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My brother, Jim Mollen, was killed in Baghdad, Iraq on November 24, 2004. He was the U.S. State Department’s top official advising the Iraqi Ministries of Education and Higher Education. He spent over 16 months in Iraq, working to rebuild schools and universities. He was killed the day before Thanksgiving, four days before he was scheduled to leave Iraq. Just
after his death, I
wrote a tribute to Jim for The Binghamton & Sun-Bulletin, which you
can read here: Outside of work, Jim dedicated himself to a number of causes. The nearest of these to his heart was Orphanage Outreach. Since its founding in 1994, Orphanage Outreach has sent over 3200 volunteers on missions to several orphanages in the Dominican Republic. They have built and repaired facilities, provided the basic necessities, educated the children, and guided the orphanages toward self-sufficiency. Jim was one of the founders of this 501(c) charity. He also designed their first Web site, and served on the board of directors. Most importantly, he made many visits to the orphanages themselves, spending numerous vacations and holidays with children in need.
Many family members and friends sent donations to Orphanage Outreach at the time of Jim’s passing, and we are very grateful for that. At my request, those donations were set aside by Orphanage Outreach to establish the Jim Mollen Memorial University Education Fund. The purpose of the fund is to pay for college expenses for children who grew up in the Monte Cristi orphanage. Jim personally knew the five girls who, as the first beneficiaries of the fund, are now attending university in Santiago. The Jim Mollen Memorial University Education Fund is in great need of donors, and monthly sponsors in particular. To sign up as a sponsor, to make a one-time donation, or to learn more about Orphanage Outreach, please click on the banner below.
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