McElroy is proud to give to Oprah's Angel Network and to spotlight this philanthropic venture in this month’s issue of E-Buzz. This is one of the finest charitable organizations, giving 100 percent of donations directly to programs and services. All administrative costs are paid by Oprah. She puts her money where her heart is. Oprah’s Angel Network works around the globe to give people the chance to live their best lives.
History
On a 1997 episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah invited viewers to join her in using their lives to improve the lives of others. What began as a campaign to encourage viewers to collect spare change for 150 scholarships given through the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and to volunteer time to build 200 homes for the needy with Habitat for Humanity International™, evolved into the charity known today as Oprah’s Angel Network.
The Angel Network was established to encourage people around the world to make a difference in the lives of others. Oprah’s vision is to inspire people to help others rise to their potential.
Accomplishments
To date, Oprah’s Angel Network has received more than $80 million in donations from the public. Here are a few examples of the work accomplished with these generous donations:
• With Free The Children, Oprah’s Angel Network has built more than fifty-five schools in twelve countries, providing education for thousands of children in rural areas throughout the world. Read about two schools that were built in rural China.
• In 2005, Oprah’s Angel Network provided more than $1 million worth of school supplies, including school uniforms and shoes, to 18,000 impoverished South African children.
• As part of the Hurricane Katrina and Rita recovery efforts, Oprah’s Angel Network helped more than 1,000 families get back into their homes and helped build or restore more than 400 homes in eight communities across Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama. Learn more about the Angel Network’s Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts.
• Oprah’s Angel Network built the Seven Fountains Primary School in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Opened in 2007, the school serves more than 1,000 boys and girls and serves as a model for teaching and learning throughout Africa. Read more about Seven Fountains.
• O Ambassadors, a joint project of Oprah’s Angel Network and Free The Children, launched in 2007. O Ambassadors is a school-based program that inspires young people to become active, compassionate, and knowledgeable global citizens.
• Through its Oprah’s Book Club Awards, Oprah’s Angel Network provides books for children with limited access to resources in regions where a book club selection is set. For example, book club awards were distributed in Beijing, China for The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck and in St. Petersburg, Russia for Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy.
• Inspired by O, The Oprah Magazine’s Rescuing the World’s Girls and Live Your Best Life Tour events, the Angel Network gives grants to organizations that provide life-changing assistance for women and girls.
• Oprah’s Angel Network introduced the Use Your Life Award on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2000. From 2000 through 2003, more than fifty organizations that were making a difference in the lives of others received awards.
Learn more about what they do.