Pearl S. Buck International

New Board Director a "Korean Crime Fighter"

2011-06-16T15:18:00.000-04:00

Pearl Kim, one of the newest members of Pearl S. Buck International's Board of Directors, is an Assistant District Attorney in the Office of the District Attorney, Delaware County, PA in the Special Victims and Domestic Violence Division.

Her passion for social justice comes naturally, and we can't help but wonder if there is a connection between Pearl Kim and her namesake- our founder, Pearl S. Buck, who was a civil rights and women's rights activist as well as a beacon of hope for underpriviliged children around the globe.

Click to read a recent article from Konnect Magazine about Pearl Kim and her reasons for becoming a special victims prosecutor.

Honorary Board Members Intersect at Dancing with the Stars

2011-05-25T15:53:00.002-04:00

For the second time this year, Hines Ward, of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Apl.de.ap, of the Black Eyed Peas, were together at the same venue, only this time they had the pleasure of meeting each other.

In Super Bowl XLV, while Hines Ward and the Steelers were competing against the Green Bay Packers, the Black Eyed Peas performed in the half time show. Because they both serve as Honorary Board Members and are strong supporters of Pearl S. Buck International because of their similar background (they are both biracial with Asian mothers and African American fathers), they hoped to meet each other - but didn't have the opportunity to do so. So it was a great pleasure for them to meet on the set of Dancing with the Stars the night Hines Ward and Kym Johnson received the Mirror Ball Trophy as the best dancers on the show.

In the Semi-Finals of Dancing with the Stars, Hines Ward honored two of Pearl S. Buck International's "Fatherland Tour" program participants, a program that Ward sponsors every year. The two program participants, both girls, visited the United States as part of the program on two occasions which encouraged them to enroll in community college in Spokane, Washington. One of the girls, Jamie, always dreamed of being a ballroom dancer. Through a grant from Hines Ward's Helping Hands Fund, the girls flew into LA and enjoyed the show and dinner with Hines Ward, Kym Johnson, and Pearl S. Buck International's President and CEO, Janet Mintzer.

Leave it to Hines to be thinking of Pearl S. Buck International and the young people in our program while he is completing in Dancing with the Stars. He has a heart of gold and is 1st place in our hearts too.

Honorary Board Member Hines Ward Needs Your Vote on Dancing With the Stars

2011-05-23T09:55:00.003-04:00

Fans of Pearl S. Buck International who also enjoy following ABC's Dancing With The Stars have been in for a double treat as one of our honorary board members, Hines Ward, has made it to the final three on ABC's hit show.

Ward, wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers, is a strong advocate for biracial and multicultural children living in Korea. Since Super Bowl XL, he has sponsored “fatherland” programs through Pearl S. Buck International for these children to visit the United States. Ward also received the 2010 United Nations Positive Peace Award based on Pearl S. Buck International’s nomination.

We have been supporting Ward throughout his ten-week reign of success on Dancing With The Stars, and we encourage everyone to vote for him in the final battle for the mirror ball trophy tonight at 8:00 p.m. on ABC!

Additionally, during the grand finale at 8:00 p.m.Tuesday night, The Black Eyed Peas will perform their new single, ‘Don’t Stop the Party'. This is another special moment for Pearl S. Buck International because of our connection with the Black Eyed Peas' Apl.de.ap. Apl is another honorary board member who was a beneficiary of our Opportunity House Child Sponsorship program as a child in the Philippines.

This is the second time in four months that Hines Ward and Apl.de.ap will share a national stage (the first time was Superbowl XLV, when the Peas played the halftime show for the Steelers and Packers) and we don't think it's a coincidence.

Please tune in and support both of our honorary board members on the final episodes of Dancing With The Stars!

Dreams really do come true...

2011-05-04T09:19:00.006-04:00

I asked her what role Pearl S. Buck International played in her success today. Without hesitation and with a firm conviction in her voice, she said “everything…”

Saowalack was abandoned by her American father, and her mother, a teenager, left her to go find work. Her grandmother raised her along with seven cousins, in a cramped slum dwelling in Thailand.

In her own words: “Because I was of mixed race, people would stare at me and my grandmother walking down the street and say why does she look like that? Children would torture me for my looks. They pulled my hair, flipped my skirt…they made it very painful for me…I had to fight…I had no friends.”

But she had her grandmother, the strongest person she knew...

...and her grandmother had Pearl S. Buck International.

Her grandmother enrolled her in Pearl S. Buck International's child sponsorship program, and along with her American child sponsors, would constantly encourage her…“do not be afraid…you are someone…you are strong” they would tell her……and they were right.

Deep down inside she had an immeasurable strength…a strength that would help her stay focused on her studies and on her true gift of creativity. “She would draw pictures constantly – and she was really good” recall her sponsors. With the help of Pearl S. Buck International, her grandmother and the encouragement of her child sponsors, she received A’s and B’s in school and was accepted into a top fashion design program.

Today – that tiny little girl – born into poverty, abandoned by her parents, and whose spirit was crushed on a daily basis – is a Director of Technical Design at one of the world’s leading fashion design companies in New York City.

Recently, she visited Pearl S. Buck International with her husband and child sponsors, Bill and Sharon. During their visit, they told us their story – and they asked us to convey a very special message to you…

They want you to know that whether you are one of our committed child sponsors, individual donors, or you are considering helping children for the first time while reading this blog entry…”your commitment changes lives…Saowalak’s story shows you that Pearl S. Buck International’s makes a real difference.”

I asked Saowalak what she would say to children, who, like her, face daily discrimination today because they are “different.” Once again, without hesitation and with a firm conviction in her voice, she said: “Dream. Your dream will come true. You have incredible strength. Don’t ever give up. It is hard, it is difficult, but I have found that I am someone…and so are you. I hope you will never give up.”

Pearl S. Buck International will never give up.

We will never give up Opening Doors of Opportunity for children in need.

But we cannot do it alone. We need your help. Together, we can help more children not only dream – but we can make their dreams come true. Click here to make a tax-deductible contribution that will give more children – who are dreaming of a better life right now – a chance to succeed.

Thank you so much for your partnership on behalf of all the children we serve. I sincerely appreciate your generous support.

Gratefully,
Anthony M. Luna
Vice President of Relationship Development
Pearl S. Buck Internaitonal
http://www.pearlsbuck.org/
tluna@pearlsbuck.org

P.S. - You can also share this link www.pearlsbuck.org/dream with others who want to make a difference. Thank you.

New things happening at Pearl S. Buck International

2011-03-08T17:36:00.000-05:00

The new exhibit at the Pearl S. Buck House opened March1st.... "The Silver Screen at Green Hills Farm" which features the literature, radio, television, films and plays based on the work of Pearl S. Buck. There is a beautiful booklet available in the Pearl S. Buck International Gift Shop or on line at http://www.pearlsbuck.org/ which features photographs of Pearl S. Buck that we have never seen before. Again, the exhibit demonstrates how Pearl S. Buck lived a life ahead of her times. (If only I could be as advanced with social networking as she was utilizing the various media outlets featured in the exhibit.)

It was GREAT to learn that Hines Ward is Dancing with the Stars this seasson. The first show airs March 21st. Stay tuned and please vote for Hines Ward. The greater his visibility becomes on a national level, the more exposure and support he can bring to Pearl S. Buck International. Very Exciting... more blogs to follow on this topic.

I celebrated my 10th Anniversary at Pearl S. Buck International on February 5th, thanks to the outstanding support of our Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers. It is an honor and blessing to carryout such a meaningful mission. I truly believe that the future of Pearl S. Buck International is brighter than ever before, thanks to our strong Board of Directors, amazing volunteers, and dedicated, capable staff.

Janet Mintzer
President & CEO
Pearl S. Buck International
http://www.pearlsbuck.org/

Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas & Pearl S. Buck International

2011-02-09T15:30:00.000-05:00

This is a great news story about Apl.de.Ap of the Black Eyed Peas and his relationship with Pearl S. Buck International. http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_details/article/305/2011/february/04/pearl-s-buck-international-gets-a-helping-of-peas-from-apldeap.html

Enjoy,
Janet L. Mintzer
President & CEO
Pearl S. Buck International
http://www.pearlsbuck.org/

Holiday Happenings already......

2010-11-18T11:03:00.000-05:00

The Pearl S. Buck House Festival of Trees opened to the public on Tuesday, and it looks awesome! Each room in the house has been decorated by a community group, business, or organizaiton. The entire house was transformed and has a wonderful holiday feeling which put me in the mood for our Holiday Members' Event on Tuesday evening. It was a nice evening with over 115 people attending. The food was deliciously catered by Temperance House (http://www.temperancehouse.com/) and our members seemed to enjoy the evening and even did a little Holiday shopping in our gift shop. Our wonderful volunteers are now off getting ready for our annual juried craft show which opens the day after Thanksgiving for a 10 day period. For the third year in a row, employees from Prodesco (http://www.prodesco.com/) spent the day with us yesterday helping to transform the cultural center into a winter wonderland for the craft show. I am so grateful for the wonderful support of all of the men and women who help us carry out the dreams and legacy of Pearl S. Buck. I can't wait until the craft show opens and hope to do some holiday shopping before my upcoming trip to Korea and China on December 1st. More on the trip in my next blog.
Janet L. Mintzer
President & CEO
http://www.pearlsbuck.org/

Lots of activity at Pearl S. Buck International today...

2010-10-13T20:45:00.000-04:00

It was an incredible day! Pearl S. Buck International was rocking with activity. Reed Technology & Information Systems http://www.reedtech.com/ hosted a Fall Festival for their employees in our beautiful garden tent. Their event started off with a guided tour of the Pearl Buck House www.psbi.org/house and included a delicious pig roast provided by All About Catering http://www.all-about-catering.com/. At the same time, the Rotary Club of Doylestown http://www.doylestownrotary.org/ gathered for their board meeting on the first floor of the Cultural Center, and immediately after held their membership meeting and a buffet dinner on the 2nd floor. Concurrently, in our main office, our Welcome House program www.psbi.org/welcomehouse hosted an open house information meeting for families to learn about our adoption programs, while our weekly Yoga class met in another area of the building.

It was great to see so much activity and the legacy of Pearl Buck reaching out to so many people at the same time.
Janet Mintzer
President & CEO
Pearl S. Buck International
http://www.pearlsbuck.org/

Sherry Tinsman Pearl Buck Bracelet

2010-10-05T17:23:00.002-04:00

I'm so excited that Sherry Tinsman, well-known Bucks County Metalsmith, has designed a beautiful new bracelet which is being sold in the Pearl S. Buck International Gift Shop. It will be sold online on our website in a few days. You can see the photographs to know that it is beautiful and describes so well the founder of Pearl S. Buck International. Sherry has been a jeweler for 21 years working out of her Bucks County Studio. You can visit her website at http://mysite.verizon.net/vze1slqm/sherry_frames.htm. Most importantly, come and visit the Pearl Buck House and our renovated International Gift Shop. It is the first place you enter when visiting our international headquarters and is filled with beautiful items from around the world.

Happy shopping,
Janet Mintzer
President & CEO
http://www.pearlsbuck.org/

Trip to Vietnam

2010-08-13T13:30:00.000-04:00

I had a wonderful 2 week trip to Vietnam. (And it has taken me two weeks to catch up!) It was vacation, actually, but I spent two days with Pearl Buck staff at our office in Vietnam. Currently staff in Vietnam consists of a Country Director, bookkeeper and sponsorship manager. In Vietnam, we primarily serve children living in 6 orphanages through our sponsorship program. The office moved to new quarters since my last visit, and I was happy to see the space was larger than I expected and in good condition. I also enjoyed lunch with two of our advisory board members who were talking about a fundraising dinner the board is organizing. It was great to see the board so engaged and committed to expanding our programs. I must confess, however, the highlight of the trip was meeting with my sponsored daughter, Loan, who I've been matched with since she was in ninth grade. (She is now married and pregnant.) After she graduated from the orphanage, she didn't have many options for the future. Her mother placed Loan and her four siblings in the orphanage when she was very young after her father passed away, because she worked on a silkworm farm earning very little money and couldn't afford to raise her children. Loan would have had a similar future if our program did not fund her tuition, room and board for two years so she could attend vocational school to become a seamstress. Loan and her husband took the day off from work for my visit. They met our car on a highway, and we followed her husband's motorbike down many small dirt roads to her modest home. I was the first "foreigner" in her "hamlet", so neighbors and family gathered around to see me. I entered Loan's house and sat on a small plastic chair. While we shared stories, everyone stood around and others poked their head in the door. It was funny to be the main attraction and a wonderful feeling to see Loan grown and employed as a seamstress. We drove back to the city and had lunch in an Italian restaurant, which was the second time Loan ever ate in a restaurant (the first time was my trip there 2 years ago), and first time she ever ate western food. When we hugged goodbye, it was with joy. Tears of happiness streamed down my face as I walked into my hotel. My husband gave me a big hug, understanding the emotion I was feeling. What an exhilarating experience to sponsor a child so many years and see her as a productive member of society, with a husband and a baby on the way. What a wonderful vacation!

Janet L. Mintzer, President & CEO
Pearl S. Buck International
http://www.pearlsbuck.org/
jmintzer@pearlsbuck.org

Delegation from Namdon, Republic of Korea Tours Pearl S. Buck House

2010-07-29T12:35:00.000-04:00

On Tuesday, July 20th we received a phone call alerting us to the fact that a delegation from Namdong, Republic of Korea wanted to visit Pearl S. Buck International and tour the National Historic Landmark home of our founder, Pearl S. Buck at the end of the week. While staff was aware of the delegations weeklong visit to Bucks County in honor of the First Anniversary of the signing of the "21st Century Alliance" agreement between Bucks County and Namdong, since Janet Mintzer served on the planning committee, the week long itinerary had not included a visit to our site.  We were honored and very happy to quickly make arrangements for the groups visit on Saturday, July 24th.

Accompanied by Donna Rhodes, Curator of the Pearl S. Buck House, and Elizabeth Mah  (Korean American high school student) our volunteer Docent for the group, I welcomed Hwang Heung Goo (Vice Mayor of Namdong District), Yoon Tae Jin (Former Mayor of Namdong District), and the other 8 members of their delegation, an interpreter and photographer to PSBI's new Welcome Center, Gift Shop and Awards Room prior to their tour of the Pearl S. Buck House. While the visit was brisk (taking only 45 minutes in total), it was a very enjoyable visit and tour of the House as the delegation asked questions and expressed their appreciation by presenting us with a donation to PSBI.

Elizabeth did an outstanding job of engaging our visitors and interpreting the Awards Room and House in Korean.  Several members of the planning committee, including Tom Jennings (also a member of PSBI's Board of Directors), Vail Garvin (Executive Director of the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce) and Beverly Miller accompanied the delegation and enjoyed shopping in our new gift shop while the group took its tour.

All in all, it was a whirlwind tour and much enjoyed by all involved.

Teri Mandic
Vice President of Operations
Pearl S. Buck International

Meeting with Ning Shao and good news from Valerie Harper

2010-07-14T08:36:00.001-04:00

I'm happy to report that Valerie Harper has agreed to serve on our Honorary Board! Valerie is so down-to-earth and a long time fan of Pearl S. Buck. What an honor it is for us to have her on our Board. But I still have not heard back from Apl.de.ap's agent about his willingness to serve on our Honorary Board...I'll post more about this later (hopefully!)

I had a special meeting with Ning Shao and May Wang and their beautiful children this past Saturday. Ning and his family were visiting from Shanghai. Ning is the chief executive of the Shanghai Representative Office serving the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The office is sponsored by the PA Department of Community and Economic Development in collaboration with private-sector businesses to help PA companies penetrate the Chinese market as well as attract Chinese direct investment to PA. Essentially, the company promotes U.S. business interest in China. (http://www.pausa.org.cn/) Ning's wife, May, is a long-time Pearl Buck fan, so they enjoyed learning more about Pearl S. Buck International (especially our scholarship program in Zhenjiang China) and touring the historic home of Pearl S. Buck. In addition to assisting PA businesses, the office also assists with travel. Ning is working on bringing tour groups operators to PA, through Philadelphia, Bucks County, Lancaster and Hershey. I will be sure to visit Ning's office next time I am in China.

I'm off for a two week vacation to Vietnam with my husband to celebrate our 35th Anniversary. But, of course, I will spend two days with our Country Director Hang Pham Minh in Hanoi, meeting with our Vietnam Advisory Board members and others. I'm most excited that we will be visiting Loan, the young woman we have sponsored since she was 12 years old. Loan is now married and expecting her first child. I'll write more when I return.

My best,
Janet L. Mintzer
President & CEO
Pearl S. Buck International
http://www.pearlsbuck.org/
jmintzer@pearlsbuck.org

Katherine Heigl

2010-07-06T12:05:00.000-04:00

I sent letters to Katherine Heigl http://www.kheigl.com/, Apl.de.ap (aka Allan Pineda) http://www.apldeap.com/ of the Black Eyed Peas and Valerie Harper http://www.valerieharper.com/ asking them to consider being on our Honorary Board in line with the governance plan of our Board of Directors to build our honorary board. As famous as she is, Katherine Heigl is a sponsor in our Opportunity House program and her sister was adopted through our Welcome House program. Apl.de.ap., a part of the hip-hop group, Black Eyed Peas, was a beneficiary in our Philippines sponsorship program. He was actually adopted by his sponsor when he was fourteen and came to live in the USA. Valerie Harper, on the other hand, has been a long time supporter and friend. She co-wrote and performed a one-woman play about the life of Pearl S. Buck which was fabulous. She was recently on broadway in "Looped" and was nominate for a Tony award for her performance. I'm happy to say that I received my first reply from Katherine Heigl’s mother who told me her daughter would be honored to be on our honorary board. Katherine (or Katie as her mom called her) will be making a movie this summer in Pittsburgh. I invited her to come to visit the Pearl Buck House if she has any down time while the movie is in process. It would be great for her to see the legacy of Pearl S. Buck in action and our beautiful property which is in full bloom right now. One down, two to go!

Janet L. Mintzer
President & CEO
Pearl S. Buck International
http://www.pearlsbuck.org/

Exciting day with Pearl Buck's children

2010-06-29T16:50:00.000-04:00

It was a great day at Pearl S. Buck International this past Saturday with a reunion of four of Pearl Buck’s children on what would have been Pearl S. Buck's 118th birthday. Henriette Walsh-Wilson visited from San Francisco for the first time in 20 years with her husband, Sandy, and their son, Jonathan. Henriette was greeted by her brothers Richard and John and sister Janice. It was an incredible day. I actually felt emotional seeing them all together. Henriette had great memories that we had not heard before, typical of a daughter, in terms of patterns of silver, stemware, and locations of paintings etc. John and Richard saw their re-created bedrooms for the first time since our renovation was completed this past April. Our curator, Donna Rhodes, was writing the entire time we toured the house to capture their remarks. Henriette’s husband, Sandy, is part of the Alexander String Quartet, (http://www.asq4.com/), and he said he would love to perform here sometime in the future. What a wonderful day for the family to come together and walk through their childhood home. It is a day I will always remember.

Janet L. Mintzer
President & CEO
http://www.pearlsbuck.org/
jmintzer@pearlsbuck.org

Starting our blog

2010-06-21T09:04:00.000-04:00

Welcome! This is the beginning of a blog that will be written by the management team at Pearl S. Buck International to inform the public about happenings at Pearl S. Buck International. We agree this is an amazing place to work with many great things going on each day, yet we feel that we are the best kept secret in Bucks County. From this day forward, we hope to share with you more about the exciting legacy of Pearl S. Buck which continues here in Hilltown Township, Bucks County, PA, USA.

This week, we have an exciting event before us. On Thursday evening, June 24th, 5-7pm, we will be hosting a business member's reception and networking event in our garden tent. This is open to business people in our area. It is the second year we hosted this networking event which provides a great way for us to showcase our beautiful gardens, the Pearl S. Buck House, and our membership program. You can register to attend at www.pearlsbuck.org/businessreception.

All for now,
Janet L. Mintzer, President & CEO
Pearl S. Buck International
jmintzer@pearlsbuck.org
http://www.pearlsbuck.org/