About the Author: Inspired by a commitment to social justice, Maria Eitz has devoted her life and career to improving the lives of children locally and internationally. She founded and directed respite care in San Francisco, California, where for 35 years she offered free child care, early assessment, intervention for at-risk children, and support for parents. Between 1970-1975, she adopted four orphaned children in Vietnam. At the end of the war, Maria initiated the Orphan Airlift for children from Vietnam and Cambodia. She is also the founder and director of Medical Volunteers International