About Us

Make their needs your inspiration to make a difference…

At Orphan World Relief, we build strong partnerships with churches, businesses, other nonprofit organizations, and people just like you to help:

Children in Crisis including those living as orphans and refugees Learn More
Kids entering foster care for the first time through our My Comfy Kits program Learn More
Older children in our program Foster to Adult that provides support for kids aging out of the foster care system Learn More
Families as they deal the stress and trauma with foster care and adoption through Children First Family Services Learn More

Together we can make a difference

Orphan World Relief was founded in 2008 after President, Doug Riggle, experienced first-hand the needs of homeless and orphaned children in Ukraine. Upon returning to the states, further research shed light on the global crisis and the millions of orphaned and at-risk children around the world.

Our Purpose

To inspire and connect passionate people who meet the real needs of kids around the world.

Core Values

Our faith inspires us…

We believe that an authentic faith compels us to care for one another.

Awareness is imperative...

We believe that the global orphan crisis provides local opportunities to engage.

Every child has value and worth…

We believe that every individual deserves dignity, security and opportunity.

Community is key…

We believe that fostering genuine community leads to greater impact and a lasting difference.

Relationships are vital…

We believe that investing in the lives of one another is the catalyst that inspires action.

Hope changes everything!

Office Staff

CASSIDY ALBERS

Development Manager

Cassidy serves as our Development Manager. With a little brother who’s adopted, she has seen first-hand the good and beauty of adoption. Cassidy and her husband, Cole, live in Columbus with their two pups, Willow and Daisy.

ARIEL YOUNG

Office Manager

Ariel serves as the office manager for Orphan World Relief. She’s a married mother with two babies. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in intercultural Ministries and is passionate about taking the Gospel to the nations. Her other endeavors include competitive distance running and improving the lives of mother-baby dyads through infant sleep, breastfeeding and childbirth education.

Board of Directors

Orphan World Relief is looking for some great people to grow our Board. If you’re interested serving as a board member, please submit your resume, name of your church and a paragraph explaining your interest in board service to: doug@orphanworldrelief.org.

DOUG RIGGLE

Doug is Founder and President of Orphan World Relief. As an adopted child (and later as a single parent who adopted from the foster care system), he understands the needs of kids from all angles.

SUMMER HOPLER

Summer is the Board Secretary and helps keep us on track! She’s personally visited some of the programs we run internationally. An avid baker, she lives in Dublin, OH with her husband and two kids.

ANNE FICKEL

Anne joined the Board in 2021 and has a bachelors degree from Otterbein in communication and marketing. She has Cystic Fibrosis and with her husband, Danny, adopted two boys who joined their family at birth through a US adoption agency. They have been a homeschooling family for 6 years now. She has a heart for people who are going through the hardships of life (helping to find material needs for them) or the hardships of settling in the US from a foreign country. She loves the heart of OWR, to show love to those kiddos who need it!

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JON & KRISSY COUSER

Jon and Krissy joined the OWR board in 2020. They are parents to 5 busy kids and have a passion for helping all children, but especially those in tough situations. Having navigated the international adoption of their youngest daughter, Jon and Krissy know first hand how bittersweet the journey can be.

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FRANCISCO AND EMILY DE CASTILLO

Francisco and Emily have been married for 8 years. They work closely with short mission trips to Central America through Great Commission Latin America and help assist the Children’s Nutrition Center program and Casa Hogar Vida with different requests. They love to travel and eat.

RION ROBINSON

If you don’t know, Rion loves people! As a Miami University and Varsity Football Alum, Rion values connection, teamwork, and bringing people together. He currently serves at COhatch and oversees Culture and Ops. If he isn’t reading a book or listening to some music, Rion spends his time discussing Marvel movies with his wife, Desiree, and having tea parties with his daughter, Emery.

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ALLISON BROOKS

Allison is one of our newest board members. With a licensure in Social Work and 6 years working for an inner city ministry, she has a passion for advocating for others. She and her husband Kyle have a heart for adoption having gone through the process themselves.

ANNA JACKSON

Anna Jackson is a previous OWR member and is currently the executive director for Montaña de Luz, one of the programs supported by OWR’s efforts. She’s lived in Honduras and is dedicated to becoming the leading provider of HIV resources in the country. She is passionate about strengthening and preserving the family structure, which is why she believes it’s important to transition from our current “children’s home” structure and instead focus on improving and supporting the foster care system. She lives in San Diego and enjoys camping, hiking, and volunteering for a non-profit that rescues dogs from Tijuana.