John L. Scott office and agents help expand orphanage

Anacortes, WA
2/22/06- Ten African orphans will soon have a home following a chance meeting between an altruistic Anacortes native and the owners of the Anacortes office of John L. Scott Real Estate. The 34 sales associates of the Anacortes office of John L. Scott recently donated $6,000 to the Dunga Orphanage Project, launched and operated by Sarah O’Brien. The money will be used to construct a second home orphanage in Dunga, a remote fishing village on the shore of Lake Victoria in Kenya. The partnership makes sense, because, “after all, we are in the shelter business, and here was the chance to give 10 children the love and comfort that all kids deserve,’’ said Kathy Clarke, who owns the business with husband Jim. In an e-mail to the American from Africa, O’Brien praised the real estate firm for displaying “the kind of love and compassion that speaks highly of their character.’’ “The number of orphan children (over years) that will benefit from the donation made by John L. Scott will never forget how just at the right time in their life, when they needed help the most, people on the other side of the world were there for them. This is an impression they will have for the rest of their lives.’’ In 2003, O’Brien traveled to Dunga to serve as a volunteer at a school attended by 350 orphans, most of whom lost their parents to AIDS. Shocked by the suffering of the children, she established the nonprofit group the Dunga Orphanage Project. First on the agenda was launching a program to feed the kids. These days, O’Brien and her husband, who is part of the tribe, are parents to 10 orphan girls. O’Brien visited Anacortes last August, and sought and received donations after speaking to such groups as the Soroptimists, Kiwanis and Rotary. “There was just one thing missing, the financial support to build the second family-based orphanage for 10 more orphan girls that are in need of help,’’ she wrote. “The problem that I faced was that I was to return to Kenya in two weeks and the need for a second family-based orphanage is great. I think the hardest thing I have to do while I am in Dunga is to daily turn orphan children away due to lack of space and money to care for them.’’ During her visit O’Brien was working as waitress at the Star Bar, which had placed framed photos of the orphaned children and brochures at the tables. That’s where O’Brien met the Clarkes, who were reading her brochure. “We were instantly taken with her,’’ said Kathy Clarke. The Clarkes invited O’Brien to speak to their employees at their weekly meeting. “She had a wonderful, special, polished presentation, and we were taken with it ... She’s got such a vision,’’ said Clarke. The Clarkes told the employees they would match their combined donations, which totaled $3,000. “The future plan for the Dunga Orphanage Project is to continue to reach out to more orphan children in Dunga and share with my community in Anacortes the opportunity to also make a difference in a child’s life that is in desperate need of help and maybe this will come in the form of Anacortes taking on a new sister city,’’ O’Brien writes. “I feel this relationship between the staff at John L. Scott and the Dunga Orphanage Project is a perfect example of a community working together to make this world a better place.’’ O’Brien plans to visit Anacortes this August, and seeks financial support for a third orphanage. For information on making a donation, e-mail O’Brien at sarahob76@yahoo.com.