Volunteer Connections
Wherever you are in the world, how about connecting with others who want to help children in China by joining our online discussion group for volunteers? We'd love to have you.
Volunteer Coordinators
We would be delighted to welcome you into our Half the Sky volunteer community. Just contact us and we'll point you in the right direction.
Carla Seidel
Lead Volunteer Coordinator
Carla is a church organist and choir director who also teaches music and movement classes for young children and their parents. In 1998, she and her husband Mark adopted their daughter Hope from Shenzhen, Guangdong. Carla leads Half the Sky's volunteer efforts and helps all of our regional volunteers around the world stay connected. She also organizes Half the Sky's annual online auction and allows her home to become a temporary shipping and receiving warehouse. We are so grateful for her efforts!
Sybil Cohen
NE USA
Sybil is a high school art teacher who lives in New Jersey with her husband Mike Burns and their daughters, Julia and Rose. Three months after her daughter Julia came home in 1994 when she was nine months old, Sybil gave birth to Rose. Both of her children have led her to unexpected new paths in life. Sybil has served on the Board of Directors for Families with Children from China-Delaware Valley and is now president of the New Jersey Prader-Willi Syndrome Association, which provides family support as well as fundraising for research and awareness. For several years, Sybil was on a Women’s Dragon Boat Team, which kept her in great shape and was incredibly fun! Sybil has long supported the work of HTS and is honored to become a volunteer coordinator.
Lynn Cobb
SE USA
Lynn lives with her husband, Chris and two boys, Reid and Trevor, in Charleston, South Carolina. Lynn owns Lynn Cobb Studios and photographs families and children, mostly on location. She has been a passionate supporter of HTS since 2002, has participated in two HTS builds, and organized.
Lori Polly
NC USA
Lori and her husband George live in Northeast Ohio with their three girls, Ocean, Reyna and Neela. Lori and George adopted their daughter Reyna in 2003 from Loudi, Hunan and their daughter Neela in 2005 from DaTong, Shanxi. Prior to their adoption Lori was a full time project accountant. She is also active in her local FCC chapter and holds information seminars promoting Chinese adoption. Lori is very excited about the opportunity to work with Half the Sky.
Mindy Carney
SC USA
Mindy is a graduate student at St. Louis University, teacher and writer and long-time HTS volunteer. Her daughters, Jaede and Joerdan, adopted from China in 1995 and 1999, have returned with her to China on HTS builds several times. Mindy lives with her daughters and their dogs, gerbils, birds and fish in St. Louis, MO, where, along with school and volunteer work, she spends her time making jewelry and painting.
Martha Groves
W USA
Martha is a Los Angeles Times reporter who adopted her daughter, Nora Tai-Xiu, in Nanjing in 1994 and has written many stories about their adoption experience and other aspects of China adoption. In 2004, they traveled with Our Chinese Daughters Foundation on a homeland tour, with a stop in Taizhou, Jiangsu, to visit the Social Welfare Institution that was Nora's home for her first 15 months. Martha is a founding member of Families with Children from China-Southern California. For fun, she sings alto in her church choir, hikes, travels and socializes. A longtime admirer of HTS, Martha is excited to be a part of our volunteer team.
Sandi Janusch
W CANADA
Sandi lives with her daughter Kaili (from Hangzhou) and husband Will in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Sandi was an overseas teacher for many years, living and working in Indonesia, France, Vietnam, England, Australia and China. A PhD candidate in Education with a specialization in TESL at the University of Calgary, Sandi's research focused on a group of Chinese teachers of English from Fujian Province who came to the University of Calgary to participate in a teacher training course in 2005. In 2005 Sandi opened up a store in Calgary (www.shanghaigirl.ca) and travels back to China twice a year for her business, allowing her to keep a close relationship with a “country I love.”
Anne Poliakoff
Children's Volunteer Coordinator
Anne is a writer who lives with her daughter Moriah and husband Michael. Before travelling to China in 1999 to adopt Moriah, Anne was president of Citizens for the Arts in Pennsylvania, where she oversaw communications, fundraising, outreach and advocacy. Anne is profoundly grateful for this opportunity to contribute to HTS' work and to help children help other children.