Eagles' Wings China - Chinese Orphans Assistance Team

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EW3 Chinese New Year	Feb 01 2012
Children having Fun
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Exposure Tour 2011

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Welcome to the Eagles' Wings China website

the home of

CHINESE ORPHANS' ASSISTANCE TEAM

COAT inc 2011

April 2011 marked 13 years since Linda Shum, our founder, first went in to China to "visit orphans". She went with a company called "ICARE". When this organisation moved to work in another area, Linda and her late husband, Greg, founded Chinese Orphans' Assistance Team (COAT). COAT is now an incorporated body under the Department of Fair Trading in Queensland, Australia. COAT Inc also now has full tax exemption and deductibility through a partnership with Global Development Group (GDG). What an amazing journey it has been for all who have shared the COAT road. The video at the top of this page was produced by a visiting world race team from America and provides further insight into our work and the effect we are having on individual children's lives.

COAT Inc's international base is in Gympie and it is run out of Linda's home, which keeps the Australian overheads to a minimum. We have sponsors from all around the world. We are so grateful to all who are involved in any way.

Wages are our biggest expense, but without the staff, the children are not cared for in the way they need to be cared for. We employ more than forty Chinese National staff, but our many volunteers do not get a wage. We currently run six family group homes. We call these homes "Eagles' Wings" homes because we want the children to rise high above the storms of life on "eagles' wings" and achieve the potential that each one is meant to achieve.

COAT Inc also has a base in the United Kingdom (U.K.), which as of 25th November 2011 is an officially registered UK charity (Charity Number 1144800). Chris Plummer heads up the U.K. base. COAT UK is aiming to have responsibility for our Eagles' Wings 6 home, so if you are from the U.K. and would like to sponsor please choose a child / ayi from EW6.

COAT Inc also runs a school for the children who cannot easily go to public schools. The school is called Xi Wang Le Yuan (Place of Hope and Happiness), which, true to its name, is a wonderful place for children to learn.

Our next biggest expense, is medical needs. Most of our children were abandoned because they have an illness or a disability. We do our utmost to address this need, but sometimes we struggle because of finances.

We raise funds through fund raising events, by speaking to groups like Rotary, Lions and Churches. Currently our biggest corporate sponsor is Network Communications, but most of the funds are raised through individual / group sponsorships. Some people can give a lot, and others can only give a little. But it all adds up to giving these children the best childhood we possibly can give them.

Adoptions are happening at a fast rate, surgeries are happening as needed, children are going to school, getting therapy, learning and loving being a child. To all of you who belong to this amazing COAT Inc family, a big thank you. If you are looking for a way to change the world, you can begin by changing the world of one child. It may seem like a drop in the ocean to you but the ocean is made up of many many drops. If you would like to sponsor then go to our "eagles' wings" homes and choose a child to support by clicking on the 'sponsor me' icon and then filling out the necessary details.

Thank you for your support.

Linda Shum

COAT INC International Director and Founder