Dr. Peggy Gurrad, the Chairman of International Projects for the Longview-Kelso chapter of the Altrusa International Foundation, began collecting donations for Amity projects in December of 1998.  Dr. Gurrad acts as a volunteer liaison and coordinator between worldwide contributors and the Amity Foundation in China.  She ensures that everyone involved is aware of exactly what is needed and how donations are spent.

Peggy is a physician specializing in internal medicine, working for Kaiser Permanente in Longview, Washington.  Peggy and her family spent two months living in China while she and her husband did volunteer work at a hospital.  She has traveled twice, at her own expense, with the Amity staff to visit the orphanages and foster homes in the Jiangxi province and is planning another trip in late 2001 or early 2002. 

Like most of the volunteers involved in these projects, Peggy has adopted a child from China.

We're very honored to have Wu An 'An, the Director of the Social Welfare Division for the Amity Foundation as a member of our Board of Advisors.

Wu An 'An has worked with the Amity Foundation since May of 1990.  She is in charge of the Orphan Support Project.

She also heads up Amity's community-based rehabilitation projects and Special Education projects for children with disabilities.  Her responsibilities include coordinating assistance for children who are mentally challenged, hearing impaired or victims of polio.

Wu An 'An holds a degree from Shanghai University.  She has also received training in social work and child development from Birmingham University in the UK,  Special Education training from Bristal University in the UK and further training in childcare and development in Hong Kong.

Located in Shanghai, Judy works closely with orphanage and Amity staff members to determine equipment and supply needs in the orphanages.  She has begun efforts to raise enough funds to start a library of books in each orphanage.

Judy also works hard raising funds and putting together shipments of equipment, clothing, bedding, towels, laundry soap, heaters, vitamins, medicines and toys for the orphanages.  By purchasing much needed items in China, she makes it possible to stretch every dollar contributed further and greatly reduce obstacles, such as logistics and international shipping expenses.

Judy has worked as a fund raiser and in public relations in Washington, DC and California.  As an "expat", she has lived in Hong Kong and Shanghai for nearly five years.  Judy's daughter, Lisha joined their family in December of 1999 from the orphanage in Xinyu.

When she learned that the children in her daughter's orphanage were cold, she decided to do something.  Things have snowballed from there.  Currently, she is mobilizing the expatriate community in Shanghai to help raise funds and look for new ways to make a difference in the orphanages throughout the Jiangxi province.  Living in China, she has a unique opportunity to help.

Recently, she coordinated a project to provide warm sweaters for the kids in the orphanages.  Judy procured enough yarn to make 50 sweaters and has enlisted the help of older people living in the Social Welfare Institute in Xinyu to knit sweaters to keep the children warm!

Judy has coordinated a number of fund raisers including a morning coffee, school clothing drive and cooking classes.  A Bunko Dice Night is planned for May.