Operation Smile – Giving Children Hope One Smile At A Time

 

My baby’s smile melts my heart, it is the first thing I see in the morning, and it is what gets me through my day when I am not doing so well. That’s why I think what Operation Smile is doing for children is so important and truly remarkable. 

Every three minutes a child is born with a cleft – often unable to eat, speak, socialize or smile. Operation Smile’s team of medical experts helps ensure that these children, many of whom are shunned by their communities or have parents who could not otherwise afford the surgery, receive the care they need to lead normal, healthy lives.Having performed over 200,000 free surgeries and helped so many needy children, they are bringing smiles to the faces of children and young adults in over 60 countries.However, they cannot perform any of these miracles without support from medical, student, and teacher volunteers, and donations from people like you and me.

 

For as little as $240, you can help provide a cleft lip of cleft palate surgery. Donations that exceed the cost of surgery go towards sustaining the program and ensuring that medical professionals can reach the countries that need the most help. very dollar counts. Every gift helps change a hurting child’s life. 

There are many ways you can help a child smile again!Aside from becoming a volunteer, you can donate in the following ways:– Online at Operation Smile

 

– Through Campus Book Rentals.com:

 

Campus Book Rentals offers new and gently used textbooks for half of their price. It helps students balancing their budget by renting books instead of buying them.In 2011, Campus Book Rentals started the Making A Difference Program.  For EVERY book rented, a portion of the proceeds are donated to Operation Smile. Isn’t that great? Combine the love of reading and studying and the love of giving back to your community!! So why wait? Help spread the word about this program. Every dollar counts!! Small contributions make big diffrences.- Through the Giving Catalogue at, where you can select exactly where your contribution is going and “purchase” a surgery for a child.

– You can also plan your donation at, choosing to leave money to Operation Smile in your will.

– Corporations can also get involved, and have often matched donations generated by their employees through various fundraising activities.

Whatever way you choose to become involved, as parents we all want nothing more than to see our children smile. Imagine if they couldn’t. For me, that thought is too much to bare, and I am certain the parents of these children in need feel the same way. What better gift to give a child this holiday season than the ability to smile?

Thanks to Campus Book Rentals for sponsoring my post about  Operation Smile!! Check out their large selection of books!! Rememeber, every book rented will help a child recover a smile. Join them on Facebook and Twitter.

About the author

I am a marketing and communications specialist and a novice at this whole mommy thing! I am about to enter Q4 of my maternity leave with my first baby, a little girl named Danica, and am living and learning so much more than I ever imagined!