Founder and Chairman of the Board, Becky Douglas was recently interview by BYU-Idaho radio.

View the entire article here

Listen to the interview on Soundcloud here

Utah Projectors

Hadley Evans is a Southern California Native currently living in Provo, Utah. She took her first photography class her junior year of high school, and hasn't put down her camera since. Hadley has been inspired by the people around her since she was young, and has applied that inspiration in to her photographs. Growing up in California she was constantly surrounded by different fashion trends and was influenced in her photographs by the different styles people would choose to wear and the different locations you could spot funky outfits.  One summer Hadley also visited India and realized she wanted to use her love of photography to help people in whatever ways possible. She believes it is important to continue to look for inspiration in people, places, and clothing to continue her growth in the photographic world.


I took this photo one weekend in Trichy. We were brought to this colony so we could meet the people that lived there and play with the children. This place was a shock to me and the volunteers because it was one of the dirtier colonies that we had seen. Their living conditions weren’t as great as some others we’ve been to that Rising Star has been working with for a longer period of time. At the same time, for me I saw such a beauty in this place and the people. This is three of the five siblings pictured here, they had told me their parents were away working for the day. It was amazing to see how not only the older siblings looked after the younger ones, but how everyone in the colony treated these kids as if they were there own. This was one of those raw, emotional, and perfect moments.



This photo makes my top favorites simply because it makes me happy. I shot this with a  shallow depth of field, allowing their to be a substantial amount of “blur."
I love the depth and movement that it gives it. I shot this at my very first playtime that i went out to, getting bombarded by kid I chose to take a tight shot out of the ten kids all fighting to get in front of the camera. Since i just shot this outside there is a nice catch light in their eyes that give them that twinkle in their eye. I love these kids and they challenged me to constantly to find new ways to take photos of them.


I sat and held this ladies hand as she waited to go through the medical rotation. She didn’t really speak english and I don’t speak Tamil, but there was a love felt just from smiling and holding hands that words can’t portray. I wanted to be able to show the deformities that Leprosy causes but at the same time the beauty of it. This is what I hope this photo shows. Sometimes we just need to look at things from a different perspective and it will make us take a second to think and change our outlook.

Celebrating our upcoming September Birthdays! 

In the past summer months Rising Star Outreach has been blessed and really relied on the support of volunteers to pull off some great and unique events.  Your hard work and support has increased the awareness of the organization and the needs of those that are affected by leprosy. Without your love and support of this organization the summer would not have been the success it was and you have more than our thanks, but those of the kids on our campus and the members of the colonies that we serve.  To demonstrate the power of the Rising Star volunteer's impact here is a quick recap of their outstanding work.

Golf Tournament and President's Brunch

Annually this is the largest fundraiser for Rising Star.  This is an event that cannot be completed without the help of volunteers that start preparations days before.  We had volunteers driving the Red Ledges carts delivering drinks and snacks to the golfers on a warm and sunny day.  We even had a volunteer witness the hole-in-one; the fourth in the history of the course.  Volunteers were integral in the collection of donations and they worked as advocates by answering questions and sharing their Rising Star experiences.  Our volunteers also donated their talents by providing food and preparing the flower arrangements.  There were over 25 volunteers that donated their time for us, making this one of the most successful golf events.



Slide the City

1,000 ft  slip n' slide in the middle of Salt Lake was something to see!  32 volunteers came to help hundreds slide the 1,000 feet on inflatables of every shape and color on this warm summer day. Our volunteers made swag bags, ran the check in booths and helped recapture slider's inflatables they lost as they bumped and laughed their way to the bottom. Rising Star Outreach received a donation for each volunteer for a total of over $1,900.


Lantern Fest

Lantern Fest was this past weekend on August 20th where over Rising Star volunteers helped over 8,000 lanterns rise into the Utah night sky.  We supported this activity with 45 volunteers who dedicated their time to packing s'mores boxes, manning check-in, security and safety, activities, manned the swag bags and merchandise tents.  Rising Star Outreach received a donation for each volunteer provided for a total over $2,500.

This summer over 100 volunteers donated over 350 hours!!!  Your love and support is overwhelming and will bless generations.

Gratefully yours,

The Rising Star Outreach Team:
Callie, Aubrey, Mike, Carrie, and Amy

As many of you know, India has cancelled licenses of many charities over the past two years. The government closely investigated all charities that were up for the renewal of their FCRA license (the license to bring in foreign funding for charitable purposes) to make sure they were in compliance with the many, many regulations governing charities. FCRA licenses must be renewed every five years and last year our license was due for renewal.

Rising Star Outreach has always worked hard to be in complete compliance with all government regulations. As difficult as these many regulations sometimes seem, we understand it is necessary for the Indian government to ensure that the charity sector is free from corruption and misuse of funds. This current government has been working hard to make sure that this industry is cleaned up.

Not a single charity up for renewal last year received it by the original deadline; in order to have more time for investigations and evaluations, the government extended the deadline by six months. The New York Times reported that more than ten thousand charities requesting renewal were denied. There were only a few thousand remaining. We were one of the charities remaining, hoping to receive the coveted renewal.

There was some fear that no charities would receive a renewal of their FCRA license. Finally, this week, the Indian government began to issue a few renewals and Rising Star Outreach received ours for the next five years. Praise God!

Over the past (nearly) two years of this process, there have been many prayers - both in America and in India -on behalf of our organization and all the children, families, communities, and patients whom we serve.

We are humbled and grateful to have passed all the inspections and received this confidence of the Indian government. We are committed to always honoring the efforts of the Indian government to ensure that those who serve the needy do so honorably and effectively.

We are especially grateful to God for protecting Rising Star Outreach and for the bestowal of this great blessing, which enables us to continue serving the leprosy affected and providing them with opportunities to lift themselves and their families.

We want to thank all of our supporters who have united their faith with ours in praying for this renewal. We are very blessed to have adherents of many different religious traditions who donate to and support our work. Thanks to each of you! And most of all, thanks be to God!



Becky Douglas

The back to school season is upon us! It is a time of happiness or sadness, depending on whether you are a student, teacher, or parent. And probably a bit of both no matter what.

Here at Rising Star Outreach, Back to School is an exciting time to look forward to our school opening again and a group of new faces to join us.

Our staff here in Rising Star Outreach US wanted to celebrate the coming season with some of our favorite Amazon Smile Back to School picks! (Learn more about the Amazon Smile charitable donations program)

Callie's Pick

While I love technology, there is nothing better than back to school supplies.  To this day I am obsessed with fun pencils and smelly pens and notebooks.  Amazon has the best variety of all supplies like these short mechanical pencils and these scented pens... that I may still order to this day.

The students in India only have so many pencils and notebooks.  They cherish them and use every inch of paper, every millimeter of led and every ounce of ink in a pen. They use these tools to lean and memorize their school assignments as well as writing to their family and sponsors.  Writing supplies gives our students the ability to express themselves through art, poetry and creative writing. It expands their worlds and communication capabilities.

Aubrey's Pick

Ashelee's Pick

So to start off, tell us a little bit about yourself before you became the Sponsorship Coordinator?

I’m a proud graduate of Brigham Young University-Idaho, where I studied Communications and Public Relations. After I completed an internship with Rising Star Outreach, I was then hired on as the Sponsor-a-Child Coordinator. I’m really passionate about making a difference, and I look forward to learning and growing at Rising Star Outreach. And when I’m not at the office, I enjoy hiking, exploring, traveling. But most of the time my natural habitat is a good book and a steaming cup of tea.

Talking about natural habitats, what is your spirit animal and what does that say about your personality?

My spirit animal is a turtle. Turtles mostly live in water and explore new terrains while keeping a comfortable self pace. They also symbolize longevity, patience, and intuition. I don't know about the longevity of my life yet, but I'm generally pretty happy being a turtle.



Obviously patience and intuition are great virtues for person in your position. How did you get started here in Rising Star Outreach by the way?

I first heard about Rising Star Outreach through a couple of friends who volunteered with them. They told me how amazing their experience was over in India, and how the organization was a legitimate, honest non-profit. I remember them speaking specifically about how special the kids were at the Rising Star Outreach campus and their emotional experiences with all the leprosy affected in India. I then applied for an internship, got accepted and the rest is history.

And you now are a big part of helping Sponsored Children and their sponsors share those emotional experiences with each other. 

Exactly! Our sponsorship program really focuses on personal contact between the sponsor and their sponsor child. This is something that is really important.

What is the biggest challenge facing the program?

I would say it is the issues of keeping consistently updated with sponsors and because life gets so crazy we often do not receive the changed addresses, phone numbers, or expired cards. This is hard for us to keep track of current sponsors. (Editor note: you can always update your account info by email anielson@risingstaroutreach.org or call the office at 801-820-0466)



What are you looking forward to, both professionally and personally in the future.

Contact Aubrey by email: anielson@risingstaroutreach.org or by phone 801-820-0466

Tragedy struck our campus this past week. It began with beautiful 12 year-old Durga Devi (known to many of us as Anu) getting sick with fever, chills, and nausea. Medical staff treated her normally for stomach flu symptoms, but later in the day she seemed to be slightly disoriented. Dr. Susan immediately took her to the Sri Ramachandra Hospital where she was diagnosed with meningoencephalitis. Doctors put her on IV antibiotics and had around-the-clock care. Our board member, Dr. Anandan, the head of that department at the hospital, took personal charge of her care. In spite of herculean efforts on the part of the hospital staff, Durga’s brain was unable to fight off this pathogen. She passed away two days later.

Two of the other girls in Durga’s group also came down with the same symptoms, but, by the grace of God, both recovered within 24 hours. No other children have been affected.

Durga is fondly remembered by those who knew her. She went by many fun names because she so loved playing make-believe! She especially enjoyed pretending to be one of the Disney Princesses, however she was also known as Tinkerbell and Barbie—but to those who knew her best, she was Anu. Anu was a bundle of energy! She always loved to race volunteers and was one of their favorites because she loved braiding the volunteers’ hair with fragrant flowers.

Anu was very smart and was an excellent student. She did so well in school, in fact, that she tutored other students in English and science. She loved helping others. She was outgoing, fun and very often, the center of attention!

Anu lost her parents early in life. While there was much sorrow as she slipped away from us into the next life, we like to think that, on the other side, there was surely a joyful reunion of Anu with her loving parents. She will be lovingly remembered by her playmates, teachers, housemothers, sponsors, and the volunteers who were all captivated by her innate joy for life.




Becky Douglas

Some of my most cherished memories from India involve being swarmed by gentle hands and eager eyes as I told bedtime stories of my life and adventures back in America. Surprisingly, one of their favorite stories to hear was how I had ran a 45 kilometer race (a marathon) in the pouring, frigid rain with 4o C (38o F) temperatures just three days before I stepped on the plane to meet them in India.

During one story time, I told the boys I was training for one of the world’s largest races, the Boston Marathon. It would have thousands participants, hundreds of thousands of spectators, and some of the fastest runners in the world. I told them about how the winner would receive more than 50 lakhs ($150,000). Although I assured them I wasn’t planning to win, the boys would fantasize about me clinching the race, shouting each of their names to the crowd as I crossed the finish line, and buying all sorts of fancy things with the prize money. At my last story time, the boys confidently told me, “let us know when you win that race.” I was inspired by the confidence they had in me.


The beginning of my long preparation for Boston started in India, with my morning run of a 32 laps (4 miles) around the black gravel track behind the schoolhouse. By 6:30 in the morning it was already 80 degrees and as humid as a sauna. I would walk out to the track with my dry clothes, and return to the Elephant House as wet as a whale, panting like a dog.

At 7:00AM I would teach piano to Vimalkath, one of the 10th standard students. I wouldn’t have much time to recover from my workout, and would frequently show up still sweaty from my run. In October, I received a letter from Vimal in which he reminisced about our fun time during piano lessons and the goodness of our friendship. At the end of the letter, he said “P.S. Good luck on your marathon race”. As I continued my marathon training, I felt inspired by young fan club on the other side of the world.



A few weeks before leaving to Boston, the Rising Star office asked if I would like to wear a Rising Star shirt during the marathon. Running a marathon can be just as much of an emotional, spiritual, and psychological experience as it is a physical battle, so it seems natural to expend your energy in the name of something that has personal meaning to you. I felt honored to run for Rising Star’s incredible mission on April 18th. The night before the marathon, I lay awake for hours in my hotel room without showing a sign of sleepiness. It was the night before the most impactful race of my life! At 1:15 a.m., I was still wide awake. As I lie in bed, I shifted my mind among different things that might lull me to sleep. As I did so, I thought about my journey to this point in my running career. I sifted through memories of my half-marathons in high school and my previous two full marathons.