Sozo Children hosts dinner, auction to boost efforts to house orphaned children

The Greek word “sozo” means to save, nurture or rescue, both physically and spiritually, and that’s what Sozo Children, a Birmingham faith-based nonprofit, is working to do for orphaned children in Uganda.

The organization will hold its sixth annual Sozo Children Fundraising Dinner from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 27 at the Wynfrey Hotel at the Riverchase Galleria in Hoover.

Attendees will be offered a full-course meal, an inspiring program and a chance to bid on items included in live and silent auctions.

The effort to help orphans began in 2010, when missionaries Jay Clark and Allen Nunnally — both 2004 Oak Mountain High School graduates — saw the horrible conditions for children in an orphanage they visited in Kampala, Uganda. In a few weeks, they arranged for 17 kids to move to a house they called the Sozo Children's Home.

The organization has since raised money to provide safe, permanent homes for the children and, in March 2015, bought 28 acres in a village near Kampala. It is now raising money to complete the first phase of the project and build 15 new homes, allowing it to give up some rental properties.

The organization — a certified 501(c)(3) and a registered Ugandan non-governmental organization — is also seeking individuals who would like to become monthly donors or sponsors.

Admission is $80. Corporate tables for 10 guests are $2,500. To donate items for the silent auction, email Laura@sozochildren.org. For tickets and more information about the event, contact 612-0338 or go to sozochildren.org/bhamdinner.