"I have never felt more welcomed into someone’s home in my life..."

Below is a blog post written by India Zietsman Donor Relations Manager in the Midwest Region - enjoy!

I started working as the Donor Relations Manager of our NPH USA Minneapolis office on March 9^th, 2020. Even before that first day at the office, I dreamt about my first trip to one of our NPH homes. I knew that traveling was part of the job when I applied and it was a highlight of the job description for me. I value that NPH USA sends their fundraising employees to visit the homes so that we have a deep understanding of our work.  

During my onboarding, I spoke with numerous co-workers to learn all about my day-to-day work as well as the general mission of NPH. When coworkers spoke about our programs and kids, they lit up. They explained that there’s something intangible and indescribable that makes NPH truly special. Every co-worker would say, “When you visit a NPH home, you’ll understand.” 

My third day in the office, my boss Stephanie and I decided I would plan to visit NPH Guatemala and NPH Nicaragua during the summer of 2020. However, as we all watched the world shut down with the arrival of the pandemic, I knew my chances to visit a NPH home in 2020 were extremely low. 

Fast forward a year and a half. The United States is slowly opening up with the arrival of the vaccine. My co-workers are buzzing because finally, we are planning our first trip to a NPH home since the pandemic hit. And guess who’s on the list of attendees? ME! I truly screamed with joy when I found out that I’d be traveling to NPH Honduras in August 2021. I had watched all of the videos on NPH USA and NPH International’s YouTube accounts. I had read almost every article, webpage and brochure about our programs and our kids. I had learned as much as I possibly could from afar. After a year and a half, I’d be able to experience it all in-person. 

I have never been more overwhelmed with both joy and nerves at the same time in my life. A million questions came up: What did I need to do to prepare for this trip? Would the kids like me? Would the kids be excited to meet us? Would my Spanish (which I hadn’t used in 5 years) come back? And many more that I’m too embarrassed to admit in a blog post.  

We landed in Honduras at 3pm on a Tuesday and began driving to NPH Honduras, also known as the Ranch. Everyone who’s been to Honduras knows that driving there is slightly terrifying. Cars don’t just drive with a purpose there… they drive aggressively; constantly trying to overtake slower cars ahead of them on one-way roads. When we arrived at the Ranch, I think we were all grateful to be off the highway and inside the gates of the safe, gorgeous, calming property. We were also in awe of the enormous size of the Ranch. I got lost almost every time I walked around up until the last day of our trip. 

After three days of quarantine and a negative rapid COVID test, we could finally meet and spend time with the pequeños. Once again, my nerves and joy took over. I could feel myself shaking with anticipation. My first night with the kids, I had dinner with some of the older girls in their hogar, which is Spanish for “home”. When I stepped through the door, all of the girls ran up to me. They immediately gave me hugs, said “hello” or “hola” and asked me to come sit and eat with them. They were so excited to have me there and talk with me in my rusty Spanish. I have never felt more welcomed into someone’s home in my life. After dinner, they convinced me to dance and sing with them to American songs. I typically refuse to sing in-front of ANYONE. But looking into their eyes and hearing their pleas, I couldn’t say no. 

I walked back to the visitor’s center that night with the biggest smile on my face. My heart was overflowing with love for the girls I had met. They were all incredible. They immediately opened up to me – telling me about themselves, sharing laughs, and asking me all about myself. Now that I have had time to reflect, I recognize that I’ve never experienced anything like it in the United States. I was a stranger to these girls when I first arrived but left their home as a friend, as a member of their family. 

Hogar after hogar that I visited each day after that first dinner with the girls, I had the same experience. Kids running up to me just to offer a hug and say hello while I walked past the playground. Kids yelling my name as they watched me walk by their home. Kids sharing their passions and interests with me either through words or actions. I fell in love with all of them. I finally understood what my co-workers meant when they said, “When you visit a NPH home, you’ll understand.” 

I now have seen with my own eyes that NPH is truly unlike any other organization. NPH understands that every one of our kids is special and unique. While in Honduras, we were asked to describe NPH in two words. My words were holistic and human. I knew about our holistic programs before traveling to Honduras. I had read that they encourage our kids to be fully themselves, and that they have the power to empower. However, I only connected to the deep humanity of our work when I met our kids. Meeting them has given me a face to think about when I talk about our work. Today, I sit in my office and smile knowing that the work I’m doing is supporting them: those kids with beautiful dreams, incredible talents and huge hearts. 

A Letter of Gratitude from NPH USA's International Volunteer Program Coordinator

Dear International Volunteers:

Every one of you has been through a lot in the past few weeks. It is a traumatic event to be torn away from the home and family you have made at NPH. It’s terrible to have worked so hard in your jobs and in relationships, only to abruptly leave with hardly a goodbye. Some of you may feel like you’ve broken a promise when you were required to leave—that you hadn’t done enough yet. But here I say to you: what you have already done (whether it was for 3 months or 2 years)—that work and the love you offered to the kids, staff, and fellow volunteers was indispensable, invaluable, and so very much appreciated.

It’s true: when you go back, NPH won’t be the same. But that’s NPH—it’s constantly changing and seeing good people come and go as they do their part. I remember returning to Honduras years after my service and so much had changed! There were new buildings, new programs, and new kids. A little selfishly, I was disappointed that my teenager “boys” weren’t kids anymore. Simply put, it wasn’t the same home that I had known from before. NPH is like a river that is constantly moving and you never stand in the same water twice. In truth, that’s what makes NPH so special—that it allows for that kind of growth so that the kids, staff, and leadership can adapt and constantly strive to be better, to do more, to reach so many individuals. You are an important part of the constantly moving river that represents NPH. Regardless of how much time you spent as a volunteer, you will forever be an integral part of the NPH family.

Thank you, volunteers, for the incredible sacrifices you’ve made as part of this family. Thank you for the unconditional love and care you have given (and continue to give) to our kids. Thank you for believing that we can make a difference when we work together and strive to put the needs of others first. You are all my heroes and I, personally, am honored to get to work with you all and get to know you better. Thank you, volunteers, for all that you do and all that you are. Although time was cut short for many of you—the selfless contributions you’ve made and the love you have shown have made NPH better. You should be very proud of that.

Un abrazo enorme,
Jen Foster

"I am in awe!"

Below is a post written by Stephanie Pommier, Regional Director of NPH USA's Upper Midwest office!

On Saturday, October 5, 2019 500 guests and volunteers filled the Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront Ballroom to celebrate the 65^th anniversary of NPH! The evening included a special honor to recognize Rose Schaffhausen, 2019 recipient of the Fr. William Wasson Humanitarian Award, and we met our fundraising goal of $500,000!

I am in awe! 

I hope everyone is energized to continue spreading the NPH message. We cannot remain silent - we must share the NPH story and our remain steadfast in our mission of seeking financial support for and meeting the needs of the NPH children. 

What an amazing, fun, and inspiring evening! 

And, don’t let the fun stop – we have several upcoming fundraising events throughout our region in the time to come. Please join us at upcoming events or consider hosting your own holiday fundraising gathering to raise the critical funds needed to transform the lives of thousands of children in Latin America and the Caribbean. You can learn more by contacting your regional office. 

What does it mean to be called?

Below is a post written by Jennifer Turner, NPH USA Southwest Region Development Officer!

I just received my Advancing Philanthropy magazine, July issue and was headed out to meet up with a long-time friend and colleague in the nonprofit sector.  The timing couldn’t have been more perfect!

I arrived early for our visit so I began to look through the issue and came upon an article about our profession, Called to Do Well and Be Good by Paul C. Pribbenow, Ph.D., CFRE.

That’s when I read a passage that resonated with me, perfectly describing how I felt having built a career within the nonprofit sector and especially my work with Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) USA.

In 1998 I started my service as a Youth at Risk Business Advisor in the US Peace Corp.  I served in Jamaica and upon completing my two years, relocated back to the US to continue in the nonprofit sector focusing on development and philanthropy.  

I’ve been fortunate to work with some incredible organizations and generous individuals over the years.  However, my heart was always with the needs of youth abroad… so when the opportunity came along that allowed me to pair my skills in fundraising with my passion for international youth work, my heart leapt!

For almost two years I wake up every day grateful. Why?  The kids of NPH, no matter the age, the country or the circumstance are inspirational to the point where it’s an honor to share their stories and successes.  What they accomplish with the support of NPH embodies the essence of success.  And my work is to share their stories.  This work is my passion, which drives my happiness, which humbles me with gratitude.  And the donors and funders of NPH are just as incredible. 

Reading this passage was an eloquent reminder…

I’m so blessed to be in a profession where I love what I do, meet incredible people who become meaningful friends and despite any negative elements that surround me - I’m pulled towards inspiration that introduces me to yet more incredible people.

And for those who know me well, having the opportunity to become a part of the NPH family has been described by them as “Jenn found her dream job!” – a sentiment I resoundingly second.

So… yes, I have been called.

Celebrating Our International Volunteers!

Below is a post by Vicky Medley, our International Volunteer Program Coordinator at NPH USA!

In 2017 we had another great group of US volunteers join the NPH family by serving for a year or more! Overall, we had 37 volunteers serving at least 6 months during 2017. That number includes volunteers who began in July 2016 (20), January 2017 (5) and July 2017 (12). It’s always hard to capture the number, it’s more like a snapshot at times! We had about 25 International Volunteers from the U.S. serving at any time during 2017.

Two of my favorite parts of my job are getting to visit our volunteers at NPH, and hosting our post service reflection weekends. In 2017, I was lucky to visit our volunteer communities in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. We also hosted a volunteer reflection weekend in the Seattle area, where recent former volunteers gathered to process and reflect upon their time at NPH. 

 

 

While our program continues to be solid, international volunteerism has been criticized over the last few years, often with good reason. Google “voluntourism” and you will find a laundry list of critical articles and opinions. You may have seen the “How to Get More Likes on Social Media” video created by Radi-Aid, http://www.rustyradiator.com/social-media-guide/ and Barbie Savior, an Instagram parody account about volunteering in Africa. The majority of the criticism in most of the articles is based on foreigners disregarding local talent, local customs, and adopting a “savior” mentality towards those they serve. 

As an international Volunteer program, we are always looking to improve, and to check our work against ethical international development practices. We have more to learn, but I want to share some of our guidelines and thinking about the role of international volunteers at NPH, and why I believe NPH is a solid organization in terms of international service:

We require volunteers to serve for a year. That allows time for volunteers to form healthy relationships with the kids and the staff, and gives volunteers the opportunity really experience and understand the NPH mission. Most NPH volunteers stay involved far beyond their year. They return to NPH for the celebration of sacraments, for graduations, and weddings; they keep in touch with the children they served. In addition, many of them remain involved with NPH USA on an Associate Board, as sponsors, with volunteer recruitment, or at special events.  

Volunteers do not replace local staff. Volunteers enhance the lives of the children at NPH by providing services and support that are hard to find in Latin America. Volunteers do not replace staff, but instead work alongside local staff.  

Volunteers work in areas in which they have received training and education. We do not believe that just because you speak English you can teach English, nor should you be medicating children unless you are an MD, or providing therapies unless you are a certified therapist. For the most part, trained volunteer teachers are in our classrooms (and not teaching core subjects; mostly ESL, working as classroom assistants and sometimes PE); licensed volunteer nurses are in our clinics; licensed volunteer Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and Art Therapists provide services. Many recent college graduates who have valuable previous experience working with kids serve in tutoring, in administrative roles, or offering programming like youth empowerment or youth ministry. We try to match a volunteer’s strengths and skills with NPH’s needs.

We do not require that volunteers pay to serve. NPH does not view volunteers as a source of revenue. Instead, NPH provides volunteers a stipend, room and board, and access to basic medical care. NPH USA covers the cost of medical insurance in case of hospitalization or evacuation. Volunteers do have some costs: they must cover their airfare, and any language classes they may need.

We prepare our volunteers in the areas of intercultural communication and an immersion in partnership based service. Our volunteers all complete the Impact Abroad Toolkit, created by Serve Smart. It’s an online interactive course that dives deeply into exploring and coaching on partnership based (rather than charity based) service. Most of our volunteers also take the Intercultural Effectiveness Survey, “an instrument used by profit and non-profit organizations, including companies, government agencies and educational institutions. It was developed specifically to evaluate the competencies critical to interacting effectively with people who are from different cultures.”

NPH provides volunteers with guidelines about using photos, and sharing their experience online. NPH holds the dignity of the children central in their Child Media Policy. During orientation, volunteers are trained on the country specific policies about posting photos of children living at NPH. Volunteers are asked to share their blogs, and when necessary (rarely!) we do ask volunteers to edit content to adjust or remove a photo or change some wording.  

We welcome any discussion about our International Volunteer Program, and invite you to celebrate the accomplishments of our talented International Volunteers. Their passion, dedication, and love for NPH is inspiring to us all! 

Finding family at NPH Guatemala...

Below is a reflection written by our very own Ross Egge, Development Manager in the Northwest NPH USA office about his recent trip to the NPH home in Guatemala!!

This past July, I had the extraordinary opportunity to travel to our home in Guatemala with a group of amazing people from the NPH Northwest community. Though NPH has been part of my life for many years, I am never more inspired and continually impressed with the work and dedication being afforded to these children and communities then when seeing it and sharing it with others. For many in our group, it was the first trip to an NPH home, for others it was a long-awaited return, for everyone it was an experience to remember, and an impactful reminder of the positive change we get to be part of with the NPH family.

The children, so loving, so fun, so very much children being children. It was so fun to see some of the godchildren meeting their sponsors from the Northwest for the first time. Some on our trip have made trip down many times and were able to relish in how their godchildren have grown, and catch up with the children and staff they have built relationships with over the years. 

Where the full weight of what this trip was for me and for those in our group cannot be shared in words or pictures, the love shared among our group and with the children and staff of NPH Guatemala is fully present for all of us upon our return as we attempt to transfer the intangibles of what we experienced to our daily lives, making better a world so desperate for healing, and seeking new ways to support and encourage the beautiful children of our NPH family. I want to thank all our participants for joining us on this journey and for being an inspiration to me in the way you became family, not only to the children of NPH, but to one another. That is truly the power of being in a place so fully infused with love for others. Thank you! 

 

 

 

 

Give a year, gain a lifetime of love: 2015 International Volunteer Program recap

By Vicky Medley, International Volunteer Coordinator, NPH USA

2015 was my ninth year working with our International Volunteer Program!  I sure do love my job; I have the pleasure of helping with the selection, placement and support for the International Volunteers that come from the U.S.  For Volunteer Appreciation Week 2016, I want to provide you with a program update and some highlights.

Overall, 2015 was another successful year for our International Volunteer Program.  Each year we make some changes and adjustments.  In 2015:

• We added more intercultural trainings to our preparation materials.  NPH is a complex web of cultures: the culture of the home country, the organizational culture, and the multinational, multilingual cultures that the volunteers bring from all corners of the globe to the volunteer community. With that in mind, all of our volunteers now complete the Impact Abroad Toolkit, an online course about effective intercultural partnerships.  Our volunteers also now participate in the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale to help identify strengths and areas of growth in intercultural settings.   
• We increased our recruitment efforts.  Like most volunteer programs, over the last two years we’ve received fewer applications. To counteract that trend, we visited more campuses and increased our online profiles and materials on many college career centers.  We’re also experimenting with targeted recruitment for hard-to-fill positions like therapists and Communication Officers.
• We now provide all volunteers’ international health insurance.  In the past we provided a subsidy, but we are now able to cover the entire cost. 

Our International Volunteers in action!

We currently have 29 volunteers serving alongside the local staff at NPH.  International Volunteers do not replace local staff, but they provide much-needed services that are difficult for us to ensure otherwise.  In 2015, we had a total of 58 volunteers who served at least six months, saving NPH an estimated $120,780. 

International volunteers serve for a year or more at all the NPH homes.  Some volunteers work in education as English and PE teachers, Preschool Teachers, Tutors, and Librarians.  Many volunteers work as Caregivers, or in special programs like Women’s Empowerment, Social Work or Youth Ministry.  We have several volunteers who provide physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy.  Volunteers also work in administration, serving as volunteer coordinators, visitor coordinators, project coordinators, or in the child sponsorship department.  Our medical volunteers serve as nurses, doctors, nurse practitioners and clinic assistants.

As you read through the volunteer testimonials, https://www.nph.org/ws/volunteers/testimonials.php?lang=en you will see some themes emerge: 

NPH really is a giant family, and our volunteers are an essential part of that family, not only providing professional services, but accompanying the Pequeños during chores, homework, meals, mass, and playtime. 

Most volunteers feel that during their time with NPH they have received more than they have given, and are transformed by their service.  They learn about patience, sharing, love and new priorities that focus on relationships rather than tasks. 

International Volunteers’ continuing involvement with NPH

Even after their service has been over for a year or more, most volunteers stay involved with NPH.  In 2015, former volunteers came up with new and creative ways to raise money, and built support for NPH:  

• In cities where there are regional offices, former International Volunteers help at fundraisers, translate, assist in the offices, speak at events, and meet with donors.
• We have Associate Boards in cities throughout the country.  Many former volunteers participate in the Associate Boards, helping organize pub crawls, trivia nights, and other events that appeal to socially conscious young professionals.
• In Seattle, many former volunteers are involved in NPH International’s Seattle Institute. This program helps develop a future generation of leaders for our NPH homes.  Their curriculum is based on principles of servant leadership and grounded in our NPH philosophy.  Former International volunteers serve as mentors, assist with retreats and events, and most importantly, serve as a comforting presence during the difficult adjustment period when the adult Pequeños first arrive in Seattle. 
• Each fall, a cadre of volunteers helps us with college recruitment.   In 2015, six former volunteers visited college volunteer recruitment events. 

How can you support our International Volunteer Program?

• Help us spread the word about volunteering with NPH!  Share our information with your alumni network, your professional associations, on social media, or your place of worship. 
• If you are visiting an NPH home, pack a few treats for our volunteers!  They love surprises from home, especially holiday treats (like candy corn, inexpensive advent calendars, Easter candy, etc.), and treats that are hard to find in Latin America. 
• Ask volunteers about their time at NPH, and really listen to what they have to say.  You will learn all sorts of things about NPH.

If you’ve met any of our former volunteers, you know that they are deeply dedicated to the NPH family, and they are a creative, passionate, hard-working and humble group.  May we be blessed with their presence for many years to come!

It is important to make sure the kids value their godparents and everything that they do for them even though they cannot see them.

Mariney Ocampo is currently the Head of the International Sponsorship Department at NPH Mexico. Born in the United States to Mexican parents, Mariney lived in California until she was one year old. Her family on her father’s side of the family lives in the United States while her family on her mother´s side of the family lives in Cuernavaca, Mexico. In Mexico, at the age of four she was enrolled in a bilingual school where she began to learn English, and at the age of nine she began to study French at a local language center. Since she was young, her dream has always been to be an interpreter, and her biggest goal - to interpret for the United Nations.

Mariney studied International Relations at the International University in Cuernavaca. During this time, she also studied German, Italian, and Russian. She received a scholarship to participate in an exchange program through Virginia Tech where she studied International Development before returning to Cuernavaca where she graduated in 2004. In 2005, she began to work for a German NGO, CBM, in Cuernavaca whose mission is to support local projects for the benefit of disabled people in poor countries. Mariney worked as the coordinator of the projects in the Caribbean for three and a half years. After her experience with this company, she moved to England where she received her Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution, a branch of International Relations, at the University of Bradford. During this time she was also able to study Arab with a friend from Syria who was also living in England.

Following her graduation from Bradford in 2010, Mariney returned to work with CBM to aid in their relief efforts after the earthquake in Haiti that year. The organization opened an office in Haiti, and she worked in displacement camps there for six months. Because there was no infrastructure, the people had gone to live in plazas and parks, and it was in those displacement camps, or “tent cities,” where she helped coordinate the construction of infant shelters. Since there were no schools, hospitals, or homes remaining, health, educational, and rehabilitation services were offered in the tent cities. Mariney’s job was to hire people to install structures for the thousands of orphaned children, where they could receive meals, shelter, and therapy. At the end of 2010, after the heavy experience in Haiti, she returned to Cuernavaca because of her desire to be with her family.

She began her job search, only knowing that, “I wanted to work for a non-profit because I had always worked in this sector. I was never involved in the governmental or private sector because I have always liked philanthropy.” She found an opening at NPH, not realizing that Nos Petit Frères et Soeurs (the organization that built Saint Damien’s Hospital in Haiti, which had survived the earthquake and where she had gone to attend meetings while working in Haiti) was not a French or Haitian organization but had originated in her home country of Mexico, and in Spanish was called Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos™, or NPH. Having come to this realization, Mariney was very interested in the position, came in for an interview and had a tour of the home in Miacatlán. She fell in love with the home and the social objectives only to begin working as the Volunteer and Visitor Coordinator in March of 2011.

Mariney held that position until December of 2011 when she began to work in the sponsorship office because she was asked to support in the transition of the retirement of the previous Director of Sponsorship of 28 years, Mayi. Mariney worked as the assistant to the director for six months, and in June of 2012 Mayi invited Mariney to be the Head of the International Sponsorship Department. Day to day, she dedicates herself to obtaining new international sponsors, or godparents, for the children of NPH Mexico. Every day there are new requests for sponsorship, and it is her responsibility, along with her team of three, to facilitate communication between the children and their godparents. Every day they receive letters and packages from International Sponsors, and together they work with the children to write letters, thank you responses, translate them, and send the responses. Another part of Mariney’s job, and one that she enjoys a lot, is being responsible for the organizing of the spending of the “Sharing Fund.” This is a fund made up of monetary gifts received by international sponsors and used to fund activities and celebrations in the home. Mariney has the responsibility of giving out birthday money at the end of each month, Christmas money during the holidays, allocating money towards activities like BBQs, First Communions, summer activities such as ceramics, taekwondo and theatre.

Mariney says one of the biggest challenges of her work, but one that she fully enjoys, is that “this office is a bridge between the godparents who are far away and the children who are here. We have to make an effort to build those relationships from a distance, and to create a consciousness in the kids because to them the sponsors are so far away that they are almost invisible. It is important to make sure the kids value their godparents and everything that they do for them even though they cannot see them. We are also going to begin the Godparents Party so that the children realize that all the good things that they have here, and it this is an important part of that. It is a way to show thanks to their godparents.”

What she likes most about her job is knowing that her work helps so many children and having the opportunity to get closer to the kids, "I enjoy knowing that the money from the godparents is spent on fun for the kids and knowing that my work has an impact, and helping to ensure that this can continue to benefit the children. I think about that every day. If it is a boring, or sad, or a busy day, I always remember that I am working for all the children that are here, and that is what I like."

Mariney is about to complete one year in her position as Head of the International Sponsorship Department and we would like to congratulate her on this mark in her career at NPH and thank her for all her hard work and dedication that she has given to us.

Reported by Elizabeth Caletka, Communications Officer

Happy Thanksgiving

A message from A. Frank Donaghue, Friends' Chief Executive Officer: 

I recently returned from my trip to El Salvador and Honduras on Thanksgiving Morning. Needless to say my experience was utterly inspiring. The kids and young adults we all work to support are worthy of every effort given to our mission. What was most noticeable to me, especially from the students attending the  leadership training  from all our homes in Central and South America in Honduras, was the depth of spirituality and gratitude that our future leaders possess.  At every Liturgy, a student prayed for blessings on our donors, volunteers and staff. 

From a beautiful Quinceañera, to a graduation of kindergarten and grade school children, to a training, to dinner in the baby house, gratitude and faith was the most prevailing feeling.

Gratitude; I want to express to you in the deepest sincerity with the words of Paul.  "I give thanks to God for the gift of you".  I extend that to you on behalf of the children you help, give a home, feed, educate, shower with joy and provide with safety.

It is such a privilege  for me to work with everyone at Friends and NPH and share our commitment and passion. 

Happy Thanksgiving,

Frank

P.S.  Meet my newest Godchild, Darling.  She is 5 and lives at the home in Honduras. This picture is from her recent Baptism.  She is absolutely awesome. That smile alone gives you a reason to be Thankful.

“We are called to LOVE and BE LOVED by doing SMALL THINGS with GREAT LOVE.” –Mother Teresa

My name is Sara Joyce and I’ve been an employee of Friends of the Orphans for a little over a year. When I jumped on board, I knew the work we were doing was both necessary and good. Though sitting behind a desk eight hours every day and having this head knowledge, I was still unable to see clearly the impact that each one of us in the Friends/NPH family truly makes in the lives of these individual children. 


The last week in March I had the privilege of traveling to NPH Honduras with a group of seminarians and students from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. This trip surpassed my wildest expectations. I could tell you extensively about the beautiful children, the wonderful staff, and volunteers that I met, but I’d prefer to tell you my favorite story: That of my encounter with one particular child, mi ahijado (my godchild), Osman Ariel Aguilar Avila. 


As I walked along a path at “The Ranch,” I came across a boy who seemed to be crying. Internally I debated: Do I stop? Should I keep walking? Is my Spanish good enough to get me through figuring out what’s going on with this kid? Without really thinking what this interaction would actually look like, I stopped. At that moment, I had no idea the effect that miniscule decision would have. After inquiring and consoling him in my arms while he explained his various ailments to me, his tears dried up and looking me right in the eyes he said, “Como se llama usted (What is your name)?” 


He wanted to know everything about me. Where was I from? How old was I? Why was I visiting Honduras? My favorite color…and the list went on. As we walked and talked while I quizzed him on English (and he tested my Spanish skills), I asked him my own list of questions about himself and as I did his smile grew more radiant. You see, not only did he want to know about me, but he also wanted to be known and he rejoiced in the opportunity. At one point he asked me, “Eres mi madrina?” Without giving it a second thought I told him yes, that now I was his godmother. Never in my life have I seen a more beautiful, pure, and joyful smile than I did at that moment. 


The next three days I spent nearly every waking hour with Osman. I ate lunch in his hogar (the house he lives in with the other 12-13 year old boys). I helped him with chores, we walked together, went to Mass together, played together, we laughed, and had wonderful conversation. I found out that Osman’s father had died recently, his mother abandoned him, and his sister was too poor and sick to care for him. But, interacting with this beautiful 12 year old boy, you would never guess that the slightest thing was troubling him. I also found out how compassionate, caring, intelligent, and funny he is. In spending three days with Osman, my heart was stretched. He taught me about selflessness, about sacrificing for someone else’s good, about joy in the midst of suffering, and about hope. 


Before we said our final farewells we exchanged letters and bracelets. I told Osman how much I loved him, would miss him, how special he was, and that he had the most beautiful smile I’ve ever seen. Graciously he said thank you, cried again in my arms, and reciprocated the sentiments. While saying good-bye to him left me with a heavy heart, I left knowing that he is surrounded by a family that gives him an opportunity to love and to be loved daily. And while I said my farewell to him, I know that it was not a final good-bye, but “hasta luego (see you later).” Though I may not be able to visit NPH Honduras as soon or often as I would like, I am able to continue being a real part of his life since returning to the States by sponsoring him. 


I may not be able to sustain the entire orphan home in Honduras financially or interact with Osman on a daily basis, but I give as I can. That’s what it’s about—letting the love we encounter in these children permeate every other aspect of our lives. By sponsoring Osman I am able to remain in contact with him, be a support who he knows cares deeply about him, encourage him to be the best that he can, and challenge him to love more intensely. And while in some way I do all of these things, the gift that Osman gives to me is far greater than that, and something I will never take for granted. We can each do our part, and while this looks different for each of us, I invite you to ask yourself the question: How can I make a difference in the life of a child in need?

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!

2011 was a Wonderful Year!!!

This past year has been a truly great one for everyone at Friends of the Orphans and the children we support. Thanks to the hard work of Friends' staff, volunteers and supporters, there have been many wonderful things to highlight throughout the regions this year.

NPH Peru

As many of you know, in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Region, Friends opened a brand new regional office just outside of Boston. Our MANE office officially opened its doors in June 2011, and we have been busy meeting with both new and familiar faces in the community. We've succeeded in creating a successful Regional Board with 10 active members including board chair, Dr. Brian Orr. Our 2nd Annual Irish Hearts for Haiti event held in April was (again) a great success raising $38,000. We also held an exciting Donor Appreciation Event at the historic Fenway Park in July. Likewise, our Faces of Hope events in November went splendidly and had nearly 150 attendees! We were so fortunate this year to welcome Elzer, a pequeño from NPH Honduras, who stayed from May until August. He participated in events, spoke at various churches, schools, and civic functions, and was able to work on perfecting his English while interning at a local elementary school. Our gratitude goes out to the Henry family for hosting Elzer!

NPH Dominican Republic

Our Northwest Region has had much to be proud of in 2011 including a group of interns who have been invaluable this year! Our two Development Interns planned a very successful Family Summer BBQ event with a great turnout, and our Salesforce Intern has been there giving us weekly database support. We also hosted another amazing trip to NPH Honduras (our 8th annual!) We made so many great new Friends, not only bringing in two new tables of people to our Gala (and all our desserts being donated), but also a new mission trip in collaboration with a Montessori school in the Midwest region. Our outreach in Portland, Oregon, and Spokane, Washington, keeps gaining momentum with Faces of Hope Portland being our biggest yet, and we had many new attendees in Spokane. Our open house FUNdraisers in Portland, Spokane and Boise, Idaho were also great times for everyone involved. In Seattle we had a very special event with Jean François Seide, pequeño and member of the newly launched NPH Leadership Program, along with Fr. Rick Frechette of NPFS Haiti allowed us to raise over $62,000 for our programs in Haiti!

NPH El Salvador

Down in the Southeast Region 2011 has been a truly blessed year. In April we moved in to our new office with a view of downtown Miami, the financial district, the water and the new Miami Marlins stadium. Our 5th Annual Faces of Hope Luncheon and our 2nd Annual All the World to One Child Gala were both generously sponsored by great Friend, Chevron. Over 300 guests were in attendance for the luncheon, and this “friendraising” event, featuring special guest Clara Grove, a former pequeña from NPH Mexico, raised more than $45,000! Our gala, which was held at Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Miami, had over 200 guests in attendance and raised over $50,000. We also had a particularly special accomplishment this year that directly affected 3 of our children at NPH Honduras. Thanks to the great connections and efforts of one of our board members, Aid for Aids continuous to donate ARV’s medications for these 3 children to keep them healthy and provide a HUGE savings for our home (about 30k a year). We've also been lucky enough to have wonderful volunteers this year such as Danixa Lopez who has not only helped with several translations, but has been instrumental in our branding and outreach to the Hispanic community. Finally, our total in kind donations this year added up to over $5.5 million, helping provide for countless individuals in need in mainly Haiti and Honduras. Similarly, in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala, our partnership with FedEx helped to provide over 15,000 books for the children we support.

NPH Guatemala

In the Upper Midwest Region we celebrated our 25th anniversary this year, and what a year it was! We welcomed over 230 new child sponsors to our family of nearly 2,000 total Upper Midwest child sponsors. Over $400,000 was raised through various events at churches as well as our annual Gala, run/walk and triathlon events. We also held our first ever fundraising event in Iowa, which brought in over $30,000. We had great volunteer involvement this year with a total contribution of over 2,000 hours. We also welcomed two new staff members, Sara Joyce and Sue Lovegreen, who have been wonderful additions to our team. Our team has had an incredible year celebrating welcoming a baby, a marriage and an engagement! We've also been so very proud of Sean Breininger, our Regional Director, who had his “second birthday” through a bone marrow transplant this December, praying that 2012 will boast a fully successful bone marrow transplant.

NPFS Haiti

In the Midwest Region we once again conducted a very successful Gala event, raising even more funds than the year before! Gala attendees were entertained by the music and dance group from NPH Mexico, and they also heard a compelling keynote speech from Aurora Zacarias, a former pequeña from NPH Mexico. Our 2011 Pequeño Tour also went fabulously, exceeding our revenue goal. We were so happy to have the sixteen pequeños from NPH Mexico perform at various venues in Chicago and throughout Indiana, including the University of Notre Dame. We also hosted an exciting and successful donor appreciation event this year in a donated skybox at a White Sox game. For the first time in several years we conducted a donor trip out of our region. Unlike most donor trips that visit a single NPH home, this trip visited NPH homes in two different countries – Guatemala and El Salvador! Juan Manuel Pineda, a pequeño from NPH El Salvador, performed a concert for almost 500 guests in our hometown of Chicago. We've also had great support this year from Friends in our region like John Shattuck, Vice Chair of the Midwest Region Board, who arranged for six shipping containers of donated medical equipment and other supplies valued at $1.425 million to be sent to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

NPH Honduras

Last but certainly not least, in the Southwest Region we have also had a tremendous year! We have a wonderful new donor who became involved during our Pequeño Tour and continued on to attend our Gala, sponsor a child, go on a donor tour, sponsor another child, organize a FUNdraiser for February 2012 and collect clothes and games to be sent to the homes! We are so very appreciative of all that our donors do. We also had over 150 teens and adults participate on our mission trips to Guatemala and Mexico to spend a week with their 128 Godchildren that they sponsor. In addition, we collected and delivered 104 boxes of new clothes, shoes, school supplies and sports equipment. We also had some awesome events this year including both of our Power of One events in April where Eligio Villegas Cruz, a  pequeño from NPH Mexico, was our guest speaker. Eligio graduated from the University of Monterrey in Mexico this June with a degree in International Marketing. The two events raised over $40,000 and was underwritten by Wells Fargo Private Client Services. We also secured 18 child sponsorships at these events. For our annual Pequeño Tour throughout Arizona and California, we hosted the dancers and musicians from NPH El Salvador, and as of October 19th, the event netted $281,850 and secured 101 new sponsorships with an annualized income of $52,680. These children left lasting memories with their host families and the communities they visited. We also conducted our 12th Annual Diocese of Phoenix Catholic School Mass and Cultural Day with the 11 schools that are part of our school sponsorship program and support over 70 godchildren.

NPH Mexico

It has truly been an amazing year, and we are so thankful for all our Friends like you who help us to raise children and transform lives. Thank you for all your generosity and support throughout 2011, and we look forward to 2012! Happy new year!!!