Posts Tagged ‘Sue Ozar’

Bud and Sue Ozar have been invited to preach the mission appeals in five parishes in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese in Western Pennsylvania, four parishes in the Erie Diocese, also in Western Pennsylvania and three parishes in their home Archdiocese of Detroit. “This is a great opportunity for Friends of Kenyan Orphans,” said Sue Ozar.  “These mission talks allow us to spread the word about St. Clare and widen the circle of compassion so that more people can become involved in the miracle of St. Clare.  It is also an opportunity for us to encourage other people to think about becoming lay missionaries.”

Last year the Ozars spoke in the Archdiocese of Detroit and in Altoona Johnstown and met some marvelous people who have contributed to the success at St. Clare. This will be their first visit to the Diocese of Erie.        

“We usually drive to the diocese and stay in a rectory. Then we split up, Sue will speak at all the masses at one parish and I will drive to another and speak there. It is a bit exhausting but it is very fruitful in spreading the word about St. Clare,” said Bud Ozar. “It consumes our summer but it is worth it.”

This past year the Diocese of Allentown shared its annual Lenten Rice Bowl collection with Friends of Kenyan Orphans, donating $7,000 to St. Clare.    

This news article was taken from the Gross Pointe News, September 2, 2010.

Retired Pierce Middle School teacher Sue Ozar was honored by the National Retired Teachers Association: AARP’s Educator Community with an NRTA With Our Youth international outreach award.

Recipients were chosen for outstanding service to youth in the state, local and individual categories by an independent selection panel. Ozar was the only 2010 recipient for the individual category.

The former educator spend three years in Kenya working as a teacher and counselor in a village for abandoned and orphaned children. Upon returning to the U.S., Ozar and her husband formed Friends of Kenyan Orphans and raised $500,000 for the village of Meru. They then took a group of school teachers, physicians and nurses to Kenya to provide much-needed services to the students. They also arranged for a scholarship to Chestnut Hill College in Pennsylvania for a graduate of the school.

Current donations are helping expand the St. Clare Center in Meru, a home for 250 orphaned girls.

On September 1, the 3 million member National Retired Teachers Association, a division of AARP, awarded their international award to Sue Ozar, the president of Friends of Kenyan Orphans.  Sue is pictured here receiving the award for her work with and for the orphaned and abandoned children in Kenya. The selection was made at the AARP headquarters in Washington DC and but awarded to Sue in Michigan by the local chapter.