“Children are the hope of a future.” This may be a cliché, but it's also very true, and it's precisely what Dr. Jane Aronson had in mind when she founded the Worldwide Orphans Foundation (WWO) in 1997. The non-profit organization seeks to transform the lives of the thousands of orphaned children all over the world and give them a chance to grow up to become healthy and productive citizens.

Dr. Aronson, a well-respected pediatrician specializing in infectious diseases and adoption medicine, has dedicated her life to the organization, in order to reach all of WWO's goals. WWO identifies the needs of children, provides these needs as well as care and attention, and forms partnerships with other non-profit organizations and government entities internationally. WWO's programs are long-term, with focuses on community healthcare, mentoring and training programs, early intervention to counter the effects of institutional life on children using one-on-one counseling and therapy, scholarships and educational assistance for orphans and enrichment activities to promote holistic development and well-being.

WWO has a free primary school called The WWO Academy in Ethiopia and the Family Health Clinic in the same country. The organization was the first to have brought HIV/AIDS medication to Vietnam and Ethiopia for orphans, and subsequently trained doctors and health care personnel to take back what they have learned to the villages and communities who did not have access to such.

The organization is run by a Board of Directors, headed by Dr. Aronson and Board Chair Lori Finkel, a Leadership Council of primary donors and staff in both U.S. and international locations. WWO currently works in Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Serbia and Vietnam, and is actively supported by numerous Hollywood celebrities such as Catherine Zeta-Jones, Paul McCartney, Hugh Jackman, Oprah, Sting, Emma Stone and Bette Midler. WWO hosts several fund-raising events and activities yearly, to sustain the organization's efforts in its cause.