and emergency situations at your home. Your OM Group can determine how you want to take action in these circumstances.
Q: How many kids are in a home?
A: It varies from home to home but generally anywhere between 8 and 40 children live in a Church Orphan Home. We are committed to providing home environments and to keeping the ratio of caregivers to children around 1:5
Q: Where do the kids come from?
A: Warm Blankets Orphan Care, Intl. rescues and cares for orphans in some of the most desperate places on earth. War, genocide, natural disasters, and disease claims millions of lives often leaving children behind with no one to care for them. We rescue children from refugee camps, garbage dumps, the streets, disaster areas, - and worse. We provide them with emergency care and stability while we try to reunite them with their families. When there is no family, we welcome them into a Church Orphan Home where we provide permanent care in a family environment.
Q: Who cares for the kids?
A: The pastor of the church and his wife usually live in the Church Orphan Homes as home parents. We also welcome widows from the community to be care-givers in Church Orphan Home families. We cannot really take credit for this idea. Throughout the Bible we see orphans and widows together and the church caring for them. It just makes sense. The orphans and widows need each other. They have experienced similar loss, grief, and needs. They help each other recover and heal.
Q: Do the children leave when they turn 18? Where do they go?
A: Just like your children, these kids have different needs and develop at different paces. It puts unnecessary stress on the children and inhibits a family environment if they are forced to leave on their 18th birthday. They need to know this is family committed to them and their individual situation.
In some of our homes, college-age kids still come home to do their laundry on the weekends, or for big holiday celebrations once or twice a year. We have had young adults learn how to fix cars, sew beautifully, go to medical school, attend classes to become a lawyer, and even start their own Church Orphan Home!
Back to TopQ: Can we go visit our Church Orphan Home?
A: We would love for you to finally meet ‘your’ kids! Whether you ever meet them or not, you are a significant presence in their lives. You and your team are literally helping to save and transform their lives. This is your chance to ‘visit the orphans and widows’ in their distress’ (James 1:27) and experience the sheer joy of generosity. Contact your WBOCI Advisor for details.
Q: What else can we do?
A: Once your OM Group has reached your financial goal, you may consider getting more involved in these ways:
- Taking a trip to your OM Group’s Church Orphan Home to meet the children for whom you are caring
- Service projects, such as a book or toy drive, to provide for extra needs of the children
- Sharing the vision with others who may want to develop an Orphan Mission Group of their own. Back to Top
