Addressing the Needs of Children in Adversity

On Christmas Eve, 64 years ago, Pearl S Buck stood up for one of the world’s neediest children when she welcomed a child into her home who faced adversity and discrimination because he was biracial.

This heart-filled humanitarian act gave birth to a legacy that would impact the lives of 2 million children and families as Pearl S Buck began to create global communities through child adoption and child sponsorship. Her legacy is alive and well today as Pearl S Buck International upholds her mission and continues to bridge east and west; bringing the world closer. You may say that the mission is a personal matter for our Chairman of the Board. You see, David Yoder is the child who was welcomed into the arms of Pearl S Buck on that Christmas Eve night in 1948.

So it is in this spirit that we are celebrating today’s news that the United States Government Action Plan on Children in Adversity is being launched.

The Action Plan on Children in Adversity is particularly significant as it is the first-ever strategic guidance for U.S. Government international assistance for children 0 to 18 years of age who are affected by HIV/AIDS, orphans, trafficked, exploited for child labor, in disasters, recruited as soldiers, neglected, or in other vulnerable states. It is also unique in that seven agencies and departments have agreed to align funding in pursuit of common goals that address the needs of vulnerable children.

Hurricane Sandy blew through our PA property two weeks ago and left many downed trees in its wake. Fallen trees mixed with electrical wires and cables across our driveway forced the closure of The Pearl S. Buck House for five days. Our offices were closed Monday and Tuesday. Fortunately, staff was able to enter the building using a private driveway at the back of the property.  Telephone service was restored Thursday evening, but our electric provider was not able to send out a crew to address the trees in the driveway until mid morning Friday.  Once the trees were removed from the driveway, our Internet service was restored Friday evening.  On Saturday evening, the electric company established lighting along our driveway just in time for the “Welcome Home,” the play we hosted from West Virginia the weekend after the storm.    

Most importantly, all of our buildings on the property, especially the Pearl S. Buck House, are safe and sound. Sadly, the gravesite of Pearl S. Buck was devastated by the storm.  A strong gust of wind knocked out 8 or more trees in the area of the gravesite area, and the headstone on the grave was flipped over along with movement in the surrounding cement columns surrounding the grave when a tree behind the headstone fell. There is a significant amount of cleanup work needed to bring the area back to its original beauty.  In addition to the losing a number of trees along the drive way, what was once the wooded area next to the gravesite, now looks like a clearing with fallen trees.

Given all of the above, we are happy to be back to our daily routine and look forward to our Festival of Trees Exhibit opening tomorrow for our daily tours to conclude at the end of the year.  Our 7^th annual members event, a holiday reception, and candlelight tour of the Pearl Buck House, is also Tuesday 11/13 at 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, and our Juried Craft Show begins November 23^rd for 10 days.  You can find more information about all of these events on our website.  The holidays are a family tradition at Pearl S. Buck International, and I hope you will share them with us. 

Warmest regards,

Janet L. Mintzer
President & CEO

The Pearl S. Buck Grave Site After Hurricane Sandy
(The headstone was flipped over by large tree behind it)

Inspiring Fundraising Breakfast

Yesterday was incredible at Pearl S. Buck International.  We held our second annual fundraising breakfast in the garden tent with more than 210 people in attendance. The morning was all about mission - and how our programs are making a difference.  It started with cardboard testimonials featuring people whose lives have been changed by the legacy and dreams of Pearl S. Buck. I honestly had tears in my eyes when I saw the messages on the cards.  We were all inspired and touched by the presentation by Saowalack. She was in our child sponsorship program in Thailand and is now a director at a top fashion design company in NYC.  She told the story of how her life was changed by her amazing sponsors. We were all inspired by a new video shown at the breakfast too.  (you can watch the video using the link below)  Special thanks to Anexinet, Local Living, Barrie Audio Video, Open Aire Affairs, Comcast, Aaron Mitchell Photography, Crystal Rose Catering, and Video Gold Productions for your sponsorship. In total, we raised $168,000 to date plus six new child sponsors. What an inspiring event!

Cardboard Testimonials

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8xBumYZqKg&feature=youtu.be

Janet Mintzer

President/CEO

Pearl S. Buck International

www.pearlsbuck.org

Pearl S. Buck Museum in Zhenjiang (Jiangsu) China is Amazing

Timeline display of books written by Pearl S. Buck

Replication of the living room in the Pearl S. Buck House in PA

Bust of Pearl S. Buck a gift from Pearl S. Buck International donated by Bucks County Sculptor Madeline Smith

I had the honor of traveling to Zhenjiang (Jiangsu Province) China this past June for the 120th Birth Year Memorial Celebration of Pearl S. Buck. Zhenjiang is the area where Pearl S. Buck lived as a child and returned to teach after graduating from college. In total, Pearl Buck lived 18 years in Zhenjiang. The City of Zhenjiang embraced Pearl Buck and her legacy by renovating her former home and designating it as a National Historic Attraction. More recently, they renovated the beautiful Pearl S. Buck Museum which was built directly across from her historic home. Donna Rhodes, the Curator of the Pearl S. Buck House in Bucks County, PA, provided her expertise in the renovation, and our small group of twenty people were deeply impressed with the attention to detail and accurate transcriptions throughout the museum. I was most impressed with the timeline of books written by Pearl S. Buck, as I have never seen such a wonderful visual display of her books in one place. I could have spent the entire day in the museum looking at the displays, and I look forward to my return visit to Zhenjiang.  I encourage everyone visiting China to visit Zhenjiang and the Pearl S. Buck Musuem and Historic House there.  You will be amazed at the continuing legacy of Pearl S. Buck in China.

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

Pearl S. Buck Museum in Zhenjiang China Receives Gift from Pearl S. Buck International

Helen Wolf, of Bucks County, PA, a volunteer at Pearl S. Buck International and wonderful quilter, donated this beautiful quilt for me to take as a gift to the Pearl S. Buck Memorial Museum in Zhenjiang (Jiangsu Province China), in celebration of its grand reopening on the occasion of the 120th Birth Year Anniversary of Pearl S. Buck. The quilt is being received by the Li Jinfu, Curator of the Pearl S. Buck Memorial Museum.

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

Bucks County Artist Aurelia Neives-Callwood Featured in Pearl Buck House in Nanjing

 

Bucks County Artist, Aurelia Neives-Callwood, donated a beautiful painting of the Pearl S. Buck House Bell Door in PA (USA) which I presented to the restored Pearl S. Buck House on the Campus of Nanjing University at the grand opening ceremony.   

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

Pearl S. Buck Symposium in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China

Yesterday was a very exciting day for the legacy of Pearl S. Buck.  The opening ceremony and symposium commemorating the 120th birth year of Pearl S. Buck was a huge success.  Robert Griffiths, US Counsel General, Ambassador Nicholas Platt, and many other dignitaries and scholars were in attendance.  Special thanks to the Zhenjiang Municipal Government and the Zhenjiang Pearl S. Buck Research Center.  Today, we will attend the grand re-opening of the Pearl S. Buck Memorial Hall in Zhenjiang.  More to follow.

Janet Mintzer

President & CEO

Pearl S. Buck International

www.pearlsbuck.org

Doodle This!

Pearl S. Buck International is recognizing the 120th anniversary of the birth of Pearl S. Buck on June 26 and we think that is “Google-Doodle-worthy.”  

We’ve all seen them…those great pieces of art that catch our eye as we launch our searches on Google. We are looking for Google to honor Pearl S. Buck on June 26 with a doodle.

As humanitarian, author, and child advocate, Pearl S. Buck touched the lives of two million. Pearl S. Buck International strives to uphold her legacy through adoption, child sponsorship and community cultural and writing programs.

Think about how many more lives we can touch if Google helps us build awareness through a Google Doodle.  Hundreds of millions of searches are conducted on Google each day. A Google Doodle will put her name in front every person who does one from the Google search page.

The Pearl S. Buck Birthplace in Hillsboro, West Virginia has begun a rallying cry to reach out to Google. We are echoing that cry here and are asking for your help.

There is no formal process for proposing a Google Doodle, and suggestions can come from anywhere. Google only takes suggestions via email at proposals@google.com. We are sharing a  template message below, drafted by Michael Toler, Ph. D from the Pearl S. Buck Birthplace Foundation, explaining why Pearl S. Buck is an important cultural figure. Feel free to cut and paste it, and to send it as is. Better yet, personalize it with your story, but keep it simple, polite and short. That way it is more likely to be read.

Time is of the essence, and we appreciate you sharing in our campaign to get a Google Doodle on June 26, honoring Pearl S. Buck on the occasion of  the 120^th anniversary of her birth. 
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Dear Google,

With hundreds of millions of searches performed every day, a global reach into even most remote corners of the world, and a reputation for accuracy and reliability, to be the subject of a Google Doodle on your birthday or some significant anniversary has become a great honor. The late author and humanitarian Pearl S. Buck deserves such an honor and I am writing to suggest you consider running a Google Doodle on the 120th anniversary of her birth, which will be June 26, 2012.

Pearl Buck is best known as a novelist. She won a Pulitzer Prize in 1932 for her novel The Good Earth, and became the first American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938. She wrote prolifically throughout her life, and her work did a great deal to demystify China and Asian culture for the West. But she was more than a novelist: She was a tireless advocate for peace and cultural understanding, and she was a political journalist who felt compelled to speak out on civil rights and women’s issues.

In all, Pearl Buck published more than eighty books, including novels, story collections, nonfiction, translations and children’s books. Many were translated into different languages and published around the world. Fifteen were Book of the Month selections, and most were best-sellers. The fact that her work was so widely read is part of what makes her so important. The empathy she brought to her characters, be they Chinese peasants or American housewives, shaped the way a whole generation of readers felt about other nations and cultures. No wonder she has been praised by the likes of modern-day writers Maxine Hong Kingston and Toni Morrison.

Though she is most remembered as a writer, Pearl Buck’s humanitarian endeavors should not be overlooked. She was generous with her time, labor and money in support of causes she believed in, and there were many, many such causes. Most notably, she set up The Welcome House, an agency for the adoption of Asian-American and other mixed race children who, at the time were considered “un-adoptable” by most orphanages and placement agencies. Indeed, few people have done as much to change attitudes on the rights of the child as Pearl Buck.

Please consider a Google Doodle honoring Pearl S. Buck for June 26, 2012. She certainly deserves it.

Sincerely,

___________

Nanjing University Grand Opening of the Pearl S. Buck Memorial House

(Front L to R - Peter & Terry Conn, Janet Roberts
Back L to R - Steve Harnsberger, Janet Mintzer, Hilary Spurling)

I had a wonderful trip to Nanjing University for the opening of the Pearl S. Buck Memorial House in celebration of the 110th Anniversary of Nanjing University. What a wonderful way to celebrate the school's rich history by renovating the former home of Pearl S. Buck as a memorial to her.The University also conducted a Symposium on Pearl S. Buck's Years in Nanjing. It was so interesting to have authors Peter Conn and Hillary Spurling participating in the discussion as well as filmmaker Donn Rogosin and other important Chinese scholars such as Liu Haiping and Junwei Yao. I was truly humbled to be in their presence at such a momentous occasion.

What a wonderful experience it is to be continuing the legacy of Pearl S. Buck. 

Janet L. Mintzer, President & CEO

Pearl S. Buck International

www.pearlsbuck.org

Pearl S. Buck International Orchestrates a Partnership

Last night was pretty amazing.  I went to philanthropist Happy Rockefeller's home in NYC for a special reception to celebrate the launch of the Philadelphia Orchestra's Inaugural Residency in China, as part of my role on the Orchestra's Global Advisory Council.  The view from her Fifth Avenue apartment was directly over Central Park, and her home was beautiful.  Happy was warm and welcoming.  She told me that she has read many Pearl S. Buck books but has not visited the Pearl S. Buck House in Bucks County, PA, (yet).  Of course, I extended a warm welcome for her to visit soon.  Henry Kissinger was among the guests at the reception as well as Ambassador Nicholas Platt, PA Senator Mike Brubaker, and Freda Wang, Executive Director of Asia Society and 30 others.  When Allison Vulgamore, President & CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra spoke, I could see why she is a compelling leader.  I actually got chills when she recalled that the Philadelphia Orchestra's visit to China in 1973 was to benefit the Chinese people, and today, through this new residency program in China, the Orchestra shall benefit as well as Chinese people. I sincerely hope that Pearl S. Buck International can help to build this exciting residency program in China. The initiative certainly fits with our mission to promote and develop an understanding of the value and attributes of other cultures, cross cultural appreciation and worldwide partnerships.  The Philadelphia Orchestra and Pearl S. Buck International are committed to a partnership with the people of China and a growing relationship built on trust and responsibility.  I cannot wait to see the Orchestra's performance in Shanghai on June 6th.  More to follow...

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