Global Smilez is the overarching nonprofit organization for several unique divisions, all aimed at alleviating the unwarranted suffering of children around the world.
It started with the blissful smiles of children in Liberia, an African nation still reeling from a brutal civil war that featured drugged child soldiers, a destroyed infrastructure, and ritualistic canibalism. My family, along with a handful of others, traveled to Monrovia, the capital, and even though these kids were lucky to have more than one meal a day, they radiated rooms with their happiness as if they had the world on a leash. With those memories in mind and a humanitarian grant from Lawrence University, donation pamphlets were designed, printed, and sent to numerous people. Over $6,000 was raised for the inaugural trip, where the money was used to purchase specific gifts (scooters, playdoh, basketballs...) Three orphanages in Manila, one perched in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal, and a shanty family in Cambodia received the generous donations. Footage was captured and sent to the donors so they could view the tangible benefit they created around the world whenever they pleased. Several new projects are underway under the umbrella organization of Global Smilez with more people helping and partnering as well. The current goal is to conduct biannual mission trips using donations raised at fund raisers and through GlobalSmilez.com, with the longterm goal of a mission every three months without the need to physically travel each time as we network more and expand our operations.
