Volunteers Needed

Dear Smile Rescue Fund Friends and Family,

Dunia (we had formerly been referring to him as Erick) arrived at JFK last week and has been settling in with his host family, the Creans, nicely. He’s an adorable little boy with a lot of spirit despite his circumstances and condition: he’s 8 years old, and weighs a mere 46 pounds, and is only 46 inches tall. And, as you know, he was maimed by a chimpanzee, which left him without lips, and with severe facial scarring.

While he undergoes treatment at Stony Brook over the coming months, we hope to provide him with new experiences, keep his spirits up, introduce him to new people and from a practical standpoint, support his host families.

That’s where you come in. In the short term, we’re looking for volunteers to take Dunia:

• Tuesday or Thursday evening from 4:30-8:00pm for dinner
• A weekend day
• An entire weekend
• For hospital stays during the day and overnight (dates TBA)
• To and from doctor’s appointments
• And work with him as a mother’s helper during the weekend (good for kids that need community service hours)

After the New Year, we’re looking for people to take him Monday through Friday from 7:15am- 4:30pm and are seeking additional families interested in hosting.

If you can help at all, please contact Jennifer Crean directly at Jennifer@smilerescuefund.org.

Many thanks,

Leon