WHO WE ARE
|
"Your Heart is in Your Hand" |
Our Mission:
supporting orphans, left-behind and poverty stricken rural school children in China.
supporting orphans, left-behind and poverty stricken rural school children in China.
Adrien (Star) & Gary Amadeo, Vancouver, Canada
It is very simple. We are just two people living in society with a single goal of wanting to help others.
We fell in love with China after our first visit in early 2016, and each time we return our feelings for the country deepen. We love the history, culture, the ancient and ultra-modern contrast, the food, the adventure, but most of all, the people who are so very kind, generous, hospitable and so much fun! We have made many wonderful and solid friendships. Seeing contrasts of great wealth and severe poverty, gave us the desire to help poor children, and what better way, than helping a poor rural school. Soon it had become our focus and passion to find a school we could help in some small way. As humans, we believe that we have a responsibility to share love and to give back.
By November 2016, our mission had begun as we searched, spoke with friends and met new friends via the web who helped us line up all the pieces that eventually fit together beautifully. It was meant to be! We knew it would not be an easy task, but like clockwork, everything quickly fell into place. Often when your intention is positive and good, it ends up right in your lap. As human beings of this great planet, we believe we have responsibility to pass on love. By mid-January 2017, Secret Santa China was born and we have not looked back.
We knew we did not have much money, so it would not be a big charity, but we also knew our big hearts would make up for it. We are fortunate to be able to fund this project through our personal savings. It is a certainly an added bonus when friends and others have contributed to our efforts. We are proud to say that "every" penny goes to the school!
Because of our new volunteer project, it was important for us to become certified TEFL-TESOL teachers, which has enabled us to improve our English language teaching skills. This has assisted the Yang Guang (Sunshine) Primary School grades 1-6 school children greatly. Our visits to the school and everything we do related to the school are strictly volunteer - giving from the heart - we do not seek or receive any financial return.
In 2018, we formed our WeChat International English language group, "East-West Chat", where we teach conversational English online to young adults located in China, South Korea and Japan. Our chat group is constantly growing!
In 2019, we started our free live Secret Santa ESL Meet Up group in Vancouver teaching fun conversational English and sharing our western culture with Asian adults and children.
Adrien is also a Creative Dream Coach, Mindfulness Master Practitioner with certificates in Fundamentals of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Skilled Helping. I maintain a professional membership in Achology, the Academy of Modern Applied Psychology. If you are interested in learning more, please visit her at her website, "Starz Creative Dream Coaching". She is also author of the popular books "Secrets of the Milky Way" and "Candy Floss on the Moon" (in English & Chinese).
Always a very special thank you goes to our wonderful "volunteer" team, whom we lovingly refer to as, "Santa's Helpers". Our dream and mission to help poor and orphaned children was realized because of Santa's Helpers: Liobell, Lily, Ella, Nono and Jojo.
We fell in love with China after our first visit in early 2016, and each time we return our feelings for the country deepen. We love the history, culture, the ancient and ultra-modern contrast, the food, the adventure, but most of all, the people who are so very kind, generous, hospitable and so much fun! We have made many wonderful and solid friendships. Seeing contrasts of great wealth and severe poverty, gave us the desire to help poor children, and what better way, than helping a poor rural school. Soon it had become our focus and passion to find a school we could help in some small way. As humans, we believe that we have a responsibility to share love and to give back.
By November 2016, our mission had begun as we searched, spoke with friends and met new friends via the web who helped us line up all the pieces that eventually fit together beautifully. It was meant to be! We knew it would not be an easy task, but like clockwork, everything quickly fell into place. Often when your intention is positive and good, it ends up right in your lap. As human beings of this great planet, we believe we have responsibility to pass on love. By mid-January 2017, Secret Santa China was born and we have not looked back.
We knew we did not have much money, so it would not be a big charity, but we also knew our big hearts would make up for it. We are fortunate to be able to fund this project through our personal savings. It is a certainly an added bonus when friends and others have contributed to our efforts. We are proud to say that "every" penny goes to the school!
Because of our new volunteer project, it was important for us to become certified TEFL-TESOL teachers, which has enabled us to improve our English language teaching skills. This has assisted the Yang Guang (Sunshine) Primary School grades 1-6 school children greatly. Our visits to the school and everything we do related to the school are strictly volunteer - giving from the heart - we do not seek or receive any financial return.
In 2018, we formed our WeChat International English language group, "East-West Chat", where we teach conversational English online to young adults located in China, South Korea and Japan. Our chat group is constantly growing!
In 2019, we started our free live Secret Santa ESL Meet Up group in Vancouver teaching fun conversational English and sharing our western culture with Asian adults and children.
Adrien is also a Creative Dream Coach, Mindfulness Master Practitioner with certificates in Fundamentals of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Skilled Helping. I maintain a professional membership in Achology, the Academy of Modern Applied Psychology. If you are interested in learning more, please visit her at her website, "Starz Creative Dream Coaching". She is also author of the popular books "Secrets of the Milky Way" and "Candy Floss on the Moon" (in English & Chinese).
Always a very special thank you goes to our wonderful "volunteer" team, whom we lovingly refer to as, "Santa's Helpers". Our dream and mission to help poor and orphaned children was realized because of Santa's Helpers: Liobell, Lily, Ella, Nono and Jojo.
Thank you all! Love, Adrien (Star) & Gary
Graphics and website photos by Adrien Amadeo
Copyright 2016-2022
