I am filled with and surrounded by more love than I could have ever imagined...

Alaina Hall is a volunteer at our NPH Mexico home who did something truly incredible for the children that we support. Read her piece below to learn more!

During my junior year of high school I experienced my first great rejection. I had applied to go on a summer trip to Peru with the American Youth Leadership Program. I made it to the interview round and was so excited to possibly be able to participate in this amazing program. A few weeks after the interview, I got the disappointing email that I was not chosen to go on the trip.

While upset about the rejection, I was still committed to the idea of traveling abroad and experiencing a new culture. I remembered that my church did a service trip to Mexico each summer, which seemed like a good alternative, so I signed up. I didn’t know then that this trip would change the course of my life.

When I got to NPH Mexico that summer, I found one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to. The kids were so generous, welcoming, and radiated pure love and light. Their smiles were infectious and even though my Spanish was pretty minimal, we could somehow communicate so easily without words. I went back home from that trip thankful that I had been able to experience something so amazing. The following summer I returned on the same trip, and that is when I decided I wanted to return to NPH as a volunteer after graduating from University.

During the fall of 2014, I began nursing school at the University of Pennsylvania. That same year, ‘Penn’ developed an award called the “President’s Engagement Prizes.” The prize is a $100,000 grant for graduating Penn seniors to design and implement a global, national, or local civic engagement project. When I heard about this award, I immediately thought of NPH and I became determined to apply for it when I became a senior.

Over the next years, I began reaching out to NPH, university professors, and anyone else who I thought could advise me on this project. With the support of so many people - my advisors Cindy and Nancy, Corinna and Pilar from NPH International Medical services, and my family and friends - the idea of “Healthy Pequeños” was formed.

Healthy Pequeños is a nurse-led, holistic infection prevention program aimed at addressing the global problem of pediatric infectious disease. Infectious diseases are the leading cause of pediatric morbidity and mortality around the world and are the primary health concern among the children at NPH Mexico.

The program consists of three parts: pathogen-exposure reduction through environmental changes, such as access to adequate sanitation facilities and clean water; health promotion and education aimed at children and their caregivers; and community infection surveillance by medical personnel.

During January of my senior year, I submitted the application. In April, I got a call from the University President telling me I had won. I immediately began to cry because I couldn’t believe that I would be able to return to NPH and contribute to the already amazing place that it is.

I have now been at NPH Mexico for almost 6 months. My mornings are spent in the clinic working on the project – writing the curriculum and giving the education lessons, collaborating with NPH staff to design and implement pathogen reduction repair projects, designing health promotion interventions, and working with the staff in the clinic on a variety of tasks. My afternoons and evenings consist of helping care for the "chicos" section of boys, ages 7-10.

The days can be long but they are filled with so much learning, laughing, and love. I am learning more than I ever thought possible in my first year as a nurse – how to manage a budget of $100,000, how to collaborate with different teams of people, how to learn from other cultures and communities, and ultimately how to turn a project idea into action.

I am also filled with and surrounded by more love than I could have ever imagined – the children, caregivers, other volunteers, and staff at NPH, as well as the Mexican people, have made a place that is very far and different from my home feel comfortable and familiar.

Looking back, I now realize that the rejection letter that hurt so much in the moment, would be what lead me to where I was meant to be. I have never been so sure of what I am meant to be doing and where I am meant to be doing it. NPH has given me so much – from igniting my initial passion in global health to welcoming me into a beautiful and loving family; I couldn’t be more grateful. I am so glad that through Healthy Pequeños I am able to give something back to an organization that has given me so much.

Celebrating 2016 and looking forward to 2017...

2016 was another year full of great accomplishments at NPH USA - new friends, supporters, volunteers and godparents; successful fundraising and friend-raising events; joyous trips to the NPH homes; and so much more - all to transform the lives of children in need! And it is all possible through the generosity of people just like YOU! If you have yet to make a gift to support NPH USA, please consider making a donation today, and check out the 2016 highlights from each regional office of NPH USA below as well as our Haiti Initiative/St. Damien Pediatric Hospital Fund!

Northwest Region

• In the NW, we graduated the fifth (and welcomed the sixth) annual cohort of 6 young leaders from NPH to the Northwest for a year-long program of study and leadership development. We also published a report on the impact of the program on the first 26 graduates!
• The NW Associate Board for young professionals sponsored a variety of fun and successful events in Seattle, including Carnaval for a Cause, Hunt for Hope, and a Trivia Night. AB members also sponsored fundraisers at their companies, including f5, which featured NPH USA during their holiday campaign, and Microsoft, where the Devices Division sponsored a soccer tournament that raised more than $20,000.
• Support of our events grew dramatically, including our second annual NPH USA Northwest Golf Classic, and our record-breaking Gala, which raised nearly $400,000. In particular, we increased our corporate sponsorship significantly from past years.
• We welcomed 180 new child sponsors, and 13 Northwest donors contributed $5,000 each to provide a scholarship for a university student at NPH.
• Nine international volunteers from the Northwest did a year or more of service in one of the NPH homes in 2016.
• Ross Egge joined our Northwest staff team, after 11 years working on the ground with NPH in our homes, and we welcomed Jacqueline Shrader as the new Program Director of the NPH Seattle Institute.
• We moved to a new office space (same building) – come visit us!
• We raised more than $1.7 million in general funding to support our children, plus an additional $1.7 million in legacy and restricted gifts! Thank you to all!

 (photo of Paul Sandoval, AB member!)

 

Southwest Region

• Edwin Mehta joined the team as the SW Region's Development Coordinator, and Jarrett Ransom joined the team as the SW Region's Development Officer!
• The SW Region hosted all of the NPHI Staff and Country Directors for meetings and fundraisers during the National Director Weekend and also celebrated the 10th Anniversary of Fr. William Wasson’s passing. It was a wonderful time had by all!
• The SW Region hosted the Pequenos from the home in Nicaragua for three weeks of Fundraising and Events in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Danville and also had the 2016 SW Get Closer Gala with special guests Ismar and Marlin!
• At the end of October and the beginning of November we had a women’s group that travelled to the NPH Home in Guatemala where 20 women had the opportunity to experience the culture and witness the life that the children have at the home in Guatemala.

  

Midwest Region

• The pequeños from NPH El Salvador provided great music and folkloric dancing during their 18-day Pequeño Tour this past spring. The group spent most of its time in the Chicago area, staying with families in St. Michael Parish in Orland Park and Transfiguration Parish in Wauconda. They also traveled to the far reaches of the Midwest Region for a long weekend at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Lenoir City, Tennessee. We estimate over 3,500 people witnessed one of their many performances. Many thanks to our host families and local organizers. We couldn’t do it without you!
• The weather cooperated this year for our Fourth Annual Golf Outing featuring NFL Hall of Famers and other football greats from years past. We moved the golf outing this year to the stately Biltmore Country Club in North Barrington, and the new venue was everything we hoped it would be and a whole lot more. More importantly, the golf outing set a new record in terms of the amount that was raised.
• For the third year in a row, the beautiful Standard Club of Chicago was the location for the annual MW Region's Gala and After Dark events. At the Gala, the Midwest Region presented John and Cindy Shinsky with its Corazón Award, which is given to those who give their hearts to the children of NPH. John and Cindy have worked tirelessly to build and support Ciudad de los Niños in Matamoros, part of the NPH Mexico network of homes. For the third consecutive year, the Young Professionals Board of the NPH USA Midwest Region hosted the always fun Gala post-party, aptly named After Dark. A good time was had by all. Revenue for the Gala and After Dark was 10% higher than last year.
• Thanks to the organizing and running efforts of Midwest Region Board member Chris Ambroso, in the famous Chicago Marathon Team NPH USA’s runners raised $12,500 for the children of NPH!
• This year, the Midwest Region directed six trips to NPH homes in Guatemala (twice), Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico and El Salvador. Participating on those trips were 135 people who were able to experience for themselves what life is like at an NPH home.

Standing outside the bishop’s residence in Knoxville, Tennessee is the group from

NPH El Salvador with the Most Reverend Rick Stika, Bishop of the Diocese of

Knoxville, in the middle.  In the upper left hand corner of the group is His Eminence

Justin Francis Cardinal Rigali.

Midwest Region sponsor Anita Lambert and her goddaughter are all smiles during

                Anita’s visit to NPH El Salvador in November.

Upper Midwest Region

• The UPMW region celebrated Volunteer of the Year Vic Roers! Vic is valued for her dedication and her enduring amount of time and talent. She shares the NPH story with everyone she meets and wants nothing more than to ensure NPH children have a stocking for Christmas. Vic has been such a supportive and helpful volunteer and is quickly becoming a regular at NPH Honduras and El Salvador! 
• Thank you to all the supports in our Upper Midwest region for making this year’s Cinco de Mayo 5k Run/Walk (our 10th Annual) such a success! We raised $18,593 and had 278 participants! Special thanks to our generous Sponsors: Summit Orthopedics, Valley Pain Relief and Wellness Center, HED Cycling, Modere North America, and Defining You Pilates and Fitness! 
• This August, members from the Upper Midwest Region’s Associate Board of Directors formed a 2016 NPH USA Summer Games event that raised over $8,000! The group created fun and original contests and competed against one another for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals. Way to go Associate board!  
• Thank you to the more than 360 guests who attended the 2016 Upper Midwest Gala presented by Nasseff Mechanical Contractors, which was a grand success! Through gala ticket sales, silent and live auction, games, and most importantly an anonymous match and commitments made during Fund-A-Need, we raised over $508,000 to continue Raising Children and Transforming Lives at NPH homes. We are also excited to announce 15 new child sponsors were formed. Likewise, we honored Jean Gray for his 35 years of dedication to NPH with the Rose Schaffhausen Award. A world traveler, Jean has seen the poverty that exists and destroys the potential for children. Jean has given his time, energy, and countless hours to the Fr. Wasson Legacy Endowment. Jean has embraced the NPH mission, furthered our cause and continues to cherish our NPH children.
• In 2016, the NPH USA strategic plan addressed the importance to deepen efforts in philanthropy and restructure staffing to ensure future success. Molly Boyum was announced the Vice President of Development to oversee all of the regional offices of NPH USA, and therefore her previous position, now open, allowed for the new hire of a regional director. Stephanie Pommier, new Regional Director, joined NPH in July with 19 years of nonprofit experience, a great passion for social change, and adherence to sensitivity, collaboration, and ethics in all her fundraising. Steve Schmidt, our new Development Manager, was born and raised in Shoreview, MN and joined NPH in August sharing, “NPH is a family, and I feel as though I have found my home.”  

Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Region

• Many parishes in the MA-NE Region united their church communities and joined NPH USA in helping those less fortunate this year! The generosity that poured out of St. Mary of the Assumption Parishes in Brookline, MA; The Parish of St. Anthony in Cohasset, MA; Most Precious Blood & St. Theresa Parish in Dover & Sherborn, MA; Good Shepherd Parish in Wayland, MA; Holy Family Parish in Duxbury, MA; St. Paul the Apostle in Annville, PA, and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Herndon, VA resulted in over 90 children receiving new sponsorships this fall with more on the way!
• Eight schools in Massachusetts opened their doors and hearts to the children of NPH Mexico this fall during our 2016 Pequeño Tour. Notre Dame Academy, Immaculate Conception Academy, Trinity Catholic Academy, Dexter Southfield, Hamilton – Wenham High school, Waring School, Rockport Middle School, and Shore Country Day, all welcomed the children and generously supported them in their fundraising efforts. Thank you!
• Generous donors/supporters got together to organize events in support of NPH this year raising over $23,000 for the children of NPH. Brian Orr, Barbara Kelley, and Kara Swenson put together the Windows on the World event on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Eddie & Eileen Bernau hosted Cheers for Children at their home in Newburyport, MA. Patty Tarpey got together passionate donors and sponsors in a Cheers for Children event in Washington, DC and Deirdre & Steven Ginns, Patricia & Paul Mikus, and Charlie & Barbara Sullivan hosted the second annual Cocktails for A Cause in Hingham, MA while the pequenos were here from Mexico. Thank you to all for your support!
• The MA-NE Associate Board and Junior Board have both had a successful year with many fun events and fundraisers in the surrounding Boston area. The associate board has expanded to include members in both NYC and DC! Reuniting returned international volunteers with passionate NPH supporters! Both groups have been helping to raise awareness and funds in support of University Education for the Pequenos.
• The NPH USA Mid-Atlantic Northeast office facilitated many mission and donor trips to a variety of NPH homes this year, including Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Mexico. After seeing the direct impact of NPH and falling in love with many of the children at the homes, trip participants have become some of our most passionate advocates in raising funds and spreading awareness about NPH.

 

Haiti Initiative/St. Damien Pediatric Hospital Fund

• We celebrated a matching grant challenge this year when a very generous foundation pledged $500k per year for three years if we could find two other donors who would join them for the same amount and duration, and thanks to two additional generous donors, we completed the challenge and received the support for St Damien Pediatric Hospital!
• Fr. Rick and Jennifer Rayno, President of the NPH Haiti Board of Directors and Director of the St. Damien Pediatric Hospital Fund respectively, visited St. Louis Church and the community of Pittsford, NY in August. This generous and faithful community has been supporting St. Damien for over thirty years and raised nearly $60k this year through various efforts!
• St. Damien graduated the first group of 6 new pediatricians trained at St. Damien in October! After 3 years of training, these 6 new pediatricians are ready to take care of children’s health in Haiti. There are approximately only 300 pediatricians supporting 3 million children under 5 years of age with great vulnerability in Haiti. We have retained 3 of them for our own needs. The 4th class of 6 physicians started their training October 1st.
• St. Damien was able to offer continuous care during a 5-month strike of all governmental hospitals in Haiti from the end of March to August 2016. The hospital experienced a 2% to 25% increase across departments in the volume of the population served during the first 3 months of this strike. St. Damien proved once more that it is poised and always ready to help the Haitian community during crisis. St. Damien was recognized by the executive director of the Ministry of Health for the role it played for the country during a press conference when the strike ended.
• The heart program at St. Damien has grown significantly. 11 children received heart surgery in February 2016. A second mission scheduled for September 2016 was postponed until January 2017 due to insecurity in the country. More than 150 children were screened during 5 visits of pediatric cardiologists from the US, France, India (from an Indian hospital established at Cayman Islands). A wonderful partnership with Haiti Cardiac Alliance, Gift of Life International and a foundation from Health City Hospital in the Cayman Islands support this program. A significant proportion of children with heart defects were dying at home or at health centers as families are not able to send them abroad for needed surgeries. St. Damien is the only hospital in Haiti able to offer heart surgery locally thanks to this support our partners. One of our own pediatricians has currently completed 6 months of a one-year training in pediatric cardiology in Martinique. The program will continue to grow offering screening, surgery, and follow up care to the children with heart disease in Haiti. There are 3 surgical cardiac missions that are scheduled at St. Damien during 2017.

 

 

Now not only was I writing and reading, but dreaming...

Below is a speech from Merlin Antunez from NPH Honduras. You will be amazed by his story. 

Today I will share with you my story of how I came to NPH and how it changed my life along with my brothers' lives forever. 

I come from a family where both of my parents only had an elementary education. My father was a farmer and my mother a housewife. My parents could not afford to send me to school and until the age of 6. I only had one day in kindergarten. The kindergarten also served as a grocery store or a movie theater depending on the day of the week. We had a decent life but could not afford the basics of medicine and food, and as a result I became ill and ended up in the hospital many times. I lost two brothers to pneumonia before they turned one year old. I remember holding onto my mother’s long dress as my father and some strangers buried my second brother who died of pneumonia, a moment I will never forget. Soon afterwards my father became very ill and was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. We had to sell some of his belongings to pay for a local shaman’s advice since it was cheaper than a doctor. The medication that my father needed cost more than the average family’s income in Honduras. At that point we stopped having regular meals. The stress of my father’s illness soon caused my parents’ divorce in 1985. The court appointed full custody of my two brothers and I to my father. On that day my mother kissed me goodbye and I did not see her for another 10 years. Several months after the divorce my father realized he couldn't provide for us. He then made the decision that changed our lives forever. He asked a friend to take us to a transitional government orphanage in the capital, a 14 hour ride from our home, and left us there. At the orphanage we attended a public school for some months, but without love, attention and the basics of books, paper and pencils we didn't learn anything. It was a very difficult situation. 

We stayed there for 9 long months until the day we were blessed by a visit from Reinhart Kohler, co-founder of NPH Honduras. He came to the orphanage and we were chosen to be part of the first group of children to join the NPH family in Honduras. Looking back I can now say that was the luckiest day of our lives. 

It was a cold and foggy morning when I came with my two brothers to the home for the first time. When we arrived we were shown to our very own warm bed, and were given breakfast of pancakes with honey and butter, and to this day it is still my favorite meal. 

We were greeted by smiles and hugs from strangers whom were very happy to see us. From that day on I called NPH “home”. Although I had moments of sadness because my parents were gone, somehow at 6 years of age I understood I had other things to worry about like my future and planning out my life. I finally had the 24 hour a day support I needed from my new family and now I wanted to do more. 

I learned to read and write and was considered one of the best students in my class before the end of my first year at NPH. I visited my first grade teacher 20 years later and she still remembered me for being the intelligent but stubborn little boy with the curly hair. For the first couple of years NPH did not have its own school until I was in 3rd grade when I finally had a classroom to attend with my own chair, desk, notebooks, pencils, crayons, books, snacks and recess. What else can a child ask for? It became easy to succeed when you had loving support and are provided for every day. One day while playing on the tire hanging under the mango tree at my new home I decided I was going to study hard and become a doctor so I could help my sick father. 

When I made the decision to become a doctor I did not keep it a secret, I told my friends and the people taking care of me, “Listen, I have decided to become a Doctor. Maybe I can heal my father,” I said those words as if it was a treasure I had just found on my way to the bus that would take me to school that morning and repeated it all the time. Caregivers and friends were very supportive of me. Just a few short months before I could not even write my name, now not only was I writing and reading but dreaming. I knew I wanted to make a difference, and in my new home I knew I would get the support I needed to make my dreams come true. 

During my time at the home I had wonderful Godparents from Germany, Holland, United States and Switzerland. My God Mother Renata and I still keep in touch. I met her 16 years after sponsoring me when I had the chance to go to Germany. It was an amazing day and I had a wonderful time and I thanked her often for sending me the delicious chocolates in my childhood. 

I finished my first nine years of school while also learning English and German from my caregivers at NPH. For high school I was given a full scholarship to a private school in the city. After high school I did my three years of service at NPH, the third one as a nurse assistant at the NPH clinic. With the support of NPH I attended the National University of Honduras and graduated in 2009 as a general physician. For the next two years most of my patients were the children of NPH (my brothers and sisters) and the villagers. The villagers received medical attention and medication practically for free, one of the many ways NPH shares with the community. During those 2 years I had the opportunity to follow up with patients that had orthopedic surgeries at NPH surgery center; it was then that I fell in love with orthopedics. In December 2010 I decided to become an orthopedic surgeon. I still have 14 more months before I accomplish that goal. 

26 years have passed since I entered my home at NPH. When people ask me if I think if I made the right decision to become a doctor working for low income areas, I smile and say I have no doubts at all. I really enjoy working for people in need; the best way they can pay me is with a smile. My favorite patients are the poor ones that are humbling and tell me their heart-breaking stories. Their relatives sleep on the floor next to them, often bringing them meals since the government cannot afford their medication, tests, or a physician. 

Every story I hear reminds me how much I have been blessed by NPH. I work at least 90 hours a week with no regrets. I love what I do. I love being a doctor. I am a living example that NPH helps so many children and families. NPH gave me an opportunity to change my life forever and I took advantage of it, and so did my two younger siblings. One is now an English professor and a father, the other one is an electrical engineer. Perhaps you will be surprised to hear that none of our generations in the past five centuries had a University degree. 

Following the values Father Wasson instilled in us we have managed to heal deep wounds. Today I help cover my father’s expenses and I also provide him with medicine every month. My brothers and I are currently working together to build a new safe home for our family. We reunited for the first time as a whole family after 24 years. Of course none of our dreams would come true without your generosity and unconditional support. I achieved my dreams! I DID IT! And I know my little brothers and sisters still at the home can too with a bit of faith from you, and for that I thank you from the very bottom of my heart.

Top 5 Accomplishments of 2012 at NPFS Haiti

1. Building of the FWAL “Father Wasson Angels of Light” Elementary School and the FWAL Pre-K and Kindergarten School: Enrollment in the schools is numbered at 800 including our 200 little brothers and sisters plus 600 children from the tent cities and the surrounding neighborhoods in Tabarre. The schools provide not only education but jobs to approximately 60 employees! 

2. Building of St. Anne Baby House: The baby house currently houses 37 children, from newborns to 5 years old, with a capacity for 40 children total. 

3.Water Purification System: The water treatment system provides clean drinking water to our home, Kay St. Helen, which houses 410 children, staff and an elementary school, which also welcomes external students from the surrounding neighborhoods of Kenscoff. 

4. Completion of a Neonatology Unit and new operating rooms at the Maternity Ward of the St. Damien Pediatric Hospital: Triplets were born in June and Quadruplets were born in October at St. Damien Pediatric Hospital, which is the only pediatric hospital in Haiti and provides complete medical care from prenatal care through pregnancy to caring for children up to the age of 15. 

5. Completion of Hotel Villa Francesca: This facility provides accommodation for guests, short-term and long-term volunteers at NPFS Haiti!

Top 5 Accomplishments of 2012 at NPH Honduras!

1. This year we are very proud to have seen 7 more members of our family graduate with a university degree! 

2. This year we have worked hard to engage our surrounding community to generate funds for our projects. These local donations include a significant grant from bank HSBC for $25,000 that helped cover the funds of our workshops for 2012. We also received a donation from the German Embassy for $10,000 which paid for much-needed repairs of our external clinic. 

3. On an international fundraising level, Friends of the Orphans and NPH Honduras launched a successful "matching" campaign in which past volunteers and visitors helped to bring in a total of over $80,000. This has ensured funding for our vocational internships and support for high school and university students. 

4. We have completed and presented a new Strategic Plan for the next five years for our home. This plan outlines through definitions and structure the meaning and foundations of the work we do and the specific ways in which together we can achieve the mission. 

5. Some of the proudest moments though, are not quite as tangible. Seeing Linda get up in front of everyone to read during Mass, watching our babies as they learn to walk, our Youth Leadership group helping build houses with Habitat for Humanity, or Karla learning and later teaching others how to crochet! They are simple things, but they are what keep us going and make us proud daily. Thankfully, sometimes the most important measures of achievement and progress cannot be found in a financial statement.

Top 5 Accomplishments of 2012 at NPH Mexico!

1. CPI Training of staff: This summer NPHI offered the CPI training course to all employees/volunteers working with children. This course taught them how to handle difficult situations with children, to protect both themselves and the well-being of the child. 

2. Spiritual retreat for staff: Our staff attended a spiritual retreat this year. This was one of our goals for 2012 and we are proud to say that it is now an accomplishment. 

3. Biobolsa project (improving sustainable energy): This year we installed the Biobolsa in our home in Miacatlan. This system uses the waste from the farm in order to generate natural gas for our kitchen. 

4. Ciudad Juarez: The Ciudad Juarez project began bringing children from this war torn area into our home. This city has seen an increase in violence and we are happy to reach out to the children in this area, to welcome these children to a safe home. This year we were happy to welcome 20 new faces to our home from Ciudad Juarez. 

5. Vaccinating our children: This year we were able to offer a generous number of vaccinations to our children. The government provided us with enough flu shots for each child, and between January and July we administered 559 vaccinations in total!