SPOON Foundation Blog

Creating real change for kids in Kazakhstan – a reflection and a chance to ACT

Brita Johnson — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:03:15 +0000

As SPOON prepares to see the results of our work in Kazakhstan go nation-wide, Susan C – one of SPOON’s early and most ardent supporters – has graciously offered her reflections on what this means for her and for other adoptive families:

What words do I have to describe what SPOON has accomplished over the last few years?

Extraordinary. Unprecedented. Breathtaking.

Think about it. SPOON Foundation started with these simple ingredients:

two adoptive moms in Oregon
an ardent desire to provide better nutrition for orphaned children living in Kazakhstan
a conversation about possibilities
no nutritional training or experience in running a nonprofit, but the drive to form a team of world-class advisors to build a unique and strong organization.

SPOON is now transforming the ways that countries worldwide are considering how they care for children who are living in institutions within their borders… it’s stunning.

As an adoptive mom myself, I’m so proud to be part of it. Although it’s something we all yearn to do, it’s not often that we get to make a profound difference in the lives of countless others (besides our children, family and community) and provide them with opportunities to live better lives. That’s what SPOON is for me, and I’m so grateful that Cindy and Mishelle and their team had the courage and the chutzpah (Yiddish for ‘guts and sheer determination in the face of no agreement’) to bring it to life.

Earlier this spring, a handful of our small but heart-fully connected community of families with children from Kazakhstan gathered at the very hip Roy Street Coffee and Tea house in Seattle to hear from Cindy about the results of the Kazakhstan Orphan Nutrition Program.

We learned that SPOON’s study of children living in baby houses in Kazakhstan has produced some sobering results. Nearly 75% of children in baby houses have one or more nutrient deficiencies. The levels of stunting, anemia and vitamin D deficiency are shocking: in a country in which the baby houses are actually supposed to be quite good, the nutritional status of children in Kazakhstan’s baby houses is comparable to that of children living in famine situations. But the news isn’t all dire – the government of Kazakhstan is instituting a new nutrition and feeding policy for baby houses, based on SPOON’s work. A new chance – for better nutrition and improved development – is coming for thousands of children in Kazakhstan’s baby houses.

I couldn’t help but beam with pride upon hearing the results and the committed resolve of the Kazakhstan government to learn from this study and fundamentally change the way they feed the children – part of Kazakhstan’s national treasures and future – who are living in their care.

Of course it’s not EVERYTHING these kids need to have a better start in life and an improved chance to thrive as adults, but it’s a darn good start. And we know the SPOON Foundation is the reason why – they’ve done it with our help, and we can ALL feel good about those results.

Later this spring Kazakhstan’s new national nutrition and feeding norms for baby houses, based on our work over the past 5 years, will be unveiled at a dissemination and training conference in Almaty – and SPOON will be there to make sure that each baby house director gets the training they need to implement the new practices. We’re also using this as an opportunity to inspire similar changes in other countries in the region.

Please join us in ensuring that this change takes root – and blossoms – for thousands of kids by reading more and making a gift to support this work.

A call to action: help us create lasting change for the kids left behind

Brita Johnson — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:53:27 +0000

When we adopted our kids from Kazakhstan, we formed an indelible bond – with our two kiddos, but also to those we learned to love while there and had to leave behind. Perhaps many of you feel, as we do, drawn to help the thousands of children in Kazakhstan still living without families.

For these past five years SPOON Foundation – inspired by our own two kids who came home deeply malnourished – has focused on improving nutrition for those kids left behind. We’ve been working in partnership with the Kazakh Academy of Nutrition and Ministry of Health on a program of long-term, sustainable improvements to nutrition for baby house children.

Our work there has shown that the nutritional status of children in KZ’s baby houses is comparable to that of children in famine situations — including shocking levels of stunting, anemia and vitamin D deficiency. In response to our work, the Kazakhstan government has just approved new nationwide nutrition norms for all baby houses. While that is the best possible outcome, it will be all for naught if baby house directors don’t “buy in” and get the training they need.

We now have the opportunity to create real and lasting change – and your gift can help us to make it happen.

This spring, we will be bringing together all 25 of the country’s baby house directors, along with key health and education officials from Kazakhstan, for a training and dissemination conference. We are also bringing in delegations from Russia, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to work toward catalyzing similar changes in those countries. We will be sending conference attendees home with the power to impact nutrition and development for hundreds of children in their care.

Please consider a gift to help support the financial commitment we’ve made to ensure that all 25 KZ baby house directors attend and receive training.

On average, the cost – including the cost of travel, meals, accommodations and take home training materials for the baby house directors, as well as the cost to organize the conference and presenters to bring this information to life for attendees – is more than $1500 per baby house director.

We are a small non-profit, driven by passion, to make a difference for these little ones living without families – our ability to do so depends on support from people like you who also care deeply about giving these kids the better start in life that they deserve.

Your gift, received by May 24th, will help us to touch so many lives. Let’s do this together.

With so many thanks,

Cindy and Mishelle, SPOON Co-Founders

Spring News from SPOON

Brita Johnson — Thu, 03 May 2012 18:16:31 +0000

Exciting Spring News from SPOON

Dear friends -

This spring has been an exciting season of growth for SPOON – see below for a link to SPOON’s newest online nutrition resource, news of our team’s recent trip to China, and diverse (and delicious) new info for families of adopted kids.

In the midst of all of this, our hearts are centered on Kazakhstan, where our work began. This month, our dream of reaching children in KZ baby houses with improved nutrition comes true – we’ll be on hand for the unveiling of a new national baby house menu based on our groundbreaking study and advocacy there. And we’re planning for the long-term to ensure that the new menu is effectively implemented. Read more below!

We are so grateful for the opportunity to improve nutrition for these little ones – and we couldn’t do it without your support. Thank you!

Cindy and Mishelle

SPOON Co-Founders

The Latest Nutrition Profile

‘From the day Zachary came home, he struggled with getting enough quality sleep…Several parents told me about the connection between low ferritin levels and sleep problems…and encouraged me to have him tested. Zachary’s ferritin levels came back at an 11. They should be 30 or higher…’

SPOON’s newest nutrition resource takes to the web

Brita Johnson — Wed, 02 May 2012 18:22:35 +0000

SPOON is excited to announce the launch of OrphanNutrition.org – the companion website to our work with Joint Council to improve nutrition and feeding for orphaned children around the globe.

Millions of children on this planet are deprived of permanent parental care, living instead in orphanages, group homes and institutions. While their caregivers do their best to provide optimal care to these children, science-based training and resources on nutrition and feeding practices to help identify nutrition deficiencies are often unavailable.

At the heart and center of SPOON’s mission and work is the understanding that proper nutrition is critical to every child’s growth and development. So we’re excited about the role that this new resource will play in meeting a real need for children around the world. The site will act as an international portal with access to a free library of nutrition resources, collection of training materials and general information on common needs and nutrition issues among this population of children. Over time, the site will be available in multiple languages; plans are underway to translate the content into Mandarin, Chinese by the end of the year.

OrphanNutrition.org is one facet of A Child’s Best Start – a program initiated by Mead Johnson Nutrition Foundation and Joint Council to improve nutritional care for children living in vulnerable conditions around the world. SPOON is delighted to have been chosen to partner in this project, which will provide important nutrition information to individual caregivers through on-the-ground training in facilities located everywhere from major cities in China to small towns in rural Mexico.

The Iron-Sleep Connection

Mishelle Rudzinski — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:48:37 +0000

Zachary was placed with me through a domestic adoption when he was six months old. From the day I got him he struggled with getting enough quality sleep. At first I believed it was all emotional. Although the agency told me he had been well cared for up until then, it was clear from the moment I got him that he was a very traumatized baby. At first he woke up every 1-2 hours, just to see who he was with and where he was. As time went on, he had more and more difficulty… Click here to read more

Iron and Adopted Kids

The Power of a Wish

Mishelle Rudzinski — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 15:34:02 +0000

What’s the power of a wish?

Your “Nauryz wish” helps SPOON to expand our groundbreaking work to improve nutrition for orphaned children within – and beyond – Kazakhstan.

Nauryz is a celebration of spring and new life. Each Nauryz wish costs $25, and has the power to make a difference – for those children who don’t yet have a family to call their own – that can last a lifetime.

You can personalize and send your wish here.

With gratitude – and wishes for a Happy Nauryz!

Cindy and Mishelle

SPOON Co-Founders

Our favorite caregivers

Brita Johnson — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:38:31 +0000

Mishelle’s daughter with Alla:

Six years after coming home, my daughter still remembers Alla as her favorite caregiver, simply, she says, “because she took care of me.”

Cindy’s daughter with Olga:

Join us in celebrating the caregivers who help to sustain little lives in Kazakhstan’s Baby Houses.

Nauryz – a celebration of life!

Brita Johnson — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 07:41:54 +0000

Saida Kereyeva, the director of SPOON’s sister organization in Kazakhstan, shares a glimpse into Nauryz – Kazakhstan’s March 22nd celebration of spring and new life.

Children in baby houses across Kazakhstan will celebrate Nauryz with their caregivers this week - stay tuned for pictures in an upcoming post.

On March 22nd, people across Kazakhstan will gather with family and friends to celebrate Nauryz (pronounced “Now-reez”). Not just a modern celebration, this holiday of renewed life has been celebrated for over five thousand years by many cultures of Asia.

Today’s festival still incorporates ancient themes such as joy, good luck, wisdom, health, prosperity and growth. In the modern era, it’s grown beyond ornate yurts and delicious traditional foods to include charitable events, folk sporting games, tending plants, planting trees, and community clean-up of public spaces.

The ancient holiday of Nauryz has truly become a part of modern life, preserving the old traditions – and celebrating spring, work and unity.

Loving caregivers in Kazakhstan’s baby houses bring life-sustaining care to thousands of young children living without families to call their own. Join SPOON in celebrating new life this Nauryz by making a $25 “Nauryz wish” in honor of a caregiver in Kazakhstan. Saida will deliver the wishes to the baby houses – and each wish will support SPOON’s work to bring better nutrition to children in Kazakhstan’s baby houses and beyond.

With gratitude – and wishes for a happy, healthy spring!
The SPOON team

Ideas for Feeding Kids Adopted from the USA

Mishelle Rudzinski — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 03:42:59 +0000

General Diet/Summary:

The food patterns of different regions in the United States are a result of the heritage of the people who established it. The major regions of the United States are the Northeast, the South, the Midwest, the Southwest, and the West – each region characterized by unique culinary specialties that reflect the cultural background of immigrants and the foods that were available in the ‘new land’. Even today, with a global assortment of foods available and a consumer desire for uniformity in food products, there still exist distinctive regional differences in food consumption.

For more information about foods distinctive to each region of the United States, see the United States page at AdoptionNutrition.org.

Nutrition Facts:

Nutritional deficiencies are uncommon in the United States, but information about low income minority children is lacking. Incidence of overweight and obesity as well as food insecurity and hunger in children is on the rise. The American diet includes many empty calories (foods like soda, fruit flavored drinks, sweets, and other highly processed foods that contribute calories without providing essential nutrients). This coupled with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and uneven access to fresh, wholesome foods has created a typical American diet that is high in fat (particularly unhealthy saturated fats), high in sodium, high in simple carbohydrates, and low in fruits and vegetables.

Meal Patterns:

The American diet centers around 3 hearty meals a day. The composition of the meal varies by region but often includes a meat and a starch. Since many children and young adults skip breakfast, and sometimes lunch, between meal snacking contributes significantly to daily intake. Across the country, a diversity of dining options are available from all-you-can-eat buffets to unique culinary creations sold from street side food trucks. The busy American lifestyle lends itself to eating on the run – fast foods, convenience foods, and restaurant meals are popular. In recent years, there has been a move towards more meals cooked and eaten at home and healthier fast food and restaurant options.

Transition Foods

The transition diet is one you develop to help bridge the gap between your child’s native/familiar diet and what eventually will become his or her regular diet at home. Even children adopted from within the United States may need time to adjust to the diet in their new adoptive home. Food can vary greatly from region to region in the US and can even vary within the same region if a child moves to a home of a different ethnicity or socioeconomic status.

The transition diet often includes recipes and foods from the familiar diet. A good way to start the transition process is to ask exactly what foods your child ate in the foster home, using that as a base for your cooking at home. It may also be helpful to watch the foster parents feed your child at least one meal before returning home. Simple things such as the temperature or texture of foods may be important to your child. Even if you don’t know exactly what your child ate previously, incorporating familiar foods into his or her diet is a great way to help your child transition to a new home, as well as preserve traditions from his or her previous home(s).

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Homemade Applesauce

There is nothing quite as tasty as homemade applesauce! I often double or triple this recipe because I love it so much. You can choose to peel the apples or leave the skins on for more fiber and nutrients. Enjoy!

2 cups sliced apples
1/3 cup apple juice, apple cider, or water
1 cinnamon stick
cinnamon to taste (optional)
sugar or brown sugar to taste (optional)

Put apples, juice or water, and cinnamon stick in a pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, until fruit is very soft and the liquid has cooked off (about 15-20 minutes).

Mash the apples using a fork or a potato masher for a chunky consistency, or puree in a blender for a smoother consistency. Taste the sauce and add cinnamon and/or sweetener as desired.

If you are making this applesauce for babies under 1 year, you may want to peel the skins, because the skin does not break down completely when cooked and may be a choking hazard for younger babies. If you choose to leave the skin on, be sure to puree the applesauce to a fine, smooth consistency.

For more information about feeding kids adopted from the U.S., including recipes, see the USA page at AdoptionNutrition.org.

Take the “leap” for SPOON

Brita Johnson — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:14:39 +0000

At SPOON, we have our hearts set all year long on reaching as many orphaned, fostered and adopted children as possible with the nutrition resources that will help them thrive.

Today, we’re inviting you to “take the leap” on Leap Day, by joining the family of monthly contributors to SPOON.

Your monthly gift – whatever the size – adds up to create big change, providing us with support we can count on throughout the year to build our programs and reach the children – and their families – who most need our help.

You can become a regular contributor here.

Thank you for all that you help us to make possible!

Cindy, Mishelle and the SPOON Team

Spread the Love this Valentine’s Day!