Poverty howls along with the frigid winds that blow through Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, blasting bleakness upon the most defenseless - children, who have watched their parents waste away from illness or from the ravages of drugs. Some are raised by feeble grandparents, others turn to the streets, a lucky few are raised in soulless state-run homes. All are desperate for help.

Since 1996, the Esther and William Benenson and Family Homes for Boys and Girls have spared no expense to create a loving environment that is as all-inclusive as it is warm and secure.

In addition to providing shelter and nutritious meals, the Homes provide an enriching secular and Jewish education, full medical care, and dental treatment. Because the wounds of a parentless childhood cut deep, a full-time psychologist and guidance counselor are on staff, and close family ties with surviving relatives are encouraged whenever possible.

Expansion of the facilities is urgent because each child taken into the Benenson Homes is a life saved and the number of children waiting for placement is long and growing.

When children first enter the Homes, their bleak-eyed stares tell of hardship and loss, but soon there’s a half-smile… then a grin and a giggle. And when one of the children reaches out for a hug, it’s a first sign that a childhood has been restored.

Children of the Homes do not graduate from care once they reach majority. Higher education, housing, and counseling continue in Israel… a land where all Jews can find a future filled with promise.