281 Pinebrook Drive, Hyde Park, New York 12538
(845) 849-1139 
brennaenglefoundation.org                                                                                                                                                                    



Please note: We no longer operate Brenna's Basement. We are not taking donations or appointments.

Serving Children in Ukraine and Ethiopia
THE BRENNA ENGLE FOUNDATION is a New York Not-For-Profit Corporation founded to provide for financial support for Brenna's Home in Lutsk, Ukraine, and Brenna's Hope in Ethiopia. We may also support organizations which raise awareness of the problems of orphans and abandoned and underprivileged children in Ukraine and elsewhere.

The Brenna Engle Foundation began its work in 2005 after the tragic death of Brenna Engle, the 3 1/2 year-old daughter of Richard and Donna Engle, in a car/truck accident.  Initially, the work focused on supporting Brenna's Home in Lutsk, a foster care home for underprivileged or orphaned children that was established in her memory.  The home was started in 2005 with three children, was expanded in 2011 to serve as the home for as many as 14 children.  See History and read more about Brenna's Home. Starting in 2018, we changed the scope and service of Brenna's Home to accommodate adolescent girls, primarily those aging out of the orphanage system. We now provide a transition home for these young women to study and develop technical skills, while having a safe place to live and learn skills of independent living. 

Beginning in 2014, the Foundation expanded its work to include Ethiopia, and is known as Brenna's Hope. Director and Secretary of the Board, Richard Engle traveled to Central and Northern Ethiopia to discern opportunities to serve vulnerable children and youth in one of the world's poorest nations.  We have supported high school girls who may walk two or more hours each way to attend school.  These 13 to 17 year-old girls are vulnerable to sexual predators, or may quit school and be married off by their families for money.  If they become pregnant, complicated and prolonged childbirth may result in maternal death or a medical condition known as fistula, the initial work of the Foundation will focus on keeping these girls in school as a preventive measure. The Foundation also provided support for selected young women to attend university by assisting with expenses related to housing, transportation, personal hygiene and school supplies. Our support for those programs was phased out in early 2020 due to challenges from the political situation and the pandemic. In Central Ethiopia, we have a sponsorship program for children to assist with housing, food, clothing, and educational expenses. We have a dependable young couple to oversee this program for us there. 

The work of the Foundation is dependent on individuals, families, churches, and other organizations which provide financial resources on a one-time or recurring basis.  One important means of support is through sponsorships.  This enables a more personal connection between children and those who provided for them as sponsors.  Please Contact Us with specific questions about our work, and how you can be involved.

As an IRS approved 501(c)3 organization, all donations are fully tax-deductible.