SARA

Ohio Conference
United Church of Christ

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Outreach & Mission • Sharing America's Resources Abroad		Outreach and Mission
	A Christian ministry offering medical assistance to improve lives around the world	About SARA
		How SARA began
		SARA's Children
		Little Shoes to Fill
		SARA Stories
Sharing America's Resources Abroad - Summer 2007 Reports and Photos		SARA Needs You
Ukraine
Serbia
Steve Szilagyi's Report to SARA Annual Gathering
Where is SARA going next?		Notes from SARA newsletter September 2006 edition (PDF)
Children of the Mangroves In El Espino, El Salvador, children must dig for clams and oysters several hours a day to provide their families' only income. Read their story and what SARA is doing to help them.		SARA brochure in PDF format
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About Sharing America's Resources Abroad - SARA
SARA distributes medical supplies, equipment and expertise throughout the world.	Members of SARA delegation with ambulance given to the Regional Children's Hospital in Muncacs, Ukraine.
We seek used medical equipment from US hospitals and physicians that are replacing their older equipment with new equipment, and we work with other ecumenical ministries that rehabilitate it into usable equipment for developing nations. Some examples: Dialysis units Cardiac care equipment Incubators We have provided ambulances to foreign countries so that transportation is available in remote areas when people need to reach medical care. We send items such as aspirin, dental supplies, medical books and more to enable providers in foreign countries to help persons who cannot pay for those services. SARA assists physicians from all parts of the world to come to the United States to receive medical and surgical training to provide improved health care in hospitals in their country. SARA teaches preventive health care procedures to communities where disease is fostered by poor sanitary and health services. SARA believes that helping people to help themselves, and giving them a boost toward self-sufficiency, will make the world a healthier place. Groups of people from the Ohio Conference have traveled to Eastern Europe many times to observe SARA's work, deliver equipment and supplies, install medical equipment, train medical personnel and present cash donations to individuals and groups--promoting and furthering SARA's mission wherever possible. • • • • • • SARA is a non-profit organization, incorporated in Ohio. It is an ecumenical ministry affiliated with the Ohio Conference of the United Church of Christ. SARA is a ministry that works with other not-for-profit organizations who are seeking to serve others in the same way. SARA is governed by a Board of Trustees comprised of representatives from various denominations and faith groups. We also have physicians, health care providers and administrators represented on the Board. Other medical mission programs are represented on the Board, and SARA works in close cooperation with them. SARA has no paid staff person. We are all volunteers. Our Executive Director and founder, Rev. Stephen Szilagyi, is a retired minister who gives full time to this program. We do pay for his and other volunteers' expenses when possible.

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How SARA Began ..... with one child and one doctor
A number of years ago Rev. Stephen Szilagyi was visiting in Hungary and saw a small child who needed surgery to correct scoliosis, curvature of the spine. The procedure was not available in Hungary but was done regularly in the U.S. Rev. Szilagyi collected enough money to bring this young boy to the United States to receive the surgery he needed to straighten his back. But other children needed this operation, too. Rev. Szilagyi realized that what was really needed was doctors trained in the U.S. to go back to Hungary to perform many operations. So he arranged for one physician to come the U.S. to be trained and for the equipment the surgeon would need to be sent to his hospital in Hungary.
This was the way SARA began. Helping one child and one physician. Today, the procedure to correct scoliosis is being done regularly in Hungary, and hundreds of children stand straight and tall because of it. Since that beginning, more than $18 million of medical equipment and supplies have been sent to more than 10 countries. During the past few years, dozens of physicians have received additional training in the United States through SARA.

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SARA Needs You
Financial support is needed to help SARA pay for the transportation costs of shipping supplies to various countries around the world.	Babies are being cared for in incubators provided by SARA.
To make a contribution, please contact: Conference Minister Ohio Conference United Church of Christ 6161 Busch Blvd, Ste 95 Columbus, OH 43229-2547 1-800-282-0740 614-885-0722 Fax (614) 885-8824 ohioucc@ocucc.org	For information about SARA's mission and medical supplies, please contact: SARA Rev. Stephen Szilagyi Executive Director 141 Cummins Avenue Conneaut, Ohio 44030 (440) 593-2021 Fax (440) 593-2141 szilsara@suite224.net
SARA is a not-for-profit corporation affiliated with the Ohio Conference of the United Church of Christ, a 501c3 corporation. All gifts are tax deductible.
SARA Officers, 2007-08
President: Dr. Fleming Fallon ffallon@bgnet.bgsu.edu Vice-President: Mr. Robert Chandler lela02@bright.net Treasurer: Rev. Ralph Quellhorst ralphquell@aol.com	Executive Director: Rev. Stephen Szilagyi szilsara@suite224.net Secretary: Ms. Jean Szilagyi szilsara@suite224.net

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Ohio Conference UCC, 6161 Busch Blvd., Suite 95, Columbus OH 43229 • 800-282-0740 • 614-885-0722 • ohioucc@ocucc.org