If a friend or family member were to ask me what I would want to do with ten thousand dollars, the answer would be very simple. Most people my age would want to spend that money on a classic car, a gigantic television, or even a beautiful wall poster. The possibilities of what teenage children would want to buy with ten thousand dollars are endless. Although the vast majority of these teenagers would want to spend this money on themselves, I would plan contrarily. There are thousands of homeless orphans across the world, especially in Ukraine, and I would use my ten thousand dollars to help them.
     

If I were given ten thousand dollars to invest in a project, I would use it to assist Santa’s Shoebox, the organization that I started five years ago.  For as long as I can remember, my family has hosted an orphaned child in our home during the holiday season. My younger sister Caroline and I became accustomed to these Christmas visitors, and although they all made an impact on us, one would change our family forever. This child was an eight-year-old orphan from Ukraine named Natasha.  Over the following two years, she would visit our home three more times on a host program before ultimately becoming my adopted sister. Our adoption trip to Ukraine and Natasha’s memories of the orphanage inspired me to begin Santa’s Shoebox, a program that provides Christmas gifts to orphanages in Ukraine.
   

 After Natasha settled into her new life in our family and her English improved, she recounted how Christmases came and went at the orphanage without acknowledgment. There were eighty children living in her orphanage at the time, and my goal for the following Christmas was for each to have his or her own gift to open.  With the help of my sisters, I prepared fliers for the shops, schools, and businesses in my town asking for wrapped shoeboxes filled with small gifts. Unbelievably, word of my project spread to other communities, and within two months of starting the collection, I had over 700 shoebox gifts. Over the years, Santa’s Shoebox has grown steadily and now regularly receives gifts from businesses, scout groups, and various organizations throughout the United States. In the off-season, we collect new shoes for the children and deliver them in time for the start of each school year. I have been fortunate to have a loyal base of supporters who participate each year, yet there are still many orphanages I don’t have the resources to assist. Ten thousand dollars would go a long way in helping me expand the program to more orphanages and to assist with their needs that extend beyond the holiday season.
   

 Although word of mouth is helpful, most of the shoebox gifts I receive come from those who find Santa’s Shoebox online.  With the assistance of a website building tool, I created the Santa’s Shoebox site myself. Since it’s the first impression most have of my organization, using half of the money to have a professional design a site would allow me to have a more attractive and professional web page with greater capabilities. This would draw more participants and increase our base of regular donors. In addition to shoes, the orphanages are always in need of winter coats. The remaining money would be used to purchase sturdy shoes and warm coats that could be passed down from child to child. To date, thousands of shoebox gifts have been sent to Ukraine, yet Santa’s Shoebox cannot include all the orphanages that request our help.  Ten thousand dollars would be of great assistance to extend our reach to more orphanages and impact more children.
   

 Since I have worked for the World Orphan Project non-profit organization for many years, I would have no regrets with spending my money. Without the help of the World Orphan Project, it is unimaginable how I would spend ten thousand dollars. As stated before, there are thousands of children who are less fortunate than us. Given this opportunity, almost every teenager should consider thinking about these children. My plan of spending ten thousand dollars may not benefit me, but it certainly will benefit many other children who have more needs than me.