Valentina and Anita at NPH Dominican Republic

Read this wonderful post by awesome Friends, Sadie and Suraya Whitley!


My daughter and I planned on visiting the DR soon after our first trip to the NPH home in Honduras (July 2011) but, little did we know at that time, that we would have the honor to meet and spend time with Valentina and Anita. A couple of months before our trip, I had asked my friends that signed up to sponsor a child at the Seattle gala in October 2011, if anyone had sponsored a child in the DR so that we could visit their godchild on their behalf. Lucky for us, one of my friends signed up to sponsor Valentina, and now our trip was filled with excitement and joy to be meeting Valentina and her sister. Thanks to Laura Useche who took the time to contact the NPH organizer for the February Trip, I was immediately contacted by Catherine letting me know that she had informed Valentina and Anita that I would be coming on the trip, and she included a current photo of the girls in the email, showing me how excited they were to meet me. So, I signed up for Godparent celebration day with excitement. 


I met Anita while she was visiting with her godparents from Italy. She turned around and asked me what my name was, and as soon as I said my name and made introductions, she asked me if I was there to meet Valentina. I don’t know how she knew it was me, but she obviously did and this turned out to be thanks to the staff at NPH (Catherine) for informing the girls that they would have a visitor. 


Valentina and I spent as much time together as we could during my visit, and Anita was not far behind us. Anita is a happy young girl who loves to dance. She is quite the hostess as well, as she made sure that my daughter and I were introduced to anyone and everyone we walked by; she always had a smile on her face and was extremely polite. Anita made sure that my daughter Suraya was introduced to all her friends, and at one point, they all disappeared to go play together. 


Getting to know Valentina was a sweet surprise. She is a young girl that is happy with hopes and dreams for her future. She is quite the artist and loves to draw Mickey Mouse all the time. Valentina wants to study in college to help kids in her country that have been abandoned by their parents. She said that being a counselor is a gift to help others, and since she has had great mentors at NPH, she wants to be able to help other kids as well. Valentina and I spent a lot of time drawing and coloring together and chatting about girl stuff. I told her all about her godparent, Kathy H. and how much Kathy would have loved to come on this trip to meet her. Valentina was very excited to have received a letter from Kathy and a photo album that I helped put together with photos of the family. She was extremely grateful and thumbed through the album several times with a smile. She said that she was very grateful to have Kathy as her godparent and very grateful that she got to meet my daughter and I. 


Valentina became my dance teacher along with her sister Anita. We practiced until I got all the steps correctly and then, Anita gave me her blessing and said I could now dance on my own. Then it was my turn to teach Valentina to roller blade. We laughed, we sang, we danced and we shared our dreams together. I promised Valentina that I would continue to write to her and that god willing, I will return to the DR to visit with her and Anita again. 


Once again, I was blown away with my experience at my second NPH home. The work and care they take with all the kids is truly amazing. The environment the kids are growing up in is positive, clean and filled with unconditional love. 

Papa Noel

Here are some pictures from great Friend, Doug DeBen from his recent trip to NPH Peru. You can also read his full story on our website, here, and view his Facebook album of pictures from NPH here! 

Mesi, kembe La, kontinie travay pou popilasyon an...

Read this story of hope and recovery reported by Dieuveck Rosembert, Communications Officer at NPFS Haiti about little Lea's overcoming Cholera with the help of the St. Luc Rehydration Center.


Carme-suse Resil heads on her way out of the hospital after spending a grueling night sitting by her seven-year-old daughter's side, Lea Basile. Lea came home from school one day recently feeling sick and because Carme-suse couldn't afford a doctor's visit, she followed some home remedies for little Lea. Her symptoms  though only got worse, and she was dangerously dehydrated, and her skin was pale. Her neighbor soon drove her and Lea to the St. Luc Rehydration Center. 


Once at the hospital, the physicians immediately started Lea on an intravenous drip to put serum into her body to fight the dehydration caused by the Cholera, which is what they ultimately determined had affected her. Oral rehydration fluid was the next part of the recovery process. 


While Lea sat on her lap, Carme-suse looked confused as she tried to figure out when, how and where her daughter was infected. "I don't know if it was at school or at home. Perhaps, the plastic bottle I fill up for her lunch every morning was not clean," she said. At home, they use treated water to drink and water purchased from a truck for bathing, washing dishes, utensils and clothes. "The bacteria could have come from that water." It was easy to read the expression on her face that showed concern for her other 6-month-old child at home. 


Of course, the water on the truck was not treated. Carme-suse assumed that because she wasn't using the untreated water for drinking and cooking, her family was safe. She was alarmed and enlightened by her visit to the hospital. Untreated water should not be used for bathing, showering, brushing teeth or washing dishes.  


Lea was prescribed several medications that Carme-suse could not have afforded anywhere else. One of them was the oral serum that would help reverse the dehydration. The second was the Metronidasol—an antibiotic to fight the Cholera infection. She was also prescribed Zinc to help reduce the irritation and inflammation to the intestines. Carme-suse repeated several times that she could never have afforded another hospital. 


St Luc Rehydration Center provided the medical care and medication her daughter needed free of charge. When asked for a final thought to close the interview, she said that the staff treated her and her daughter with respect and courtesy. She wanted to tell St Luc Rehydration Center, "Mesi, kembe La, kontinie travay pou popilasyon an."—"Thank you, stay firm and continue helping the population."

U.S. Secretary of Health visit St. Damien at NPFS Haiti

The United States Secretary of Health was a guest of St. Damien Hospital recently. She was hosted by our beloved Father Rick Frechette together with Dr. Jacqueline Gautier, Director of St. Damien Hospital. On her first visit to Haiti, the Secretary met with the Administration of the Hospital, participated in a Q&A session and toured the entire property which ecompasses the ARV (AIDS) clinic among others.


Given the fact that the U.S.A. is partners with Haiti in fighting AIDS there were many questions posed that addressed serious concerns. With reference to medication and travel, one of the patients asked if it is possible to imagine a medicine that will completely cure AIDS.  The Secretary's response was that it is in the works. Father Rick further added that there is current research being conducted to prevent the body from rejecting AIDS medications, which is common in those suffering from the disease. There was lots of good news at the session. Another question addressed the possibility of an AIDS infected person being granted a Visa to travel to the U.S. The Secretary's response was that it is possible if that person is traveling to seek treatment.

You are not only making a tremendous impact in their lives, but also one in yours...

Below are reflections by three great Friends about their trip to NPH Guatemala!


John Hutt – Sophomore
For six days I had the pleasure to live in the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos Orphanage, in Guatemala with the children there. I go to Brophy College Preparatory, and every year an immersion trip is offered to the student body. I applied and was accepted to venture to Guatemala with 40 of the Brophy brothers. While down there we worked in the field, saw the country from an insider’s point of view, but most importantly we created relationships with the children down in NPH. I grew more emotionally in those six days than I have in my sixteen years. I was able to sponsor a child, Pablo Alfonso, and he has changed my life. We became friends instantly and went everywhere together. He is my best friend, and I write to him every chance I get. I cannot talk highly enough for the people down there and especially Pablo. They truly are the most sincere people I’ve ever met and had the pleasure to live with. In the days and months before we went down, everyone was curious about what we would be building or doing for them. In reality, they do more for me than I do for them. They have impacted my life in a monumental way, and I will never forget those six days for the rest of my time on Earth. My life has been changed for the better, and I can thank NPH, Brophy, and all of the staff and children in Guatemala for that.




Peter Haenel - Junior
Upon reflecting on the NPH trip to Guatemala and the sponsorship program, I had a realization. Initially, I thought the person to benefit would be my pequeño, Diego, but these pequeños give you something far greater than your dollar a day. Diego taught me how to be genuine, generous, and hospitable; traits that are hard to come by living in the United States. It is not a one way street, in the sense that both Diego and I benefit from the relationship. Diego gets financial aid and a buddy, while I get a genuine friend and learn priceless lessons. Everyone should sponsor a kid in need and visit an NPH campus, because you are not only making a tremendous impact in their lives, but also one in yours.


Conner Lawston - Sophomore
This year was my first time on the Guatemala Trip, so I went into it not knowing what to expect. Being there opened my eyes to the rest of the world. The things I took for granted, like clean water and grocery stores, were not part of everyday life. The thing that impacted me most was the pequeños, and their never-ending happiness. They were overwhelmed with excitement when we first saw them, running around and yelling "dulces." (candy) The first day I met Fransisco, the pequeño I am currently sponsoring. Going to Lake Atilan was Fransisco's first time on a boat, and he had never been into a big city. Overall, the trip was an amazing experience for me.

Helping the kids to see at Rancho Santa Fe...

Below is a story about the awesome work of great Friends, Mary Lou and Leo Hundt from the SE Region. They recently made a trip to Honduras and helped our kids in a huge way!!! Read on!


Entering into Honduras with the autorefractor went very smooth. When we got to the ranch we unpacked it and set it up to make sure it was working. On Friday we saw 43 girls from the ranch who needed 18 pairs of glasses. On the second day we saw 92 boys who needed 19 pairs of glasses. The third day we saw 77 adults from the surrounding area who needed 56 pairs of glasses. In the following three weeks, we will be making those 89 pairs of glasses with the help of Sally & Richard VanBuskirk and Bob Indre. (All these glasses were later taken to the DR when the Hundt's made their trip there for the International Family Weekend, and they were then transported to Rancho Santa Fe.)


We had wonderful folks to work with while we were doing the eye exams. The VanBuskiek's are outstanding people to volunteer with as both Richard and Sally have so much knowledge about the equipment as well as doing eye exams. Heather Ann Brook, the volunteer nurse, was also outstanding and she will train the new volunteer nurse, Jennifer Cox, so that eye exams at the ranch will continue. The young people that worked with us everyday were Johanna, Belki and Diana; everyone should be so proud of these young people.


What a wonderful time we all had! 


-Mary Lou Hundt


Thank you so very much to the Hundt's and all their support for our kids!

It's wonderful to see that all of them have a chance for a better life.

Below is a testimonial from great Friend and Godparent, Anna Bravchuk, who shares about her recent trip to the home in the Dominican Republic with her daughter. 


Hello, my name is Anna, and I recently visited the Dominican Republic Friends of the Orphans home with my daughter, Polina. I'd been a sponsor for a child in the Haiti home for a couple of years, so when we heard about the trip to the Dominican Republic, I thought it would be a wonderful experience and opportunity for myself and Polina. 


My daughter is in seventh grade, and she was very excited to visit the kids and to see how they live and how we can help. We had many expectations about our trip, and about the children we would meet. We thought we would find children who were struggling and unhappy due to the challenges in their lives. It wasn't the case. I was amazed how happy the kids and adults were there. How full of energy and hope they were. They performed a concert for us, and we had a number of activities together. It was truly one of the the greatest parts of the trip to see the kids enjoying themselves dancing and singing. I was also impressed with how tidy and well organized life in the home is, and so pleased to see all the kids are taken such great care of. It's wonderful to see that all of them have a chance for a better life.


We were both very inspired by our visit. In fact, during the trip my daughter found out that one of the greatest needs there were resources to support and sustain more workshops to educate kids. She decided to do a fundraiser in her own school in Los Angeles, and has prepared a presentation for the whole school to build interest and support.


I thought it was a wonderful experience for me and my daughter to meet the kids and share a day of activities with them. We got to know one particular child very well, a bright, energetic 10 year old girl named Eridania, and we decided to sponsor her as well. The entire trip was very moving and inspiring, and I can't wait to go back to see my new godchild now.

Support Children in Need: Change the World One Child at a Time

An estimated 100 million children live in the streets in the world today. That number is close to the entire population of Mexico. What if these children were suddenly given a loving home, an opportunity for a decent education, and medical care?


Would this change the world?


I believe it would.


Miguel is a perfect example:


Read more of this Huffington Post article by John Iberle here!

President's Reception in Saint Paul

On the evening of February 28, 2012, not even freezing rain, flurries, and dangerous driving conditions could keep the close to 70 people from gathering at the Lexington in St. Paul for a night of celebration and recognition.


The President’s Reception is an event hosted by the Upper Midwest (UPM) Regional Board President to celebrate the successes of the previous year and to look forward with enthusiastic eyes to the many possibilities for growth in the year to come. At this time our dedicated volunteers are acknowledged and specially honored for the unwavering commitment and hard work that they tirelessly and generously give to help provide for the children of NPH.


This year we were grateful to be joined by Nestor Jaramillo (Interim Regional Board President), Sue Lovegreen (UPM Interim Regional Director), and John Iberle (Interim CEO). With many changes in the regional office, the UPM staff wishes to express its immense gratitude to those members of our board who have stepped up in a special way to fill necessary roles in this time of transition. It is because of this dedication that we are able to proceed forward under strong leadership.

Rose Schaffhausen and Nestor Jaramillo

The list of volunteers who deserve recognition within our region is extensive and seemingly endless! The Kautza family offered countless hours to help plan and run Faces of Hope in Iowa. Two of our volunteers, Andy Ottum and Rachel Olson, put on the Eau Claire triathlon. We would like to commend Vic Roers, for organizing the giving campaign that brought hundreds of stockings to brighten Christmas for the children of NPH Honduras. Another exciting initiative that began in 2011, and will continue in full force in 2012, is an increased presence on University campuses within the Twin Cities.


During the Fall of 2011 a group of pequeños from NPH Mexico traveled to Minnesota to share a little sliver of their lives with us. They traveled to many churches, schools, and businesses to promote ongoing support for their brothers and sisters. We would like to thank the Pequeño Tour co-chairs and Churches, so we extend our gratitude to Kathy and Richard Jordan and Fr. Steve Ulrick from Holy Name of Jesus as well as Mike Vievering and Fr. Tom Wilson from All Saints Catholic Church. Two other committee members that deserve special recognition for their outstanding efforts this past year are Anna Verhoye, Silent Auction chair for the Gala, and Kim Smith, a part of the Cinco de Mayo 5k committee.


We recognize all volunteers who offered 70 or more hours of their time to help in our office over the past year. Three people received this honor for the second year in a row: Larry Valley, Mary Kay O’Rourke, and Sylvia Harrington. Others who received the 70 Hours of Service Award for the first time are: John and Kathy Cleveland, Shannon Hollanitsch, Kate Romens, Jane Losasso, Cory Baird, D’Anne Briggs, Michael Rasley, LuLu and Dr. Peter Daly. Many of these volunteers have not only offered 70 hours of service, but their entire lives to supporting the children of NPH!

LuLu and Dr. Peter Daly

The Regional Above and Beyond Award is presented annually to a volunteer whose continued dedication and determination to transform lives goes above and beyond the call of duty. This year, we are giving this award to two individuals who have worked tirelessly to help us achieve our goal of raising children and transforming lives. The recipients of this award were: Deacon Larry and JoAnn Lawinger.


We recognize Mary Kasel for offering such acute attention to details, as she worked so hard to make the Angels of Light 25th Anniversary Gala a special occasion. In addition, Rose Schaffhausen was honored for 25 years of unwavering dedication to the children of NPH!
Over our 25 year history as an organization we have had such amazing volunteers. Many people who attended the President’s Reception were previously awarded Volunteer of the Year for their efforts, and are honored to still have them all actively working on behalf of the children of NPH. We would like to extend a special thanks to:
• JoAnne Zigman (1987)
• Mary Beth Mee (1992)
• Laurel Boerger (1993)
• Mary Kasel (1995)
• Jean Gray (1996)
• Gerald and Ginny L’Allier (1998)
• Gerald and Lucy Alfveby (1999)
• Larry and JoAnn Lawinger (2001)

Joanne Zigman and John Iberle

We are thrilled to honor Richard and Kathy Jordan as our 2011 Volunteers of the Year! Richard and Kathy are the epitome of volunteers who do it all and expect nothing in return. A big piece of each of their hearts is with the children of Miacatlan, Mexico. Richard has visited NPH Mexico multiple times with Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, and we are thrilled that this summer will be Kathy’s first trip to the home! Thanks to the Jordans and their efforts at Holy Name of Jesus church, over $20,000 was raised for the 2011 Holy Name of Jesus youth group trip to NPH Mexico and over $42,000 during the Pequeño Tour as a host parish. Kathy and Richard are also responsible for starting two Holy Name of Jesus school sponsorships, organizing fundraisers to support the sponsorships of David and Maria at the NPH Mexico home and coordinating correspondence between the classrooms and their godchildren. From walking taco sales after Masses to car wash fundraisers in the dead of winter, Kathy and Richard worked tirelessly to raise funds and awareness for Friends and NPH. In her limited spare time, Kathy came into our office in December of last year as a volunteer, making calls to lapsed sponsors and personally helping our office raise more sponsorship dollars in the month of Dec 2011 than any month in the past, ever. Richard was invited to join our local Board of Directors and has taken on various projects as a board member, consistently volunteering himself for different tasks before having to be asked. To know the Jordans is to know the meaning of humble, loyal, and supportive. They are beyond generous in giving their time, talent, and treasure to the children of NPH and the Upper Midwest office of Friends of the Orphans, and we are honored to know and work with them!


We would like to THANK YOU all so much for your immense generosity and the vital support that you offer to Friends and the children of NPH. Our office could not function without all of your hard work and determination to help our children. Because of your inspiring volunteer efforts in our office, on committees, at events, at the NPH homes, fundraising on your own, and many other ways we are able to continue raising funds and together transform thousands of lives!

NDP Students from the Southwest Region Spend their Spring Break Helping our Kids!

Submitted by Joseph Fagan, Theology/ Friends of the Orphans Club Moderator


If there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13), then in the life of a high school student, “laying down one’s Spring Break for one’s friends” must be a close second, and fourteen members of NDP’s Friends of the Orphans Club did just that.


While many of their friends spent their Spring vacation on the ski slopes or the beach, DJ Seamans, Maura Kelly, Rhett Johnston, Maddie Frazier, Douglas Wong, Patrick Reilly, Allie York, Heather Huennekens, Natalie Wojtanowski, Edmund Wong, Annie Kaiser, Will Seamans, Francesca Decastell, and Daniela Cuellar, spent their Spring vacation at the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters) orphanage in central Mexico. Part service trip, part cultural immersion experience, each of our students takes something different from the experience, but they all describe the trip as life changing. 


Throughout the week, we help the NPH children with their chores; do arts-and-crafts projects and other fun activities with the special education students; play sports with the older kids, especially soccer; we take some of the pequeños (little ones) out for pizza and a trip to a local water park; but most of all, the participants in this mission trip provide a level of one-on-one love and attention that just isn’t possible for the staff in a home of over 800 children.


The Friends of the Orphans Club prepares for the trip each year with a supply drive here on campus and this year we delivered fifteen large boxes of clothing and school supplies when we arrived at NPH Mexico in Miacatlan, Mexico. Some of our students who go on the trip (and their families) support a pequeño at NPH with letters of support and financial help through Friends of the Orphans as a Sponsor, and this trip allows them to meet and really get to know that child. While this financial and material support is essential to breaking the cycle of poverty in which the pequeños would otherwise be trapped, it is impossible to express the emotional impact it has on the pequeños knowing that they have padrinos (Godparents/patrons) who care about them, love them, pray for them, who will write to them, and who may visit them.


Midway through our day at the water park, after Rhett Johnston (NDP ’12) had spent three or four hours taking care of his seven-year-old pequeño, I asked Fernando who Rhett was to him. He beamed as he said, “My friend, my padrino, my Daddy!” I don’t think that Rhett or Fernando will ever see themselves – or the world – in the same way again.


Both of Will Seamans (NDP ’15) brothers (Graham, NDP ’09 and D.J., NDP ’12) have been on the trip multiple times, but even so, Will says that it was a different experience than he expected. “I knew what we were going to do; that I would make new friends and that the trip would be fun,” he said, “but no one can really describe the relationships. You just have to experience that for yourself.”


Our students are right. This trip is life changing. For them AND for the pequeños.