Marina's Kids

Marina's Kids has been formed just three and a half years ago, but in this short time we have helped many orphans and other disadvantaged children of Ukraine. We now work in close to 30 location, effecting the lives of about 3,000 children. We have many programs, including hosting: a cultural exchange program where orphans from Ukraine come to US for Summer/ winter break. To see more of what we do please visit our website: www.marinaskids.org

We hosted with Marinas Kids twice and experienced great communication and support through our eventual adoption of our son. The volunteers work really hard to make hosting happen for the kids and their dedication shows. Our incredible son has blessed our life so much and we never would have known about him if it weren't for Marinas Kids who spent time knowing him. We truly love this organization!

Words cannot express the gratitude and appreciation we have for this wonderful organization. Through Marina's Kids, we were blessed to be able to host a 16 year old young man for both the Winter 2013 and Summer 2014 hosting periods. It was an absolutely awesome experience! Now it is nearing time for the Winter 2014 hosting time, and we are planning on hosting again- this time "our child" as well as his 3 siblings- if everything works out. We could not have done any of this without the personal involvement of each and every person associated with Marina's Kids. What a difference they have made in our lives and in the lives of these precious children!

We are planning to host this Winter 2014 with this wonderful organization. We were unable to host last summer with them due to a complication out of the organizations control with our selected host child. Instead of having us put off hosting they initiated and worked with another host agency to ensure our funds, which were already paid and non refundable, were moved to another host agency so we could fund hosting a different child. That is how much each orphan child means to them. We have also given donations to the organization for their care work in Ukraine and feel that every penny has been used wisely and toward necessary clothing or school supplies for the children. A true gem of an organization! We proudly stand with Marina's Kids.

We hosted a 14 year old boy during Winter 2013-14 hosting. What a wonderful experience! The volunteers are fabulous and have their hearts in tune with the orphans' needs. We ended up adopting our host child in August 2014 and are currently pursuing the adoption of our friend's host child, as she has advocated for him. This organization not only brings families together, it helps aged-out orphans and young families that were part of the orphanages. The organization provides bed linens for hospitals, winter and summer clothes and shoes to orphans and most importantly, LOVE!

Marina's Kids is such an amazing organization! Not only do they help orphans experience the love of family through hosting, but they help nurture the relationship between orphans and families once the hosting period is complete. The volunteers are so helpful and knowledgeable and truly care about the beautiful children that they serve. Through numerous charitable projects, Marina and her amazing team of volunteers help improve orphanages through construction projects; donating school supplies, clothing, and hygiene products; and visits with the orphans to remind them all that they are special and loved. Marina's Kids goes the extra step beyond just hosting and touches so many precious lives.

The James family's compassion and empathy truly reflects in the actual work they do in the field at Marina's Kids.

My family met and eventually adopted two teens from Ukraine through a different non-profit several years ago. In the years since we've been home, we have worked with several organizations that seek to serve orphans from Ukraine. Marina's Kids is my favorite non-profit hands down. Founder, Marina James is a smart cookie and a good woman. Her heart is golden and she has a lot of common sense. She has used her knowledge of Ukrainian and American cultures, and her heart for serving all of God's children, to develop an organization that makes EXCELLENT PRACTICAL use of american dollars and service energy. Every dollar donated to this organization is used WELL. In addition to orphan hosting programs which expose orphans to loving families who can invest in their lives and futures, this organization also serves the masses of kids in Ukraine who will never set foot in America. They serve aged out orphans (who leave orphanages at 16 yrs and are on their own) through safe clubhouses where they can do laundry, be mentored, learn to cook healthy meals, etc. They hire aged out orphans to do fix-ups on the apartments of young single mothers, helping TWO sets of people with ONE donation! I could go on and on with more examples, but will stop and say simply that our family LOVES this organization!!! :-)

Our experience with Marina's Kids has been life changing. Marina's heart to serve the orphans of Ukraine is contagious. We will forever be challenged by the needs of orphans in the Ukraine now that we understand how we can make an impact. Marina's Kids is passionate about making a difference in the lives of Ukrainian orphans and we are excited to have linked arms with them in service.

We have worked with Marina's Kids over the last year. We are truly amazed at how much this organization has been able to do to help orphans in Ukraine. They have taken on numerous projects at various orphanages, all of which have improved the quality of life for these children. In addition, Marina's Kids has brought orphans to the US on several hosting trips so that they can experience the love of a family and a cultural exchange. Marina and her volunteers work very hard to help orphans in Ukraine and pour out a whoile lot of love to them. It's an amazing organization.

We hosted a boy this past summer of 2013 and we will be hosting the same boy this winter. When we found out about Marina's Kids, we did not know too much about what hosting would involve. We knew others who had hosted and fostered before, but we had never done so ourselves. Thankfully, everyone volunteering with Marina was very supportive, informative and patient! We had a wonderful experience and are so excited to be working with them again for the winter hosting! Our lives have been forever changed and my husband and I would highly recommend getting involved with Marina's Kids. It will not only impact the lives of orphans as they experience what unconditional love is but it will impact your life as well. Their whole team have such hearts for these children and are each genuine, incredible people wanting to make a difference! I am happy to say that we are in the process of adopting the sweet boy we hosted this summer. God is so awesome!

This organization is amazing. The amount of love that goes into all of the children is astonishing. As a professional social worker, I can say for certain that Marina's Kids meets all of the core values: service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationship, integrity and competence. Marina and the rest of the volunteers do an amazing job to ensure that everything is in order. They are making a major difference in the lives of the children and their host families. I would highly recommend this organization. If you have any further questions please ask.

The personal conviction and heartfelt dedication which Marina and Sean operate from is astounding. The personal commitment to see orphaned siblings reunited and find loving homes is so inspiring! I'm moved to tears hearing the stories and knowing the tremendous lengths taken to see the lives of these kids changed for the good. This organization deserves all the support possible!
Wendee V

I am constantly astounded by the successes of Marina's Kids. Marina, Sean, and other volunteers are truly making a difference in the lives of Ukrainian children. I cannot stress enough the impact this organization has on those it serves. These communities (Ukrainian orphans) live in abject poverty and have little chance to escape their situations. Our dollars provide a profound change in their day-to-day lives - indoor toilets, schoolhouse accoutrements, and most recently, the ability for an orphan to have access and opportunity in America. With high efficiency rates and a hands on caring rarely seen, I cannot recommend Marina's Kids enough.

We were first introduced to Marina's Kids in January 2013, and I can say with certainty, that this organization will forever be a part of our lives. We went to our first meeting about orphan hosting without fully understanding what it entailed, and to be frank, with great hesitancy. My husband and I left that meeting changed people. When we learned about what Marina's Kids does for Ukrainian orphans....not just the orphans who get chosen to be hosted, but for all the orphans and the orphanages she works with...we knew that we had just taken part in a life changing event. We saw pictures of one of the orphanages she was trying to raise money to renovate, we saw pictures of boxes and boxes of shoes she had purchased, and then we saw the children. When we made the decision to host, Marina and her volunteers did an excellent job in helping to guide us to children who would fit best with our family. They were able to do this, because they actually take the time to get to know the children and develop relationships with them. Shortly after we chose a sibling group that we wanted to host, Marina happened to be visiting at their orphanage. She allowed us the opportunity to speak with them by phone while providing translation. We gave the oldest sibling our email address and we were able to exchange a number of emails before we even met! While the children were with us during the summer, Marina and her volunteers were always just a phone call away for any issues that arose. The day the kids had to fly back to Ukraine was a very sad day for all of us, however, Marina has been to visit the kids since then and we were able to send her money to buy some things for our host children and for the orphanage. Marina's Kids does everything they can to help foster a lasting relationship with the children you have hosted. I believe Marina's Kids goes far above and beyond what I have heard other hosting agencies do to help with continued contact after the children leave. The other aspect of this program that was so impressive to me was the level of education we were provided with prior to hosting. We received guidance about cultural differences, potential behavior issues, food and recipe suggestions, and advice about how to handle delicate issues such as the child's past. I can not speak highly enough about this organization, and especially Marina herself.

Marina and her organization have a heart for serving orphans! This ministry is close to the heart of God! Highly recommend hosting an orphan, giving them hope and showing them they are loved! Hosting thru this organization is encouraged!

I have always had a heart for children. For years I have looked for ways to be more involved, but could never seem to find an organization that had the "whole package". Then I was introduced to Marina's Kids. Right away it was clear to me that Marina was a special person. Her heart and passion for the children she helps is evident. We hosted through the program...but Marina's Kids has an impact far outreaching hosting. It includes providing medical care, orphanage renovations, shoes and clothing, and FUN for ALL of the orphans. Even after they "age out" she continues to maintain relationships and provide a safe place for these young people to land as they navigate the beginnings of their adult lives on their own. My husband appreciates their financial transparency as they can account for every dollar donated! I can't say enough about this organization or the wonderful woman behind it!

Marina is an awesome women running an awesome program. She loves and cares so much for these kids and helps make their lives better. she is amazing.

Marina's kids is a wonderful organization. It has been my joy and privilege to be a part of what they are doing to improve quality of life for orphans since November of 2012. In my time with the organization I have seen them do so many things to benefits the lives of these children growing up in orphanages from meeting basic necessities (like shoes) to providing funds to help with the children's self-esteem and confidence (i.e. help with graduations for the kids aging out). This organization is such a blessing to the children AND its volunteers!

Marina's Kids is a great organization that allows for orphans to come to the United States. It is an amazing organization that allows for change to happen to the orphanages these kids live. Some of the kids also have the opportunity to come to the US and see what having a family feels like. These families are able to keep communication with these kids after they return back to Ukraine and that is AMAZING. These kids need some mentoring in their lives.

Marina's Kids is fantastic. We have a lasting vision for our kids and families. Encouraging families not to JUST host but to mentor for the future. We work hard not only for the kids but our host families. Families most graciously share their hearts and love of Christ with our amazing children making families VIP's. Returning the children to Ukraine is very difficult and we work to keep families connected with their child/ren. Families want to stay connected with their children and children want to continue to feel special after returning to Ukraine. We are giving families the ability to connect with the children through letters, little packages, birthday parties, skype or phone calls when available. There is such a great distance between families and child/ren It is very important to help keep them connected. We plan our first mission trip for host families to visit their children in the spring of 2014.
This is about mentoring a child through some tough times and focusing not only on the time here in the U.S. but also making them feel special when they return to Ukraine. We see such amazing changes in the kids and families it is an experience like none other. The kids return to Ukraine stronger and healthier, their grades go up, self confidence goes through the roof. For many children who have no family in their life knowing that someone cares about them, and that someone simply has their picture on the wall is life altering. Hosting and mentoring makes such a positive impact for the future of our children.

Very organized, really wants the best for the kids and always willingt to go the extra mile..

Marina's Kids has made a big impact in the lives of many orphans in just the 2 years it has been around. The kids everyday lives have improved from better facilities, clothing, hygeine supplies and much more. The orphans eagerly await Marina's twice yearly visit and are sad to see her go. But she stays in contact with many of them in between visits .

We founded Marina's Kids to help disadvantaged children to build a better future. We are currently working with orphans in Ukraine in a few locations. We work to improve their living conditions through facilities improvements. We also provide needed personal items, supplies for the orphanages and technical school, and clothing for children. Marina visits the children twice a year, and remains in contact via phone calls to build relationships with the children and to mentor them. This winter we are undertaking our first hosting program to give orphans the opportunity to visit the US. The board members and officers are not paid for their time which allows us to allocate the maximum available funds to the projects we take on for the children.

I spent 8 days in Ukraine visiting and helping at 7 orphanages. Three of these days was spent with Marina working at one orphanage. Marina has a HUGE heart full of love for these orphans and needy children. The work she and her organization are doing is changing the lives of orphans and needy children in a LARGE way, both physically and spiritually. She is stretching the funds donated as far as possible and making a little bit cover a VERY lot. I sat with Marina on the plane ride back to the states for about 6 hours and got to know her quite well. I am honored to be working with Marina and I can say she and her organization have integrity, honesty, love and would HIGHLY recommend them. You can visit their website at marinaskids.org.

Marina's Kids is an amazing organization run by an even more amazing person. Marina has a huge heart for orphans and demonstrates that by going to the orphanages in the Ukraine with incredible amounts of clothing and many items large and small to help the living conditions of the children living there. She has called on friends, community, family to help her in this incredible project. She herself goes to the Ukraine and finds ways to install new windows, new appliances, fix bathrooms, paint rooms and on and on. She has five children as well as foster children. She has adopted two teens from the Ukraine. For three years she coordinated the re-settlement of Burmese refugees in the Glenside area. She continues to help the families in various ways. Marina's Kids deserves the support of all who want to help children without a home and parents. Phyllis L

I was asked to help with agricultural projects at orphanages in Ukraine ( Odessa area) and took my first trip this past October. Upon visiting an orphanage in the Ukraine, I met Marina for the first time. What a joy it was to see how the children have bonded to her. She works very hard to raise money and collect clothes, in order to help fill the basic needs of these kids. She loves these kids, and does all she can to be like a parent that many of these kids do not have. On her twice annual visits, she spends time with these kids just before bed, reading stories, talking one on one with those who need a listening ear, encouraging every one she can, and tucking them in bed. The kids love this, and drink it up. She also stays in touch with these kids through phone calls, while she is back in the United States. Marina also works to fund maintenance, and rebuilding projects, so the kids have lovely bathrooms, to use and a warm house to live in through the cold winters. It was a joy to work with Marina, as she supports these kids in so many ways!!

Marina has been helping to better the lives of many children for many years; Her own children, children in her local neighborhood, and children in Ukraine. She spends countless hours to better their lives. Locally, she and her husband used to have a store of games and children would come from all over to play eachother in tournaments. The crowds were wonderful, the time was enjoyable, and their supervision was great. Now she has turned her efforts to orphans in Ukraine. She contacts many children regularly to chat with them, emotionally support them, and to show them that she loves and cares about them. She has taken many trips over to the Ukrainian orphanages to meet the children and caretakers, arrange for building renovations and to see them completed, taking supplies and clothing and more... Marina is a wonderful example of one who serves those in our world less fortunate and is a great role model for anyone who gets to know her. How awesome to see one person make such an amazing difference in the lives of others!

Marina has always been concerned about the well-being of children that were unfortunate to grow up without parents’ love and affection. She started Marina and kids charity to give the orphan children in Ukraine a chance to succeed in their lives. Marina puts a lot of effort in renovating run down orphanages in Ukraine and bringing kids to the USA to get necessary medical treatment and to experience the American way of living. Last year Marina and her husband have adopted Kolia and Vika, expending their already large family (they have five kids of their own), Marina is hoping for other kids to find their families too and does everything possible to make it happen.

Marina James is the moving spirit behind Marina's Kids. In fact, she's just about the whole thing. A couple times a year she flies to Ukraine and by the time she leaves, orphaned children there are celebrating everything from new bathroom facilities to cell phones. The measure of their joy can easily be seen in photos showing smiling, adoring kids surrounding Mama Marina. She gives them things. She gives them love. She gives them hope for the future.