May is Godparent's Month!

Dear Friends, 

You can’t possibly put your arms around every child at our Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH, Spanish for “Our Little Brothers and Sisters”) homes across Latin America and the Caribbean. Not all 3,300 of them. 

But I think you can envision wrapping your arms around five pequeños I know… 

Eduardo and Martin are teenagers at our home in Cuernavaca, Mexico, who came to us when each of their parents could no longer care for them. Both boys are looking forward to brighter futures with the help of NPH, and one of Eduardo’s passions is to go to the New York School of Fashion Design. 

Ana lives in Guatemala in the babies’ house with her little brothers and sister. At 12, she’s a bit old for the babies’ house, but the siblings are so happy to live together. Chamba, a young boy at our El Salvador home who came to us from a government institution, has grown into a thoughtful and responsible young man with dreams of becoming a doctor. 

Lastly, Karina is a 5-year-old girl at NPH Honduras. She fell asleep in my lap the day I met her. I bet you can’t even look at her beautiful, sweet photo without immediately knowing why I felt drawn to her joyous presence … and why I wanted to keep that light in her eyes by helping to give her a more solid and promising future. 

You see, I not only know these children in my role as CEO of Friends of the Orphans, but because I sponsor all of them. That makes me their padrino – their Godparent – someone they can rely on. 

May is Godparent’s Month at Friends of the Orphans. All month long we’re celebrating the Godparents who make room in their hearts to brighten the futures of our pequeños. We are also thanking generous donors like you and inviting them to help us reach our goal to connect 100 new sponsors with boys and girls who come to us every day. 

Your generosity has been a true blessing for these children, and for as little as $30 a month (about a dollar a day), you can bring new hope and emotional support to a special boy or girl. As an added bonus, if you sign up in May, you will be entered to win a trip to an NPH home! 

There has never been a better time to get involved. After facing a major funding shortfall at the end of 2012 due to the worldwide financial crisis, we’ve been blessed with a challenge grant. 

The Flatley Foundation of Braintree, Massachusetts, has made a multi-million dollar grant that will allow NPH to end cuts to vocational and educational programs, and bring staffing levels and living standards back up. The Foundation set the challenge hoping people like you will rise to the occasion and give more than ever before to help meet the needs of our children. 

To meet the challenge, we must raise an additional $1 million a year for the next five years. Your sponsorship or donation will qualify and help us take advantage of this incredible opportunity.

Dollar for dollar, your sponsorship or gift will be matched to DOUBLE your contribution! It’s an incredible opportunity. And you can help NPH take full advantage of it. 

You can be part of the rebuilding story, helping a child receive the necessities of life – clothes, nutrition, medical care, and an education – not to mention a whole lot of love. 

And you can’t underestimate how important that love is. I’ve watched our pequeños proudly sort through collections of cards and messages they’ve carefully saved from their Godparents over the years. You should see their faces light up when a new letter comes in the mail, or how they pour themselves into writing responses and drawing pictures to send back. The children tell me they love their Godparents and pray for them. They are so grateful for the steady presence in their lives. 

I have never had children of my own, but now I have five. And every time I go to a home, I meet another child who invites me to change my life by changing theirs, and I know I will sponsor even more. Won’t you join me and make a real difference in a child’s life with your sponsorship gift starting at $30 a month? 

I hope you will, because there is a child waiting to give you a gift … the gift of being a positive force in his or her life. And there’s no greater gift than that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your thoughtful consideration. 

Sincerely, 
Frank Donaghue 
Chief Executive Officer 
Friends of the Orphans 

*Children’s names have been changed to protect their privacy.