Debbie had a good feeling about Plan International USA. Then, she saw Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward get involved, and that settled it.
“As long as I can remember, I have always been interested in international events and believe we are all connected,” she said.
She became a sponsor in 1983 and has since befriended children all over the world, from Vietnam to Mali, to Pakistan.
“I was aware that I was fortunate to be raised in a stable, middle-class home,” Debbie said. “It just seemed right to share.”
Not long after she started sponsoring, Debbie had the chance to visit her sponsored child in Nepal, a 16-year-old girl named Sarki.
“I was surprised to see all of the pictures I had sent on the walls of her bedroom,” she remembers.
Debbie has sponsored mostly girls over the years because of the unique challenges they face.
“I hope my sponsorships will make day-to-day life more comfortable for under-privileged families, and prepare girls to manage their lives from a position of strength and knowledge,” she said.
Today, Debbie sponsors a 15-year-old girl named Jyothi in India, and she enjoys learning about what life is like for her.
“I like being connected to other parts of the world,” she said. “It reminds me of the smallness of our planet.”
