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OUR STORY
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In 2005, combat Vietnam Veterans and Rotarians Ed Frank and Howard Goldin returned to Vietnam to view the country we left behind 30 plus years ago. We found families living on a $1.00 a day. We saw at-risk children working the sex trade industry to survive. Our response to what we saw will be our legacy: S.T.E.P., Schools To End Poverty.
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This was then..
Howard Goldin Edward Frank
And this is now......
On November 18, 2021 the co-founders received District 7210 Tansukh Dorawala Humanitarian Award on behalf of all the children that they assist. Through the Ward/Periono Family grant, they were able to complete three more important projects. They purchased four Smart Boards for the Rose School, satisfied the $96,000 mortgage for the Te-Phan Orphanage that houses more than 89 children and funded the building of a new school for the K'Hoe Tribe in Lam Dong Province.
Co-Founders Howard Goldin and Eddie Frank spoke on CBS news about their personal mission for S.T.EP.
This year marks the 18th year anniversary of our band of Brothers & Sisters returning to Vietnam. Over the last eighteen years, hundreds of people have returned, some multiple times. It has and always will be a journey and we thank you for being part of our past, current and future. We have lost twelve of our dear friends. They may not be here today, but their memory lives on in so many of us and the children whose life’s they have touched. Our youngest traveler was 13 and our oldest (youngster) was 83.
Our legacy will include five buildings constructed in Viet Nam, one in Honduras, one in Jamaica and our Ghana water project. About 30 children are educated every year because we S.T.E.P.ed out of our comfort zone. About thirty children get a free education each and every year because one of our travelers had an idea to start a scholarship program. We have hand carried more than 7 tons of supplies, as many of you are well aware of having to carry them. We still feed the Te-Phan Don Boscoe orphanage and the 89 residents count on us and have paid their $96,000 mortgage. We have given out over 280 wheelchairs to second and third generation of children exposed to Agent Orange and let us not forget the hundreds of bikes given to At Risk Children.
As of 2024 we have completed our 4th project in VN, putting an addition onto the Rose School for 700 Montagnard children and funded the construction of the K'hoe Tribe Preschool for 50 little ones.
Education is the Most Powerful Weapon We Can Use to Change the World
Nelson Mandela