When Small World was formed in 1992 to provide relief to the orphans in Eastern Europe was the priority. After the adoption program began in 1993, it was necessary for the Foundation to earmark a large portion of available funds for building and sustaining the adoption programs. Beginning in 1996, the Foundation was able to provide more substantial financial relief to the orphanages from which SWAF families adopt. But there was much more to be done and it couldn't all be achieved through client fees, donations, and memorials.

The vision of Small World staff and adoptive families was to make an even greater impact in Eastern Europe! The seeds for dreams of achieving great things were planted.

The Foundation hosted the first "Hearts of Hope" Dinner Auction in October of 1998. The event was unbelievably successful with 350 people attending and raising funds which went directly to Humanitarian relief in Eastern Europe. After experiencing such success, a second dinner auction was planned for November of 2001. Over 640 people attended Hearts of Hope II and a huge sum was raised for improvement of the lives of orphaned children. Hearts of Hope III was held in October, 2004. Nearly 1000 people attended and the Small World Dinner/Dance/ Auction was one of the premier events in St. Louis that fall.

What successes these events have been and what tributes to the hard work and dedication of the volunteers who brought these events to life!! From these successes many Small World friends and family members were inspired to do even more!

Other fundraising visions came to life! Throughout the fall of 2001 and the spring of 2002, plans were made for the Foundation's first actual "working" relief trip. In August of 2002, twenty-five SWAF staff and parent volunteers traveled to Belarus to build play structures for four orphanages. During the trip, the volunteers were moved to form an official group and "Bricks of Hope" was born. The group organized, rallied and identified its own funding sources, and the second trip was made to St. Petersburg, Russia in August of 2003. In August of 2004, sixteen volunteers traveled to Saratov, Krasnodar, and Maykop Russia to construct playground structures. In May 2005, twelve volunteers traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia to build play structures for two orphanages. In the summer of 2006, eight volunteers traveled to Perm, Russia.  In June of 2007, eight volunteers traveled to Perm, Russia and built play structures in two different outlying cities. 

During that inaugural trip to Belarus, Dr's. Tom Otto and Elizabeth Engel discovered the dreadful disrepair of the roof on one of the orphanages in Gomel, Belarus. They made a personal promise to the orphanage director to help! From this promise and through discussions with other parents of adopted children, a plan was made. The parents believed there was a need for the children, who have been adopted, to have the opportunity to do something themselves for the children left behind. Thus, the plans for the first SWAF "Hop, Rock, and Jumpathon" were put into action in October of 2002! The children got pledges and gathered at a local community center to hop, rock, and jump for dollars! The children raised enough funds for the repair of the Gomel roof! In October of 2003, the children raised enough funds to purchase an industrial washing machine and blankets for one of the orphanages. In 2005, the group raised funds which the children voted to go towards the building of the play structures at the orphanages. In April, 2007 the children raised more than $5200 for Bricks of Hope!  

In 1999, another group of dedicated adoptive parents formed a group to organize the "Links of Hope Golf Tournament" every year, with the exception of the years the dinner auction is held. The funds from the golf tournament have purchased windows in Belarus and Russia, industrial washing and drying machines, food and clothing. Through the work of the golf committee an idea was born to organize a team of people who will go to the orphanages to hold, rock, feed, and sing to the children. A pilot program in Saratov, Russia was organized through the dedication of Small World parent, Phil Corbin. A relationship was established with a church in Saratov and church members go weekly to the orphanage to provide additional nurturing to the children. Plans are in process to expand this project to all of the orphanages with which Small World has relationships.