Open Arms Giving Network (OAGN) is a 501 (c)(3) charitable Christian organization whose mission is to give hope and share God’s love to orphaned children and elders, disadvantaged families, and small communities by providing basic needs and financial assistance for education purposes. We work with local communities and organizations, and Christian churches and volunteers to effectively accomplish our goals.

• Provide elementary & high school financial aids for school supplies, uniforms, & other school related expenses based on needs and GPA
• Provide small grants to local Christian churches & underprivileged communities for children, youths, and adults enrichment programs
• Provide basic needs such as food, clothing, and medicine for families with urgent needs due to natural disasters, tragedies or other short term emergencies. 

Gigi Villanueva, one of the founders, traveled to the Philippines in 2003 with a Christian non-profit organization and worked in a village clinic. In 2006 and 2007 she traveled to Nepal and Peru respectively to work in an orphanage and village school. While in those countries, she chose to live among the locals and immersed herself in their way of life so she could better understand their needs.

When Gigi came back to the US, she could not forget what she saw and experienced in the countries she visited: the pains, sweet smiles, and tears in the children’s eyes stayed with her. Saying goodbye to the children she’s learned to love was one of the most difficult things she’s ever done. She promised not to forget them.

In 2007, Gigi along with her friends raised money in the US to support a village school in Peru. Co-founders Ai-Hong Lee and Leila Hasegawa helped with the planning of the fundraiser and shared the dream of creating a non-profit that will help orphans, underprivileged families and communities. From 2007 to 2011, they did yearly small fundraisers with family and friends raising between $1,000 and $1,500. They used all the proceeds to help open a village school in Peru, to buy food for street children and school supplies for village kids in the Philippines, and medicine for orphaned kids and elders in Nepal. By the grace of God, these women were able to officially register OAGN as a non-profit organization with the State of Washington in March 2012.