When you sponsor or donate to the 2023 Race Around the World for Education, you are providing funds to organizations that are working to keep vulnerable children from falling through the cracks. Here are the grantees of the 2023 Race:
 
Marty’s Orchid House

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Marty's Orchid House is a specialized day program for preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and overlapping health conditions, allowing low-income parents to maintain employment and give enrolled children access to an array of services all under one roof. They are committed to advocating for high-risk children to increase the possibilities of a brighter future. The use of gross motor equipment is essential for providing holistic and meaningful therapy services. MREF’s grant will allow Marty’s Orchid House to purchase equipment to help strengthen its therapy program.  
 
Start Lighthouse
 
In the Bronx, 58% of residents are rent-burdened and 70% of students read below grade level. Founded in March 2020, Start Lighthouse services 5,200 students across eight Title I schools within the Bronx, one of the poorest congressional districts in the entire country, with 70-85% of students reading below grade level. Start Lighthouse hosts Literary Adventures – immersive hosted onsite at NYC public schools, designed to revitalize a love for reading. Students curate their own library from new, free, and engaging multicultural books.  
 
Orphans’ Aid Society 
 
Orphans’ Aid Society (OAS) provides monetary aid to children in foster arrangements in Ukraine. With children in their network displaced regionally in Ukraine and across Europe, OAS's work to establish connection and provide support has become even more critical. Grant aid will enable OAS to continue this work under the current difficult circumstances and in the future as orphans and their caretakers rebuild their lives.
 
Hogar Montiel Girls Association
 
The Hogar Montiel Program serves girls between the ages of 5 and 12 in Costa Rica who have high social risk, facing problems such as neglect, abandonment and abuse. The program supports the girls academically according to learning styles and individual needs, while also supporting their emotional well-being and development. MREF’s grant will be used for educational needs such as school supplies and tutoring classes in math, technology or English.

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