Local organizations collect donations for children in Ecuador | Community Spirit

Christmas giving came early for Germantown Presbyterian Church as they partnered with the International Children's Heart Foundation to help children in Ecuador. 

A local nonprofit based out of Memphis, ICHF provides surgical support and direct care to children born with congenital heart disease in developing countries. 

ICHF leaves for Ecuador in early December to help children in need of these medical services. Thanks to GPC, the ICHF team will have Christmas gifts to give to recovering children. 

The donation room at GPC is filling up with dolls, trucks, stuffed animals, puzzles and other popular toys. However, many donated gifts do more than serve entertainment purposes. Many of these items mildly challenge the children recovering from surgery.  For example, balloons are donated because it helps build lung capacity, soccer balls because it provides exercise and legos as it helps with fine motor skills.

According to ICHF's website one percent of the world's population is born with heart disease, making it the most common birth defect.  The success of ICHF is from dedicated staff members and consistent medical volunteers who execute many two to three week trips each year. Read more about this local organization making a global impact here on their website. 

You can help the ICHF too by donating gifts for their upcoming trip to Ecuador. The deadlines for donations are Oct. 10 so that they can be shipped out in time for the ICHF's trip. You can read a list of nonperishable gifts on GPC's website here. 

Also, there are other opportunities to volunteer for ICHF throughout the year for medical and non-medical volunteers. Click here to read about it.