Visiting the Rotary Club of Lawrenceville this Monday, Nov. 26, were Alex Cooke and his wife Jackie from the Victis Sunrise Rotary Club on the Isle of Wight.  They came with a special message about the non-profit organization “Love Russia.”  Alex has been working with local authorities in Russia to effect needed changes in the orphanages he has visited over there.  He makes a trip every six weeks to monitor the organization’s impact on the lives of the children and adolescents that Love Russia serves.  He offered before and after pictures of changes sponsored by the group in various orphanages, ranging from basics like providing disposable diapers to renovation of bathrooms to fixing leaking roofs.  He has participated in fundraisers to provide uniforms for youth teams and to help severely disabled young people get new prosthetic devices. He focused on Peterhof 2, a facility serving the severely disabled and discussed the effect of providing new socks, walkers, wheelchairs, braces, and sometimes surgery for these young people.  Not only does Love Russia help in the orphanages, they provide support for foster families who take in some of the orphans and offer programs such as the “Genesis Project” to help orphans make the transition into independent adult living. He and Jackie offered numerous stories of unselfish couples who have taken in many foster children and of successful young people supported by the group in getting a college education.  Jackie told of summer camps which offer recreation, skill training, and teenage discussion groups for orphans.  Alex described motorcycle rides covering thousands of miles which raised money for Love Russia projects.  More information about the group and about donations can be found at www.loverussia.org.

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