Ioana went shopping at the supermarket after a long day on the job. She had shopped here a billion times before, yet she still managed to notice a flyer, DO YOU WANT TO FURTHER YOUR EDUCATION? COME SIGN UP FOR THIS PRIVATE COLLEGE! Oh, wow, what a good opportunity. I wonder if this is something I should look into. Hey, wait. I think I know this guy, she thought while she read the contact information, realizing that the man in charge was a former next-door neighbor.

So, she signed up. There was nothing to it really. She always wanted to go to college, and she had nothing to lose now that the communism regime was overturned. The aides were assisting her in finding ways to pay for school, and she certainly wasn’t professionally attached to her secretarial job. Her classes ran from one in the afternoon until eight or even sometimes nine at night. She knew at the age of twenty-three, starting this excursion would be challenging. She would not be able to escape the three-hour train ride each day into Timisoara, a town in the western region of Romania. She registered for three classes. The sociology courses taught her about how societies lived around the world, and the philosophy classes opened her mind using ideas from Plato and Aristotle. But the psychology classes not only brought her closer to people, but the psychology program also positively changed her life. It educated her about the minds of the less fortunate and furthered her love of children.

“Okay, class, one of your final projects is finding ways to raise money for this agency called Bethany,” one of Iona’s professors announced one day, getting looks of grief and joy. Some people did not want to get involved with an organization that took care of street children, and some thought it was a great idea. Ioana was part of the latter group. She completed the assignment and received a good grade for talking to local businesses and the citizens of Timisoara, convincing them to donate money for a good cause.

“Everyone did a great job,” her professor acknowledged. “Now, while you are home relaxing on winter break, go to local organizations in your hometowns and see whom you can help there.” That isn’t a bad idea, she thought, staring out the window, bumping slightly up and down from the turbulence of the train.

Ioana traveled back home and rested, trying to think of a place she could offer assistance, when she thought of the town orphanage that did not have a name, sometimes called “The Children’s Place.” She asked a few people in her neighborhood where she could locate it and finally found it right across from the town hall.

“Hi, I’m a college student in Timisoara, and I would like to volunteer my time here. Is there something in particular you are looking for?” Ioana asked politely, sitting in front of the orphanage directors.

“Well, we are more than willing to take your help. We always need another pair of hands. You would need to fill out some paperwork,” one of the women said. “What are you willing to do?”

“What do you need?”

Almost interrupting Ioana, the other director spouted out, “We need everyday things like toothbrushes and toothpaste, pajamas, and socks and shoes.” Ioana sat there humbled. She understood that this was an opportunity simply to help.

I can go to the electronics store, she thought, and a bunch of other stores in the area. A little money will go a long way. The children need these things.

“I’d love to,” said the owner of the Deva electronic boutique.

“I won’t be able to donate much, but the store could afford to help a little,” a local cosmetic storeowner politely said, as did many other mom-and-pop shop owners. Ioana was very excited, knowing that with many companies willing to help, she could raise plenty of money to purchase items for the many children of the orphanage. After talking to local businesses, she sat in her comfortable apartment thinking, knowing her professor would be happy with her great idea. Making care packages for the little ones would be the ideal support. With one hundred leis, the Romanian currency, bags of clothes and cleansing items were made for all 50 children. Ioana also splurged on candy and toys for the tots, knowing that as much as they needed everyday things, they needed “kid” stuff, too.

After months of searching and price hunting, Ioana and her coworkers bought and arranged the supplies. Throughout the weeks, Ioana visited the orphanage’s manager, yet on this particular day, something struck her. She walked past a big old house with a familiar gate and went under the tunnel noticing the insurance company next door. Wow, I think this is where I went to school as a girl. Wait, she thought as she stood scanning the scene, in such a way that she should have been holding a movie camera, panning the set for a viewing audience, how can I come here so many times and not realize this? This country is changing so much; Romania hasn’t been the same since communism left. Going to kindergarten is much different than children today––just look at these children now. Oh, my!

“Many, many local businesses contributed to raising enough for all of this? These packages were just what we needed. This is wonderful!”

“Yes, they did. I can’t wait to see the kids’ faces. Especially John, speaking of which…. I would like to take him home for the weekend. Can we set up the paperwork?” Ioana patiently sat awaiting the manager’s reply, knowing that this was a big choice in her life. She remembered the beginning of her volunteer work, taking care of the children’s resources, and now realizing that her tasks grew into tending to their emotional needs as well.

One day, after work, Ioana spent some of her free time at the orphanage. “We were wondering if today you would sit with the kids. They just need someone to talk to or read to them,” one of the head women asked with hope.

“Sure, I’d love to.” Ioana knew the children would take to her with her calm demeanor. She knew how to respond to children, spending time with them and merely giving them the attention she felt they deserved.

Some of the children had issues grander than average five-year-olds should have. Behavioral problems existed in some of the kids, but Ioana never let that set her back from being one of the few adults in their lives providing a positive environment. John was always grabbing her leg, clinging like a Kuala bear does to a tree. Faults and all, she grew to love all of the children, however, he seemed to touch her heart a little differently. Her yearning to help the children extended even more to him and his well being. This explained the interest in taking him home for a visit. Some of the other workers did the same with other children.

Back in the office, the manager quietly looked her in the eye. “Ioana, I don’t think you’ll be able to take him. See, his father still comes around the orphanage, and I think out of respect to him and the lack of confusion for John, you just shouldn’t.”

Ioana, still sitting there, stared blankly at first and then softly said, “Oh, I didn’t know. Okay.” The manager’s words had blown out the excitement in Ioana’s heart, like someone would snuff out a candle at bedtime. She couldn't show her complete feelings. She just brushed things aside and brought herself back to the original reason she went there.

“Miss Ioana, Miss Ioana, look what we got!” All of the kids were running and cheering. They never received such gifts like this before. They felt so special and important, and Ioana knew she had done a great thing. All of my hard work paid off; all of their faces are lit. There isn’t a single face that isn’t glowing with happiness.

“Do you like what you got, kids,” Ioana said, squatting down to the children’s level, getting closer to their eager faces and bursting excitement.

The whole room cheered, “Yeeeeaaahhhhh!”

“Make sure you say thank you to Miss Ioana,” the manager announced as she walked into the already crowded room.

“Thank you,” they all screamed in unison jumping up and down like baby kangaroos.

“So, Ioana, did you spend all of the leis on these things?”

“No, actually we thought we’d just give the rest to you to pay for the orphanage's bills and bigger financial priorities,” Ioana made clear, turning to smile at her. The manager smiled even bigger right back.

Ioana still thinks of the orphanage and her child friend often, especially once she got married and began wanting to start a family of her own in her newly adopted country, the United States. Her work at the Romanian orphanage made a lasting impact on her, cementing her desire to devote her life to helping people of all ages.