Photo – Taking stock ….Orphans Aid International founder Sue van Schreven, of Queenstown, inspects clothing at the organizations South Dunedin charity shop, which celebrated its first anniversary yesterday.
Celebrating the first birthday of Orphans Aid International’s South Dunedin charity shop is a milestone, its founder, Sue van Schreven, says.
Sales from the shop, another in Invercargill and an online shop were an important source of funds for projects in New Zealand and overseas, she said, during a visit to the South Dunedin shop yesterday.
More than $80,000 is channeled annually into projects, including an orphanage in Romania, help for children living on the streets and in state institutions in Russia, and a medical programme in Kolkata, India.
Mrs van Schreven, of Queenstown, a former youth pastor and financial adviser, began the charity in 2004 with her husband Carl after being moved to help Romanian orphans during a visit to Romania.
Mrs van Schreven said she had aspirations to start a charity from an early age. “The motivations go quite deep.”
The genesis and development of Orphans Aid International is the topic of a book.
Mrs van Schreven said she was prompted to write the book because of questions about how and why she began the organisation. It would also outline the process of converting the idea of creating a charity into a reality, she said.
The edited manuscript would be sent to the printers at the end of the month and the book would be released later this year, she said.
Last year, Mrs van Schreven edited a “Help the World” cookbook featuring favourite recipes from well known New Zealanders.
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