White House Responds to the Cry of the Orphan

"…I express my deep appreciation and respect for the Cry of the Orphan Campaign. It is nothing less than faith expressing itself in vibrant love." - Jay Hein, Director White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Nov. 14, 2007—Efforts by the Cry of the Orphan campaign to encourage millions of Christians across the country to respond to the orphan crisis have attracted the attention of the White House.

"By waking Americans to the needs of orphans and the challenges and joys of serving them, you are undertaking work that will carry impact far beyond our own brief lifetimes," said Jay Hein, director of the White House office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. "It is with pleasure that I express my deep appreciation and respect for the Cry of the Orphan Campaign. It is nothing less than faith expressing itself in vibrant love."

FamilyLife, Focus on the Family, and Shaohannah's Hope (founded by award-winning musician Steven Curtis Chapman) joined together to launch the Cry of the Orphan campaign as a way to help raise awareness and encourage Christians and churches to get actively involved in caring for the reported 143 million orphans around the world. Their efforts recently led to the creation of the Christian Alliance for Orphans - a formal coalition of more than 75 churches, ministries and orphan-related organizations working together to make a difference in the lives of orphans.

"Without parents, children are often deprived of the love and protection they need and are often susceptible to abuse, illness, poverty and other injustices," wrote Director Hein in his letter supporting the Cry of the Orphan efforts. "In the face of such tragedy, there is no more poignant expression of love than for a mother and father to receive an orphan as their own child."

The recognition and encouragement from the White House comes as Cry of the Orphan reaches out to millions of Christian radio listeners across the country.

ALL THIS WEEK: Popular radio hosts Dennis Rainey of FamilyLife Today, Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family and Howard Dayton of Money Matters are working together - devoting their daily broadcasts and utilizing their organizations' resources to show people how they can respond to the orphan crisis.

In addition to the broadcasts on FamilyLife Today, Focus on the Family and Money Matters, people are encouraged to go to CryoftheOrphan.org for more information. The Web site shares practical tips and offers resources to help people navigate through the adoption process, get their churches involved in caring for orphans, and better understand God's heart on this issue.

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