We are excited to announce an opportunity for you to help Universal Angels Network spread our message of kindness and compassion into the broader Central Texas community.
UAN has been approved by Austin nonprofit "I Live Here I Give Here" to join Amplify Austin Day-2021, an annual Day of Giving that unites local nonprofits and generous donors who share the common goal of making Central Texas a better place to live for everyone.
Generosity is "amplified" on this day because donations are matched by participating sponsors and go further to support local causes.
We need your help.
By joining our campaign, you can help us reach our goal of $10,000 and 100 donors. We hope you will tell your friends and family about UAN's mission, and please invite them to visit our Amplify Austin profile to learn who we are and how we serve.
Get ready!
Beginning at 6:00 pm on Thursday, March 4th, we encourage you to visit our profile and donate by clicking this safe link: UAN - Amplify Austin
For your gift to be eligible for a sponsor match and be counted towards our goal, it must be donated before 6:00 pm on March 5th.
UAN offers multiple causes to support. During 2021, we will help bring clean water to drought-stricken areas of South America, and we are dedicating fundraising efforts to meeting the following local needs:
Educational materials for local foster homes
Care packages for local women’s shelters
School supplies for lower-income students in the Austin area
Questions? If you have any questions or would like more information, please email Lynda Lerma Rannefeld. Thank you in advance for your generosity to Universal Angels Network.
UAN hosts cooking classes for members in order to demonstrate how cultures from around the world prepare tasty and nutritious meals that support health, wellbeing and a sense of community. Stimulating our taste buds as well as our souls, these fun and educational experiences leave you fulfilled in more ways than one.
Click here to see pictures from our first class, which was held prior to Covid-19.
For our members safety, current classes are held virtually. Our very first Zoom class, hosted by UAN Education Director and Gourmet Chef, Ha Phan, features a traditional Asian dish:
Mid-Autumn Hotpot
Mid-autumn is a long-awaited celebration in Vietnamese culture. It’s when the weather cools down, trees change colors, the moon is at its fullest and brightest in a year, and farmers reap what they planted in the spring. In the high spirit of mid-autumn, Vietnamese people like to gather around hotpot meals full of warmth, natural aroma, and vibrant colors to share delicious food and a good time.
Hotpot is a metal pot of simmering broth that sits atop a burner in the center of the table, while plates of prepared spices, vegetables, starches, sea food, and raw meats are arranged all around it. Ingredients are added, typically carefully paired together to maximize nutritional and medicinal health benefits, to the boiling broth to cook, then scooped out using fine-mesh spoons. A hotpot meal is a uniquely communal dining experience and may last for hours.
For this mid-Autumn hotpot, Ha simplified the traditional hotpot recipe to include ingredients that are beneficial from a nutritional and health perspective, and at the same time, easy to find at local grocery stores.
Some of the medicinal health benefit this mid-Autumn hotpot offers are:
Activates your senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch)
Enhances soothing feeling (rice paddy herb, natural aroma and warmth of the hotpot)
Supports joint comfort (turmeric and tamarin)
Boosts the immune system (garlic, onion, turmeric, bean sprouts, celery, pineapple)
Promotes digestive health (turmeric, garlic, pumpkin, celery, okra)
We hope you enjoy watching the video below, and sign-up to be notified of future events:
To recognize and reward the humanitarian relief provided to women, children, and refugees residing in northern Uganda, the Sewing Hope Foundation has awarded its 2020 "Spirit of Hope Award" to Dr. Ann Huynh and the Universal Angels Network. The Sewing Hope Foundation's mission is to support Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe, one of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People of 2014", as she tirelessly works to educate and rebuild the lives of women and children victimized by Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army.
FROM THE SEWING HOPE FOUNDATION'S WEBSITE:
"For 25 years Joseph Kony and the LRA Terrorized Northern Uganda. They abducted children and forced them to commit atrocities against their own families and communities. Girls as young as thirteen were degraded to sex slaves for Kony's officers."
"Now, the war is over, but the decades of brutal conflict have deeply scarred the people of Uganda. Child soldiers return to the very communities they committed violent crimes against, and the girls carry with them a constant reminder of their abuse: their captors' children. These girls and their children are often ostracized by their communities, and most lack the skills they need to provide for their families."
"Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe presides over Saint Monica's Vocational School in Gulu, Uganda. She lived through the horror created by Kony's LRA and now works to heal the wounds inflicted on her people. She invites formerly abducted girls to Saint Monica's where they learn skills to provide for their families. Through vocational training, these young women gain independence. Through community with their fellow students, they find forgiveness. Through the restoration of their lost futures, they find hope."
HOW UAN IS HELPING
Water Tank in Atiak
In recent years, the shift in need has been from civil war survivors to refugee families who spill across the border from the strife in South Sudan. A second school and medical clinic began construction in Atiak to support this need, and in 2019, UAN donated $8,000 towards the construction of a reservoir tank to hold water used by residents. This water is also shared with local villagers during times of drought.
Refugees
Medical Clinic in Atiak
UAN donated $19,000 for construction costs related to a new medical clinic in Atiak. Construction is almost complete.
College Sponsorships and School Supplies
It is easy to understand how a good education has the power to dramatically change lives. In 2020, UAN started a college sponsorship program to help develop a more educated and self-sustainable population. This program focuses on offering assistance for students in the area who pursue medical, agricultural, and education degrees. So far, UAN has sponsored the education for three medical students (2 nurses and 1 doctor) and one agricultural student. UAN plans to sponsor two more medical students this year.
The sisters lead adult literacy classes in the refugee camps, but they desperately need school supplies to accommodate the large numbers of people who fall under their care.
You can help by donating below.
Global Pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all of our lives, regardless of where we reside on the planet geographically. UAN believes it is important for humanity to unite in the spirit of universal love and compassion, so that we may share resources and support each other through this time of crisis.
We are fortunate in the U.S. that supplies for basic sanitary prevention are readily available. In northern Uganda, a shortage of soap and masks, along with overcrowded refugee camps, substantially increases the risk of infection in the area. This risk is intensified due to the lack of medical infrastructure to adequately care for those who may become sick.
Out of necessity, the sisters are making their own liquid soap and masks for residents of the orphanages and local villages, and the thousands who seek refuge in the area. Upon hearing reports of the difficult conditions and challenges that were continuing to unfold, UAN quickly raised over $1,000 from generous contributors to go towards the purchase of materials for masks and soap. We would like to express our sincere gratitude for our loving brothers and sisters who join us in this work to help relieve suffering around the glove.
We are all in this together.
If you would like to help, please consider a small donation to go towards the purchase of materials for masks and liquid soap. A $15 donation can provide materials to make 20 masks and 10 liters of liquid soap.
Can You Help?
Please join our efforts to support Sister Rosemary's work in Northern Uganda. A donation as little as $15 can provide materials to make 20 masks and 10 liters of liquid hand soap to help slow the spread of Covid-19 in this region.
The smiles you see above are expressions of gratitude for all who helped Universal Angels Network (UAN) raise $27,400 for critical water and medical infrastructure needs at the Sewing Hope Orphan Village in Atiak, Uganda.
From Left to Right, the smiles belong to: Father Jim Chamberlain, Ph.D.,P.E., Co-Director for Education & Outreach, OU WaTER Center; Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe, Sewing Hope Foundation; Ann Huynh, UAN Founder and President; Kiet Huynh, UAN Charity Director.
Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe has worked tirelessly for years to restore dignity and hope to the lives of young women and children who suffered unspeakable atrocities during the Ugandan civil war.
UAN Founder and President, Ann Huynh, accompanied by UAN Charity Director Kiet Huynh, were privileged to recently sit down in Dallas, TX with Sister Rosemary from the Sewing Hope Foundation, and Father Jim Chamberlain, Ph.D. of the OU WaTER Center, to celebrate UAN's successful fundraising efforts and to discuss future projects.
Water; the universal solvent to the chemist. But to most folks, it is the sustainer of life. And, to most folks in America, water is by nature a plentiful commodity; even during drought conditions do you go thirsty? At best we are slightly inconvenienced with a lawn that is a bit dry. Water is at the tap ready for its use to serve our every need. Half way around the world in India, that is not necessarily the case. The people in many villages in far reaching remote areas live off streams, rivers, and rain water collected by hand for personal use. The environment itself can contaminate these sources of water, which is not good for human existence.
Universal Angels Network, UAN, has completed numerous fresh water, hand pump type wells in India recently (please see pictures below) illustrating the use of our donations and the people we serve. As a member of UAN, we may never meet any of these village folk, but I can assure you that we have touched every heart there by the thousands. This good work not only gives fresh water for drinking and growing food, but this water goes much further. Personal hygiene in these villages is less than desirable considering the lack of such basic needs. With better personal hygiene, children and adults will be less susceptible to disease, simply by having the ability to wash their hands and food products in clean water. Something we take for granted in our busy lives. Cross contamination through personal contact is a major contributor in turning a localized disease into a pandemic. Will it stop such threats on humanity? No, but education, coupled with lessons in personal hygiene, can certainly slow such ravages on humanity. It is these baby steps of improving people’s lives from survival into thriving, healthy communities.
Hope is something that can be a distant emotion in a person struggling for survival. Our presence through our contributions and those representatives of UAN working among the people of these villages give hope. When UAN drills a water wells in a village and then gathers the community around to demonstrate the functioning well by pumping fresh water, it surely evokes an emotion of hope and love among everyone presence. Perhaps to you or me it would only be a crude and somewhat antiquated technology. But to people that have never had such technology, it can only be an epiphany in hope for better days to come.
Having this abundance created in these communities also takes one worry off the plate for the people living here. I would not pretend to know what it is like to live day-to-day wondering where my next meal is coming from or if my child will survive the environment they all live in. But I do know that providing them fresh drinking water is a huge impact on these simple lives. In some ways it could mean the difference between life and death.
Many of you have given to this specific project and to the service of UAN without any expectations or caveat. You have given from the heart with compassion for those less fortunate than us with the only expectation of serving humanity in some simple but necessary way. I think it is important for all of us to contemplate the real impact your efforts have made here. You should be proud that UAN is one organization doing simple things for simple folks while making the world a better place. Let what you take for granted be a gift to the world and the good people in it.
On February 24, 2019, for the second year in a row, students, parents, and faculty members of the Vietnamese program at Linh Son Buddhist Temple in Austin met with UAN representatives to collect donations and to celebrate another successful Angels in Training fundraising campaign.
UAN's Angels in Training program provides children with an opportunity to practice compassion and to witness how joining together for a good cause can improve the lives of others, as well as our own. As a result of their kindness and collective efforts, the Linh Son "Angels in Training" were able to raise $1,000 for the benefit of our partner, Sakya Care Foundation.
Dr. Ky Nguyen, Sakya Care Foundation's Medical Team Leader, explains how donations raised by the children help others.
UAN Founder/President, Ann Huynh
After emptying donations into the giant Angel Bank, everyone celebrated with delicious snacks provided by UAN.
After the final count was tallied, UAN presented a $1,000 check to Sakya Care Foundation President, Dr. Jowan Do.
(L) UAN Founder/President, Ann Huynh, (R) Sakya Care Foundation President, Dr. Jowan Do.
From Left to Right: Ann Huynh, UAN Founder/President; Lam Le, Director of Vietnamese Language Program; Dr. Jowan Do, Sakya Care Foundation President; Ha Phan, PhD., UAN Director of Education; Tan Tran, Principal of Vietnamese Language School; Dr. Ky Nguyen, Sakya Care Foundation Medical Team Leader
It was an inspiring day. Attendees saw evidence of how seeds of compassion sown in the children's hearts are blossoming into acts of generosity. It truly does take a village. UAN is grateful for our partners at Linh Son Temple's Vietnamese Language Program and Sakya Care Foundation. We look forward to future collaborations that help build upon the work so far. Together, we can help create a more kind and compassionate community.
Special thanks to UAN Director of Education, Ha Phan, Ph.D. who coordinates our Angels in Training activities at Linh Son Temple.
Additional details and words of gratitude from Dr. Phan about this campaign, as well as dates for an upcoming Angels In Training campaign that will benefit needy children in Houston, are available by clicking below:
At Universal Angels Network (UAN), we design programs and workshops that build community. Sometimes, we bring people together for reasons not so obvious. Behind the activities we choose, often there's a deeper reason for gathering, like:
Nurturing souls.
We nurture souls by sharing wisdom and by demonstrating unconditional love and compassion. This leads to gratitude, followed by inspiration. A chain reaction that spreads even more love and compassion throughout the world. Remember, large ripples in water begin with the tiniest of pebbles.
But who do we serve? How do we bring them together?
At UAN, we hold a special place in our hearts for two groups that are often overlooked by our busy society:
Elderly people and children.
The elderly have much wisdom to share for those willing to be still and listen. Wisdom earned from years of education and life experiences. One paradox of aging is the fact that while we gain wisdom as we age, we also experience a decline in fine motor skills. We know more, but find it harder to do simple things like opening pickle jars and buttoning our shirts.
Loneliness can be an issue as we witness the passing of friends and family members. Social connection is a core human need that becomes harder to meet. Without close friends or a nurturing family environment, life often feels meaningless.
For children, life can be hard, even when they have two parents and a stable home environment. For those kids without positive role models, the risk of hardship is even greater. Children need exposure to patient and kind elders who care about them. Someone who can show them the ropes and inspire them to perverse through life's challenges. Someone who can be a comforting, calm presence in their life.
Social isolation affects children too. Bullying and lack of social connection often lead to depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and increased risk of substance abuse. Teen suicide rates continue to climb as society struggles for answers.
These social issues are complex and not easily solved. Solving them will take time, money, and great ideas.
To help, UAN members have joined together and come up with a simple idea. And sometimes, it's the simple ideas that can make a big difference in someone's life. Ideas like the
Universal Angels’ Knitting Group.
That's right, knitting!
The Universal Angels Knitting Group has been meeting every second Saturday since March 2018. Beginners and experienced knitters gather to knit hats and scarves for Austin's homeless and formerly homeless residents of Community First Village.
Besides the good feelings that come from helping others, the group experiences cognitive and physical benefits, too. Knitting uses rhythmic, repetitive hand movements that focus the mind and lead to a relaxed state, much like meditation. Studies show that once beyond the initial learning curve, knitting can reduce heart rate, blood pressure, and the stress hormone, cortisol, as well as provide a sense of creative fulfillment.
Knitting is good for the mind, body, and soul!
The dynamics within UAN’s knitting group are inspiring to witness. Knitting sessions have included current and retired educators, health professionals, and psychologists, among other helping professions. There's a symbiotic relationship that emerges between the younger and older participants. The older folks feel inspired by the youngsters’ energy and enthusiasm, while the kids enjoy a heartfelt connection with elders who offer sage advice and loving examples of compassion. All in a safe, fun, and relaxed environment. Often, the roles are reversed. UAN’s most patient and enthusiastic knitting instructor, Piper, is 12 years old!
At UAN, we are excited about the possibilities for our Angels’ Knitting Group.
We invite you and your children to join us.
While knitting supplies are free for children, we ask for a small donation of $10 for adults to help offset the cost.
Refreshments are provided.
For more information, please contact Marnie Roberson, at (512) 436-8105.
Universal Angels Network granted 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Status
Austin, TX – Universal Angels Network (UAN) is proud to announce it is now officially a public charity with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Contributions donated to UAN are fully tax-deductible, and UAN is now eligible to apply for government and foundation grants which will broaden its access to resources that strengthen its ability to provide humanitarian relief and assistance to those in need around the world.
“Obtaining 501(c)(3) status is a major milestone for UAN” remarked President and Founder Ann Huynh. “This designation will allow us to expand fundraising activities for our projects, here and abroad, that will help alleviate suffering for so many who suffer the effects of extreme poverty and other hardships. We are grateful for this opportunity to expand our ability to serve others.”
UAN’s mission is to provide humanitarian relief and assistance to those in need around the world. We seek to educate and inspire others to nurture virtue, kindness, compassion and joy in selfless giving. Charityis the forefront of our mission. We provide food, clothing, direct financial assistance, and more to those in need around the world. Holistic alternative healthcare is provided to those experiencing financial hardship. Education is key. In addition to helping build and supply reading materials for schools and libraries, we develop and support educational programs that teach virtue, kindness, compassion and joy in selfless giving.
On Wednesday, June 7th, UAN was invited to participate in a Health and Charity Fair hosted by Austin company Netspend at it’s north location on Airport Blvd. UAN was among 37 other health, wellness and charitable organizations invited to showcase their causes in front of Netspend’s 280 employees working at this location. Board members James Rannefeld, Kiet Huynh and Brent Howell were very encouraged by the response they received from Netspend employees who heard details of UAN’s “Angels In Training” program. So many people were excited to take Angel Banks with them and were willing to share email addresses in order to keep up to date with UAN activities. Many people expressed a desire to participate in volunteer opportunities and we met representatives from other potential partner organizations who share the same goal of serving others. What a wonderful day!
Last Updated: April 9, 2021 by James Rannefeld Leave a Comment
Amplify Austin Day
We are excited to announce an opportunity for you to help Universal Angels Network spread our message of kindness and compassion into the broader Central Texas community.
UAN has been approved by Austin nonprofit "I Live Here I Give Here" to join Amplify Austin Day-2021, an annual Day of Giving that unites local nonprofits and generous donors who share the common goal of making Central Texas a better place to live for everyone.
Generosity is "amplified" on this day because donations are matched by participating sponsors and go further to support local causes.
We need your help.
By joining our campaign, you can help us reach our goal of $10,000 and 100 donors. We hope you will tell your friends and family about UAN's mission, and please invite them to visit our Amplify Austin profile to learn who we are and how we serve.
Get ready!
Beginning at 6:00 pm on Thursday, March 4th, we encourage you to visit our profile and donate by clicking this safe link: UAN - Amplify Austin
For your gift to be eligible for a sponsor match and be counted towards our goal, it must be donated before 6:00 pm on March 5th.
UAN offers multiple causes to support. During 2021, we will help bring clean water to drought-stricken areas of South America, and we are dedicating fundraising efforts to meeting the following local needs:
Questions? If you have any questions or would like more information, please email Lynda Lerma Rannefeld. Thank you in advance for your generosity to Universal Angels Network.
Last Updated: November 29, 2020 by James Rannefeld Leave a Comment
ZOOM Cooking Class: Mid-Autumn Hotpot
UAN hosts cooking classes for members in order to demonstrate how cultures from around the world prepare tasty and nutritious meals that support health, wellbeing and a sense of community. Stimulating our taste buds as well as our souls, these fun and educational experiences leave you fulfilled in more ways than one.
Click here to see pictures from our first class, which was held prior to Covid-19.
For our members safety, current classes are held virtually. Our very first Zoom class, hosted by UAN Education Director and Gourmet Chef, Ha Phan, features a traditional Asian dish:
Mid-Autumn Hotpot
Mid-autumn is a long-awaited celebration in Vietnamese culture. It’s when the weather cools down, trees change colors, the moon is at its fullest and brightest in a year, and farmers reap what they planted in the spring. In the high spirit of mid-autumn, Vietnamese people like to gather around hotpot meals full of warmth, natural aroma, and vibrant colors to share delicious food and a good time.
Hotpot is a metal pot of simmering broth that sits atop a burner in the center of the table, while plates of prepared spices, vegetables, starches, sea food, and raw meats are arranged all around it. Ingredients are added, typically carefully paired together to maximize nutritional and medicinal health benefits, to the boiling broth to cook, then scooped out using fine-mesh spoons. A hotpot meal is a uniquely communal dining experience and may last for hours.
For this mid-Autumn hotpot, Ha simplified the traditional hotpot recipe to include ingredients that are beneficial from a nutritional and health perspective, and at the same time, easy to find at local grocery stores.
Some of the medicinal health benefit this mid-Autumn hotpot offers are:
We hope you enjoy watching the video below, and sign-up to be notified of future events:
Last Updated: April 9, 2021 by James Rannefeld Leave a Comment
2020 Spirit of Hope Award Goes to Dr. Ann Huynh and UAN
To recognize and reward the humanitarian relief provided to women, children, and refugees residing in northern Uganda, the Sewing Hope Foundation has awarded its 2020 "Spirit of Hope Award" to Dr. Ann Huynh and the Universal Angels Network. The Sewing Hope Foundation's mission is to support Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe, one of Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People of 2014", as she tirelessly works to educate and rebuild the lives of women and children victimized by Joseph Kony and the Lord's Resistance Army.
FROM THE SEWING HOPE FOUNDATION'S WEBSITE:
"For 25 years Joseph Kony and the LRA Terrorized Northern Uganda. They abducted children and forced them to commit atrocities against their own families and communities. Girls as young as thirteen were degraded to sex slaves for Kony's officers."
"Now, the war is over, but the decades of brutal conflict have deeply scarred the people of Uganda. Child soldiers return to the very communities they committed violent crimes against, and the girls carry with them a constant reminder of their abuse: their captors' children. These girls and their children are often ostracized by their communities, and most lack the skills they need to provide for their families."
"Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe presides over Saint Monica's Vocational School in Gulu, Uganda. She lived through the horror created by Kony's LRA and now works to heal the wounds inflicted on her people. She invites formerly abducted girls to Saint Monica's where they learn skills to provide for their families. Through vocational training, these young women gain independence. Through community with their fellow students, they find forgiveness. Through the restoration of their lost futures, they find hope."
HOW UAN IS HELPING
Water Tank in Atiak
Medical Clinic in Atiak
UAN donated $19,000 for construction costs related to a new medical clinic in Atiak. Construction is almost complete.
College Sponsorships and School Supplies
It is easy to understand how a good education has the power to dramatically change lives. In 2020, UAN started a college sponsorship program to help develop a more educated and self-sustainable population. This program focuses on offering assistance for students in the area who pursue medical, agricultural, and education degrees. So far, UAN has sponsored the education for three medical students (2 nurses and 1 doctor) and one agricultural student. UAN plans to sponsor two more medical students this year.
The sisters lead adult literacy classes in the refugee camps, but they desperately need school supplies to accommodate the large numbers of people who fall under their care.
You can help by donating below.
Global Pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all of our lives, regardless of where we reside on the planet geographically. UAN believes it is important for humanity to unite in the spirit of universal love and compassion, so that we may share resources and support each other through this time of crisis.
We are fortunate in the U.S. that supplies for basic sanitary prevention are readily available. In northern Uganda, a shortage of soap and masks, along with overcrowded refugee camps, substantially increases the risk of infection in the area. This risk is intensified due to the lack of medical infrastructure to adequately care for those who may become sick.
Out of necessity, the sisters are making their own liquid soap and masks for residents of the orphanages and local villages, and the thousands who seek refuge in the area. Upon hearing reports of the difficult conditions and challenges that were continuing to unfold, UAN quickly raised over $1,000 from generous contributors to go towards the purchase of materials for masks and soap. We would like to express our sincere gratitude for our loving brothers and sisters who join us in this work to help relieve suffering around the glove.
We are all in this together.
If you would like to help, please consider a small donation to go towards the purchase of materials for masks and liquid soap. A $15 donation can provide materials to make 20 masks and 10 liters of liquid soap.
Can You Help?
Please join our efforts to support Sister Rosemary's work in Northern Uganda. A donation as little as $15 can provide materials to make 20 masks and 10 liters of liquid hand soap to help slow the spread of Covid-19 in this region.
More information about Sewing Hope Foundation is available at http://www.sewinghopefoundation.com/
Last Updated: January 27, 2020 by James Rannefeld Leave a Comment
Join Us For a Kendra Scott Gives Back Party!
On Tuesday, Feb 11th, The Kendra Scott store at the Domain will donate 20% of all jewelry sales made between 6:00 and 8:00 PM to UAN.
Champagne and sweets will be provided!
Browse Kendra Scott’s beautiful jewelry ahead of time by visiting www.kendrascott.com
See below for more details.
Last Updated: April 9, 2021 by James Rannefeld Leave a Comment
UAN Gives to Sewing Hope Foundation
The smiles you see above are expressions of gratitude for all who helped Universal Angels Network (UAN) raise $27,400 for critical water and medical infrastructure needs at the Sewing Hope Orphan Village in Atiak, Uganda.
From Left to Right, the smiles belong to: Father Jim Chamberlain, Ph.D.,P.E., Co-Director for Education & Outreach, OU WaTER Center; Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe, Sewing Hope Foundation; Ann Huynh, UAN Founder and President; Kiet Huynh, UAN Charity Director.
Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe has worked tirelessly for years to restore dignity and hope to the lives of young women and children who suffered unspeakable atrocities during the Ugandan civil war.
UAN Founder and President, Ann Huynh, accompanied by UAN Charity Director Kiet Huynh, were privileged to recently sit down in Dallas, TX with Sister Rosemary from the Sewing Hope Foundation, and Father Jim Chamberlain, Ph.D. of the OU WaTER Center, to celebrate UAN's successful fundraising efforts and to discuss future projects.
To learn more about Sister Rosemary and the Sewing Hope Foundation, please visit: http://www.sewinghopefoundation.com/sister-rosemary.html
Together, we can work to improve the lives of so many who have suffered!
Last Updated: August 11, 2020 by James Rannefeld Leave a Comment
Give Water, Give Life – UAN in India
Water; the universal solvent to the chemist. But to most folks, it is the sustainer of life. And, to most folks in America, water is by nature a plentiful commodity; even during drought conditions do you go thirsty? At best we are slightly inconvenienced with a lawn that is a bit dry. Water is at the tap ready for its use to serve our every need. Half way around the world in India, that is not necessarily the case. The people in many villages in far reaching remote areas live off streams, rivers, and rain water collected by hand for personal use. The environment itself can contaminate these sources of water, which is not good for human existence.
Universal Angels Network, UAN, has completed numerous fresh water, hand pump type wells in India recently (please see pictures below) illustrating the use of our donations and the people we serve. As a member of UAN, we may never meet any of these village folk, but I can assure you that we have touched every heart there by the thousands. This good work not only gives fresh water for drinking and growing food, but this water goes much further. Personal hygiene in these villages is less than desirable considering the lack of such basic needs. With better personal hygiene, children and adults will be less susceptible to disease, simply by having the ability to wash their hands and food products in clean water. Something we take for granted in our busy lives. Cross contamination through personal contact is a major contributor in turning a localized disease into a pandemic. Will it stop such threats on humanity? No, but education, coupled with lessons in personal hygiene, can certainly slow such ravages on humanity. It is these baby steps of improving people’s lives from survival into thriving, healthy communities.
Hope is something that can be a distant emotion in a person struggling for survival. Our presence through our contributions and those representatives of UAN working among the people of these villages give hope. When UAN drills a water wells in a village and then gathers the community around to demonstrate the functioning well by pumping fresh water, it surely evokes an emotion of hope and love among everyone presence. Perhaps to you or me it would only be a crude and somewhat antiquated technology. But to people that have never had such technology, it can only be an epiphany in hope for better days to come.
Having this abundance created in these communities also takes one worry off the plate for the people living here. I would not pretend to know what it is like to live day-to-day wondering where my next meal is coming from or if my child will survive the environment they all live in. But I do know that providing them fresh drinking water is a huge impact on these simple lives. In some ways it could mean the difference between life and death.
Many of you have given to this specific project and to the service of UAN without any expectations or caveat. You have given from the heart with compassion for those less fortunate than us with the only expectation of serving humanity in some simple but necessary way. I think it is important for all of us to contemplate the real impact your efforts have made here. You should be proud that UAN is one organization doing simple things for simple folks while making the world a better place. Let what you take for granted be a gift to the world and the good people in it.
Pat Corbett - Author and UAN Member
Last Updated: April 9, 2021 by James Rannefeld Leave a Comment
Angels In Training Give $1,000 to Sakya Care Foundation
On February 24, 2019, for the second year in a row, students, parents, and faculty members of the Vietnamese program at Linh Son Buddhist Temple in Austin met with UAN representatives to collect donations and to celebrate another successful Angels in Training fundraising campaign.
UAN's Angels in Training program provides children with an opportunity to practice compassion and to witness how joining together for a good cause can improve the lives of others, as well as our own. As a result of their kindness and collective efforts, the Linh Son "Angels in Training" were able to raise $1,000 for the benefit of our partner, Sakya Care Foundation.
After emptying donations into the giant Angel Bank, everyone celebrated with delicious snacks provided by UAN.
After the final count was tallied, UAN presented a $1,000 check to Sakya Care Foundation President, Dr. Jowan Do.
It was an inspiring day. Attendees saw evidence of how seeds of compassion sown in the children's hearts are blossoming into acts of generosity. It truly does take a village. UAN is grateful for our partners at Linh Son Temple's Vietnamese Language Program and Sakya Care Foundation. We look forward to future collaborations that help build upon the work so far. Together, we can help create a more kind and compassionate community.
Special thanks to UAN Director of Education, Ha Phan, Ph.D. who coordinates our Angels in Training activities at Linh Son Temple.
Additional details and words of gratitude from Dr. Phan about this campaign, as well as dates for an upcoming Angels In Training campaign that will benefit needy children in Houston, are available by clicking below:
Ha Phan Letter to Parents - English
Ha Phan - Letter to Parents - Vietnamese
To learn more about Sakya Care Foundation, please click here.
To learn more about UAN's Angels In Training program, please click here.
More pictures are available in our gallery by clicking here.
Last Updated: April 9, 2021 by James Rannefeld Leave a Comment
UAN’s Knitting Group
Nurturing souls.
Elderly people and children.
Universal Angels’ Knitting Group.
Last Updated: March 26, 2018 by James Rannefeld Leave a Comment
Universal Angels Network Granted 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Status
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2018
Universal Angels Network granted 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Status
Austin, TX – Universal Angels Network (UAN) is proud to announce it is now officially a public charity with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Contributions donated to UAN are fully tax-deductible, and UAN is now eligible to apply for government and foundation grants which will broaden its access to resources that strengthen its ability to provide humanitarian relief and assistance to those in need around the world.
“Obtaining 501(c)(3) status is a major milestone for UAN” remarked President and Founder Ann Huynh. “This designation will allow us to expand fundraising activities for our projects, here and abroad, that will help alleviate suffering for so many who suffer the effects of extreme poverty and other hardships. We are grateful for this opportunity to expand our ability to serve others.”
UAN’s mission is to provide humanitarian relief and assistance to those in need around the world. We seek to educate and inspire others to nurture virtue, kindness, compassion and joy in selfless giving. Charity is the forefront of our mission. We provide food, clothing, direct financial assistance, and more to those in need around the world. Holistic alternative healthcare is provided to those experiencing financial hardship. Education is key. In addition to helping build and supply reading materials for schools and libraries, we develop and support educational programs that teach virtue, kindness, compassion and joy in selfless giving.
For more information, please visit www.universalangelsnetwork.org or contact info@universalangelsnetwork.org.
Click here for a PDF copy of the Official Press Release.
Last Updated: June 10, 2017 by James Rannefeld Leave a Comment
UAN Participates in Netspend’s Health and Charity Fair
On Wednesday, June 7th, UAN was invited to participate in a Health and Charity Fair hosted by Austin company Netspend at it’s north location on Airport Blvd. UAN was among 37 other health, wellness and charitable organizations invited to showcase their causes in front of Netspend’s 280 employees working at this location. Board members James Rannefeld, Kiet Huynh and Brent Howell were very encouraged by the response they received from Netspend employees who heard details of UAN’s “Angels In Training” program. So many people were excited to take Angel Banks with them and were willing to share email addresses in order to keep up to date with UAN activities. Many people expressed a desire to participate in volunteer opportunities and we met representatives from other potential partner organizations who share the same goal of serving others. What a wonderful day!
Thanks Netspend for this great event!
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