Edmond woman named finalist for humanitarian award
Magazine honoring moms who help make world better

BY JOHN A. WILLIAMS Comments 0
Published: January 15, 2009

Amy Eldridge, Executive Director of Love Without Boundaries Foundation, holds her youngest child T.J., who was adopted in China. PHOTO PROVIDED by Love Without Boundaries

EDMOND — An Edmond woman is being praised as one smart cookie.

Multimedia

More Info

How to vote

To cast a vote and read about the other finalists go to www.cookie mag.com.

Amy Eldridge, executive director of Love Without Boundaries Foundation, is a finalist for her work bringing humanitarian aid to orphaned children in China. Cookie, an online and print magazine, is giving Smart Cookie Awards to moms who have stepped outside their own lives to help make the world a better place for women and children.

Eldridge was nominated for the award by Karen Maunu, medical program director for Love Without Boundaries.

"The magazine had an open call for nominations of people who knew moms that were making a difference around the globe,” Eldridge said. "It’s really a celebrity award. They pick four celebrities who are involved in charity work, and this year they opened the fifth spot to a regular mom.”

Eldridge, a mother of seven, established Love Without Boundaries in 2003, initially helping just a handful of children. The nonprofit organization provides life-saving surgeries, foster care, education and nutrition to more than 1,500 orphans a year, giving them a chance at being adopted.

In the past five years, Eldridge said Love Without Boundaries has become the second largest children’s charity working with orphans in China. "It has grown beyond my wildest dreams and we really thought we would only help a handful of kids a year with live-saving surgeries,” she said. "It’s grown to a $2 million foundation and we work with over 100 orphanages.”

Eldridge is an adoptive parent. Her two youngest children were born in China.

Through Feb. 10, people can go to Cookie’s Web site to vote. The mom with the most votes is the reader’s choice honoree for the 2009 Smart Cookie Awards. The winner and her organization will be featured in the May story and will attend the awards ceremony April 20 in New York. Cookie also will give $35,000 to the charity.