Sally Lockett’s position at the helm of an international organization takes her around the world — China, Russia, Peru, India, Nepal, Thailand — but she’s no jet setter. No swanky hotels for this CEO. She chooses more humble accommodations.
On business trips, she stays at orphanages, for weeks or months at a time.
Sally, an Army wife living in Stuttgart, Germany, is the founder and director of Portion for Orphans. This not-for-profit organization raises and distributes about $30,000 yearly to orphanages worldwide.
Sally’s mission began in 2001 when — as a college student — she took a life-changing trip to Kenya.
"I met a little girl named Connie," Sally said. Connie was 8 years old, recently orphaned, and the primary caregiver for her brothers and sisters.
After returning home, Sally was inspired to raise funds for the school in Connie’s village. Sally raised the money and returned to Kenya two years later to find that Connie, now 10, had become a prostitute in order to buy food for her younger siblings.
"I just don’t think I realized before that how terrible the situation was," Sally said. "She preferred to do that rather than hear her brothers and sisters crying all night."
Sally remained in Kenya for six months, taking Connie to live with her while seeking a home for the girl and her family.
"We visited all the orphanages in the second biggest city in Kenya, and there was no room for them," Sally said.
"They were refused everywhere we went, and I just thought, ‘How can there be no room for kids … in orphanages that were meant to provide for them?’ "
She had to leave Kenya without a happy ending for Connie, but Sally had seen a need and couldn’t forget.
"(After college) I decided to go on a larger trip around the world, volunteering at orphanages in countries where circumstances are supposed to be the worst," Sally said.
She traveled for seven months, living with children in orphanages, learning about their meals, their schools and their caretakers.
"In every place, the orphanages were full. There were kids on the street, and the kids in the orphanages didn’t have everything they needed."
During all her travels, Sally sent e-mail reports to her church in Marshall, Texas. People began donating money to meet the needs that Sally found.
Her efforts grew, and Portion for Orphans became an official charitable organization in 2003, taking its name from a Bible verse.
"Deuteronomy 24 (says) all people are to set aside a portion to meet the needs of orphans," Sally said.
When she married in 2007, she took on Army life, and her husband, Casey, became a full partner in Sally’s vision.
"He loves what I do and is extremely supportive of it," she said.
Portion for Orphans currently supports three umbrella organizations, serving ten orphanages. Sally researches orphanages and organizations carefully to find those that are the best managers of their resources.
"At first, I wanted to help the orphanages that were struggling, that their children obviously were in serious need," Sally recalled. "Then I realized that the best way to help kids is to help the orphanages that are doing a good job to expand and open more homes."
There’s no happy ending yet for Connie, but Sally continues to offer new beginnings to other children.
"It started with that little girl — just seeing the reality of what it means to become an orphan and have no one step in for you," Sally said, "and then realizing that people were eager to give when someone stood in the gap for them."
More about Portion for Orphans is available at www.portionfororphans.org and on the Spouse Calls blog.
Terri Barnes is a military wife and mother of three. She lives and writes in Germany. Contact her at spousecalls@stripes.com and see the Spouse Calls blog athttp://blogs.stripes.com/blogs/spousecalls.