Tasia Valenza Stern and Family

Tasia Valenza Stern lives in Los Angeles. A former actress, she played the role of Dottie Thorton on the soap opera All My Children from 1983-86, for which she was nominated for an Emmy. Tasia is full of energy and charismatic charm; she is now a voice-over narrator. Her silky sound can be heard in many TV and radio commercials. Always fond of hats, Tasia's bright smile draws you into what is now her primary mission: to find child sponsorships for SOS. She claims her motherhood has a lot to do with it.

Having a history with All My Children would have more meaning than Tasia ever imagined. "When I became a mother, I developed an overwhelming sense of love and protectiveness for my three children. What surprised me was how my maternal instinct extended to all children—those living down the street as well as those across the globe. I thought of ways to make my limited resources have the greatest impact on the most homeless, ill, and hungry children. I was inspired by Oprah Winfrey's The Big Give show, in which ten contestants were challenged to touch the lives of as many people as possible by asking for help and committing themselves to the idea that they had to 'give the biggest.' After seeing their examples, I was determined to find a great children's organization."

Tasia researched children's charities to find one that best embodied her vision of how to help the most children in the most meaningful way. That's what led her to SOS Children's Villages. "Finally, I found an organization that would allow me to follow my instinct to be a mother to the world's children."

Its commitment to the family structure is what attracted Tasia to SOS Children's Villages. "The orphans get a mother, and all siblings get to stay together in a family setting. The family creates its own home, and each family is part of the community. Since I am unable to physically adopt any children, I feel so good that I'm helping to provide loving and stable adoptive homes, food, and education for these wonderful children."

She and her husband started by sponsoring one child. "The more we got, the more we wanted," she said. She also involves her own kids in writing letters to the children. "It's been so rewarding to be able to expose my children to opportunities for empathy, charity, and the awareness that they have helped a child less fortunate than they are." She already found sponsors for over 80 children—only the start of her goal, which is to secure a total of one hundred sponsorships by 2010. Tasia intends to write to Oprah to keep her aware of her efforts. "My hope is that she will be moved to 'Oprahize' SOS and turn one hundred children into 100,000!"