March 18th – 31st

In March 2024, Han-Schneider International Children’s Foundation, in collaboration with W.A.T.A. (Water Access To All), will be traveling to Vietnam to distribute and setup water filters in villages located in the central highlands. the goal is raise the funds so that we can provide a filter in every household. this will provide water to approx. 250 people living in the villages.

Our project aims to address the clean water crisis in Vietnam by funding clean water initiatives, including the distribution of Sawyer water filters and organizing clean water trips. With your support, we strive to bring the essential gift of clean water to the communities in Vietnam, alleviating the burden of waterborne illnesses and paving the way for a healthier and more prosperous future.

Join us in our mission to make a positive impact in Vietnam and beyond, where the availability of clean water is not just a necessity but a fundamental human right. Together, we can turn the tide against the clean water crisis and bring hope to those in need.

 

2019 was a productive year for the Han-Schneider International Children’s Foundation thanks to YOU! It began as usual with our organization charting our course for the year, but this time it was a little different. Not only were we dedicated to continuing our programs in Tanzania, Mexico and Cambodia, but we were also looking to serve children in a new country – Vietnam. In order to do so, we knew we needed to fundraise a substantial amount at our events.

The Sam Han Classic was held on April 5 at the Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena. It was well attended with nearly 70 golfers coming out to play and show their support. The charity golf tournament included several on-course games, including a hole-in-one chance for $10,000. While no golfer was able to capitalize on the opportunity, everyone enjoyed a beautiful day on the course. The event went on to raise $13,000 for our programs.

The discussion to expand into Vietnam was not done in 2019; in fact, it was something we had been talking about, praying on and planning for several years prior. In June 2019, all of our hard work paid off when the food shipment to Vietnam reached its destination. The inaugural shipment of 155,000 MannaPack meals were unloaded onto trucks and sent to one of the most isolated regions of Vietnam – the mountains of Tam Ky. In total the meals were delivered to 12 different schools with nearly 1,800 students. Not only was this a first for our organization but it was the first time our partner, Feed My Starving Children, had their meal packs served in Vietnam, a feat not lost on them.  We will continue to grow this program with a commitment of sending at least ¼ million meals to these schools in 2020.

 

On July 26, our organization traveled to Las Vegas to join local volunteers in packing 900 backpacks with all the school supplies each child would need for the entire school year under our “Prepped for School” program. “It was touching to see so many local businesses coming together for this very worthy cause,” said Director of Operations Zachary Lopez.

We were back in Las Vegas on August 13 to distribute the backpacks to every student at Robert E. Lake Elementary. We received high-fives, smiles and giggles from the children as they happily collected their brand new backpacks filled with school supplies. During this time we also found out that a grant the school had been receiving was abruptly cut and programs would need to be drastically slashed or completely abandoned. Fortunately, we had enough funds to step in and help save two of the popular educational programs. “It was our understanding that the children loved these programs and we had the funds to help out. It was an easy call.” said Executive Director Arthur Han.

 

On October 19, the Han-Schneider International Children’s Foundation hosted its annual Benefit Dinner & Silent Auction at the beautiful Quiet Cannon ballroom in Montebello. The event was attended by more than 150 guests and we had more than 60 items featured in the silent auction. This year’s theme was about gratefulness. The night highlighted how you, our donors, have played an invaluable role in our accomplishments as an organization. That night our supporters were introduced to Maggie Holly, our newest partner and founder of the Tam Ky Project in Vietnam. In total, the night raised more than $30,000 for our programs.

 

Finally, in November, we witnessed 27 children graduate from the Meserani Preschool in Tanzania, while 27 other students from the younger class moved up to the next class. In addition, we saw 10 new graduates from the Han-Schneider Vocational School who crafted and demonstrated their skills over the past year. Their skills will now allow them to obtain a job to better their lives and the lives of their families. This time of year is particularly special to us because we get to see the fruits of our labor – we work so diligently to ensure that every child in our program is offered an opportunity for a better life and these ceremonies exemplify the culmination of our efforts over the past decade.

In 2019, the Han-Schneider International Children’s Foundation served 170,876 meals, bringing our total meals served to 5.92 million meals to date. While a noteworthy accomplishment, it’s our commitment to education that is truly changing lives. The HSICF operates several tuition-free schools to give these children an important foundation to build upon.

Thank you for all the love and support you have given us in 2019. We hope we can count on your support in 2020!

The Han-Schneider International Children’s Foundation hosted its Annual Benefit Dinner & Silent Auction on October 19 at Quiet Cannon in Montebello. The event was well attended with 150 friends, supporters and donors dressed to the nines celebrating 11 years of service. This year’s theme was the recognition and appreciation of YOU, our volunteers and supporters. It is your unwavering support that has allowed the organization to grow in both scope of work and number of children served.

The evening started with a cocktail hour where guests were treated to passed hors d’oeuvres and had the opportunity to bid on more than 50 silent auction items, ranging from a wine fridge to Lakers tickets and vacations. Before dinner, Board of Director Jimmy Lin welcomed the crowd and an invocation was delivered by Board of Director Brian Kim. Guests then enjoyed a three-course meal with wine while our newest partner, Maggie Holly from the Tam-Ky Project, spoke about their work in the mountainous region of Vietnam and the importance of the partnership between Han-Schneider and her organization. As a result of the collaboration, more than 1,800 children across 14 different schools are now receiving a nutritious meal everyday at school.

Then, Director of Operations Zachary Lopez took to the podium to drive home the night’s theme. He spoke about the achievements from HSICF over the years, but highlighted that it wasn’t ours alone – that every single person who has ever attended any Han-Schneider function shares in those achievements. He finished by sharing this year’s video – a 5-minute tribute to Dr. Arthur E. Schneider and all our volunteers and supporters.

To end the night, Executive Director Arthur Han thanked everyone again for being such a crucial part of the HSICF family. Together we have been able to accomplish so much over the last 11 years we have been serving the children of the world. You – our friends, family and supporters – deserve the recognition as heroes. Together we have fed, clothed, and educated thousands of children in six different countries.

The event raised nearly $30,000 which will help the foundation continue to serve children around the globe for many more years to come. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend this year’s Benefit Dinner & Silent Auction and everyone who has support us over the years.

If you weren’t able to attend this year’s event but would like to donate, please click here.

 

 

 

 

On Friday April 5, the Han-Schneider International Children’s Foundation hosted its 6th Annual Sam Han Classic. The charity golf tournament was established in honor of our late founder Sang Man “Sam” Han whose vision and values continue to drive our work to save children all over the world.

65 golfers gathered at Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena, CA to play for our cause. The day started with a BBQ where each player was treated to a meal, eye the competition and start hyping their game. Before the tournament kicked into action, Director of Operations Zachary Lopez and Executive Director Arthur Han addressed the group and spoke about the work HSICF does and the lives that are changed. They also announced the newest program – Vietnam that will officially start at the end of this month when approximately 150,000 meals will be shipped to 12 schools feeding nearly 1,800 children.

At 1pm the golfers were sent off in a shotgun format across the course. On the course they were automatically entered into the various on-course games including a longest drive competition, closest to the pin and multiple hole in one holes with the grand prize of $10,000. Unfortunately, the ace eluded the field again this year but good times were had by all.

When all was said and done Brian “Bubba” Botsford, Kevin Botsford, Danny Reaume and Jonathon Hotchkin decimated the field with a team score of -16.  While they ran away with the tournament’s top prize – all teams thoroughly enjoyed a great day of golf for an amazing cause.

The tournament raised over $13,000 for our various programs. We want to take a minute to thank the sponsors, the participants, volunteers and everyone else who worked diligently to ensure this tournament was not only fun but also successful. We hope to see you again next year!

2018 was a great and exciting year for the Han-Schneider International Children’s Foundation. We celebrated our 10 year anniversary and expanded our reach into new territories. In addition to supporting our ongoing programs in Cambodia, Mexico and Tanzania, we initiated a new domestic program in Las Vegas to serve inner-city schools in preparation for their new school year. Here are some of last year’s highlights:

In April, we hosted the 5th Annual “Sam Han Classic,” a charity golf tournament at the beautiful Brookside Golf Course in Pasadena, California. The tournament was started to honor our late founder and his passion for the game while helping the children he loved. Last year’s tournament attracted more than 80 participants. The tournament featured various contests including a male and female long-distance drive, closest-to-the-pin, and three hole-in-one locations with the biggest prize being $10,000 cash. In total, the tournament raised nearly $18,000 for our programs.

The Tanzania program continued to thrive in 2018. We continued to support the Meserani preschool with a free education, a daily nutritious meal and medical care for approximately 60 students annually. We also saw another graduating class of 30 students – who demonstrated the skills and ability to continue their primary education at another school. The Han-Schneider Vocational School also graduated 10 students in sewing and computer training – these graduates will be able take their acquired skills to start their own small businesses or work for a local company to sustain themselves and their families. This program has been essential in improving the local Maasai community by breaking the cycle of poverty and creating a new cycle of prosperity.

In Cambodia we continued to operate the Han-Schneider Balang Preschool in Balang Village where over 30 students benefited from a free education and daily meal program. The school also serves a dual purpose by transitioning into a church for Sunday services. We have begun to plan some improvements and general maintenance for the school which should take place in early 2019. Our focus has been centered on early childhood education which studies show is so crucial in a child’s life. The Balang community has prospered by placing their children in school instead of having to work with their parents. This program has given families and their children a true opportunity for a meaningful future.

Our Mexico program endured some challenges this year as our food shipments were initially held at the border and not able to reach its final destination. Our shipment was ultimately diverted to a local warehouse for storage until we were able to transport each pallet by truck on several trips. This was done through a collaborative effort with our partner Genesis Diez whose determination and connections in Mexico finally got our meals to our children. While future shipments could still foresee problems at the border, we are hoping and praying for a speedy resolution. We are determined to continue to get these meals to the children who need it most.

This past year saw the launch of our first domestic program in Las Vegas, Nevada. The “Prepped for School” campaign was the vision of FoodieFit owner Alex Lee and HSICF Director of Operations Zachary Lopez. You may remember FoodieFit and HSICF teamed up for a meal-for-meal campaign in 2017 that helped provide enough meals for an entire school for one year. This year’s campaign was focused to help inner-city kids in the Las Vegas area by supplying all the students at Robert E. Lake Elementary with backpacks and school supplies for the entire year. The money raised also helped construct an herb garden at the school and build an outdoor classroom with brand new landscaping, a pergola and whiteboard. It also started a Wall of Fame for all the donors and supporters who have played a role in helping the school achieve its goal. This campaign was made possible by some big donors, including Richard Harris Law Firm and the Backstreet Boys, whose generosity helped us exceed all expectations. We are excited to announce we will continue this amazing program by adding a second school for 2019. Keep an eye out for more details in the coming months!

In August, we continued our mission trip program to Mexico where we were able to reunite with the orphans from Casa Hogar La Gloria orphanage. The trip featured many activities and field trips including visiting a farm, concert, outdoor camp and a final day at the beach. It again offered our supporters a unique opportunity to see how their donations impact these precious children. Keep an eye out for information on our next mission trip in 2019 – it will give you experiences, memories and friendships that last a lifetime.

Finally in October, we hosted a benefit dinner and silent auction to commemorate our 10 year anniversary. The event took place at Casa Italiana in downtown Los Angeles. This year’s theme was “Celebrating 10 Years of Changing Lives” and highlighted all the accomplishments HSICF has achieved over the past decade. More than 150 donors, friends and family attended the gala. Award-winning writer and actor John Pollono served as the emcee and our special guest speaker was Brandon Ito from My Wish List Foundation. Brandon, who was diagnosed with leukemia as a child, gave a passionate and powerful message of determination to overcome his battle with cancer and the importance of helping children in need. In total, the event raised nearly $30,000 which will help the foundation continue its growth and expand its programs further in 2019.

10 Year Anniversary Celebration a Success

On Saturday, Oct. 20, the Han-Schneider International Children’s Foundation hosted a benefit dinner at Casa Italiana in downtown Los Angeles to celebrate the organization’s 10 year anniversary. This year’s theme was “Celebrating 10 Years of Changing Lives” and highlighted all the accomplishments HSICF has achieved over the past decade. Despite the fact that the LA Dodgers were playing Game 7 of the National League Championship Series that night, more than 150 donors, friends and family came out to support and attended the benefit.

The evening started with a cocktail hour where guests perused over nearly 60 silent auction items, ranging from UFC tickets to a Backstreet Boys’ meet-and-greet package and a one-week stay in Paris. Then the evening’s program began with a welcome from award-winning writer and actor John Pollono who served as the emcee for the night. Chairman of the Board Dante Colombatti then delivered the invocation before dinner, making sure to include a “Go Dodgers!”

The special guest speaker this year was Brandon Ito – a long-time supporter of the HSICF. Brandon was diagnosed with leukemia as a child and was able to meet his childhood idol, Tiger Woods, through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He explained how the Han-Schneider International Children’s Foundation brings hope to the hopeless and how important that is, especially to struggling children.

Romy Han, daughter of HSICF Founder Sam Han, spoke about how the foundation was started and her father’s legacy. The program was highlighted by two videos – one showing our most recent mission trip to Ensenada, Mexico and the other highlighting our 10 years of serving the most destitute children of the world.

The night was then closed by Executive Director Arthur Han thanking not only the guests there that night, but the hundreds of others who could not make it but played a major role in allowing us to serve these precious children for the past 10 years.

In total, the event raised nearly $30,000 which will help the foundation continue to grow and provide hope to children in need. We want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who made this event possible – all the attendees, volunteers, board members and donors – we would not have been able to properly celebrate this milestone without you. We humbly thank you.

2018 Prepped for School Recap

Las Vegas, NV – Months of hard work and planning came to light on August 17, when the Prepped for School campaign fulfilled its promise of providing backpacks and much needed school supplies for the nearly 850 students of Robert E. Lake Elementary School in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The campaign was championed by our Director of Operations, Zachary Lopez and his childhood friend Alex Lee who is the co-owner of FoodieFit in Las Vegas. The two have been friends since 1st grade and worked together last year in a meal-for-meal campaign that raised over 10,000 meals. Zac and Alex both wanted to reach a bigger goal this year and initiated the Prepped for School campaign.

This year, FoodieFit’s focus was to help local children in their own backyard. Robert E. Lake Elementary is a Title I school – meaning a high percentage of their students come from low-income families. The campaign was created to help alleviate the financial burdens that fall upon the parents in providing the necessary school supplies that would enable their children to achieve their highest potential.

The community responded enthusiastically to the Prepped for School campaign with big donations coming in from Richard Harris Law Firm, Backstreet Boys along with numerous small businesses showing their support. The campaign raised over $30,000 which will also provide a new school garden complete with a pergola and outdoor classroom, in addition to a wall of fame for all supporters.

The campaign was a shining example of a community coming together to help their fellow neighbors. One teacher exclaimed “It’s refreshing to see how many people care about our students and their education!” Even after the event had wrapped, and the volunteers had long gone, the smiles on the children’s faces didn’t fade – “All day I just saw huge smiles on the students faces when they wore their brand new backpacks!”

A special thank you to FoodieFit, Richard Harris Law Firm, the Backstreet Boys and everyone else who made this event a success!

Check out the video:

On Sunday, July 29, a group of seven people made up of supporters and friends of the Han-Schneider International Children’s Foundation loaded a van and headed for Mexico. While they knew they were going to be spending a week giving back to the orphans of Casa Hogar La Gloria, they didn’t imagine all they’d get back.

When the children arrived they immediately embraced our company. Each member of the mission trip team was assigned 2-3 kids who they served and bonded with the whole week. The trip entailed many activities and field trips all over the Baja region which included a farm, where they got to ride and groom horses, feed cows and learn how a farm operates; a attend a concert and outdoor movie; visit the famous Casitas Ranch where we played in ponds and navigated an obstacle course; made s’mores around a campfire and ended the final day at the beach playing in the water and riding the waves.

Our 2018 mission trip included plenty of playing, laughter and fun while we continued to bond a give them a week to never forget. The week concluded with affirmation campfire where the true bonds we created came to light. There were hugs, smiles, and a lot of tears as we were saying goodnight to the children for the last time this year. It was at this time when we realized how much our team got out of the week, “I knew it was going to be emotional but when I looked over and saw tears streaming down my kids face…I lost it” one team member said. Another said “I can’t believe the bonds we created in just a short week – I came here to give back I didn’t know how much I’d be taking away.”

After sending the children off, we again loaded into our van and started our way back home. A little dirtier, a little more tired but each team member came back with the love of a child they didn’t know existed only 6 days earlier.

Our mission trip program offers a unique opportunity to put a real face to our cause, bond with the children and see firsthand how your support is impacting the lives of so many. We hope you can join us next year for our 2019 Mission Trip!

On Friday, April 13, our friends, families and supporters gathered at Brookside Golf Course for the Han-Schneider International Children’s Foundation’s 5thAnnual Sam Han Classic golf tournament. With over 80 golfers in attendance, the event was kicked off with cold refreshments and a BBQ. Each golfer received a goodie bag which included a cooling towel, divot fixer, tees, balls and snacks. The golf tournament began as we sent out the 20 teams to their designated holes.

While out on the course, the golfers were greeted by our amazing volunteers who were stationed at the contest holes. This year the tournament featured both a male and female long distance drive, a closest to the pin, and three hole-in-one holes with the biggest prize being $10,000.00 cash. While no one was able to capture that elusive ace, all teams thoroughly enjoyed the day of good shots, bad shots and over-exaggerated drives.

When all the scorecards were tallied – one team proved better that day – Larry Pastre, Gary Klein, Jim Shearer and Ken Peterson were crowned the 5thAnnual Sam Han Classic champions with a team score of (-9). The winners each walked away with a box of balls, a bottle of wine, and a $100 gift certificate to Taekwon Korean BBQ. However, the real winners were the children in our programs. The 5th Annual Sam Han Classic raised nearly $18,000 to support our food an education initiatives in Cambodia, Mexico and Tanzania.

The event helped mark two special occasions to the foundation – first, our fifth year of hosting the Annual Sam Han Classic charity golf tournament; second, our 10 year anniversary in keeping Sam Han’s legacy of love burning bright. Both were big accomplishments but at the end of the day we realize it is you, our donors, whose compassion and generosity have allowed us to reach these milestones. On behalf of our organization, our partners who tirelessly work abroad, and the children we serve – a heartfelt thank you for all that you continue to do.