International Student Leadership Program in WA partners with other local org

Read this wonderful update below directly from our NW regional staff about an exciting new partnership in the works!

We are developing a wonderful partnership between the International Student Leadership Program and a place here in Spokane, WA called the Hutton Settlement.

The Hutton Settlement is a children’s foster care home with some great similarities to NPH.  Their mission is to nurture, educate and prepare children who are in need of a safe and healthy home.

In October, the students from the International Leadership Program came over to Spokane (we are about 300 miles from Seattle) to attend our fundraiser and to do a service project at Hutton Settlement.  The service project was to build a sandbox. 

The children from Hutton were also invited to join in.  It was a beautiful, crisp fall afternoon, and after meeting together and learning about each other, our students and some of the Hutton children began the project, which involved some digging, leveling and placing the concrete brick border.  

What I found really great about the experience is that there really seemed to be a bond between the Hutton children and our students.  They really didn’t share any language abilities, but they worked side by side in this joint effort to create something of lasting  benefit for the children.

Learn more about our International Student Leadership Program here and check back for updates soon!

You have been with us every step of the way...

Gena Heraty, Director of the Special Needs Programs at NPFS Haiti, gives us an update on some of the children and what she describes as "a big family" at Kay Christine.

Thomas just appeared upstairs, and we are having a discussion about his love life!! He is forever changing "girlfriends"!! But he always finds another guy for the girl he is dumping!! So just now I asked him if it’s true he has left "Zouzou". She is for another he says!! All of us agree that if Thomas was able to walk we would never be able to keep him home as he has a real eye for the ladies!!! Today he went horse riding and he loves that! He is such a wonderful boy - always full of love and life and always down for a laugh. He has many many friends and kids of all ages, boys and girls, are always coming to chat with him or to wheel him around. His speech is clearer now and so it's easier to understand him. He would make a good journalist because he is always telling me when someone misbehaves. Last week one of his sitters got married, and he was so so excited to go to the wedding. How proud he was and how wonderful it was to see he and his Mom and three sisters there. They love him so much and his mother was proudly showing him off to all her friends and neighbors. I felt so many emotions during the wedding. So happy for this family, so happy for Thomas. So happy to see his joy. And I missed so much his twin brother- "my little prince"! Almost thirteen years have gone since he died, and yet he is never far from my heart. Somehow I like to think that he too was celebrating with his family that evening.

Robenslee has a new "karate type" routine! He is so funny! Doing his routine every day. Don't ask me where it came from - he just started doing it, and we all remarked that it was like a martial arts routine! One day I was sitting outside in front of the house and I was on the telephone. He was walking around and the next thing he just backed up and sat on my knee for a few minutes! Then he went off again! So cute! I have been deliberately giving him more attention these past months because it would be easy to go a day and just see him as he is so independent! And I remember how affectionate he was as a child. I have noticed that sometimes he will come close just for the contact, he will stay a while while I rub his back or head and then off he goes again! Other times he is too busy!!

Alsone has had a good year! He is so handsome! And so special! There he is in his chair - unable to do a thing by himself and yet always quick with a smile. Never impatient. Never grumpy! So gentle in so many ways. You know some people will look at him and never see beyond his body! Never notice his beautiful bright eyes, shining with love. Never notice his gentle presence, his kind smile, his twinkling smile - in the world of today so many people will always be blind to so many things. 

Cepha is watching me from her bed! She is always watching silently, and when you let her know you notice you will get a big smile or a laugh! During Mass she sometimes gets jealous if she cannot sit next to me. The tears will come and we move her over to me and then she is fine! Other times when I am with the smaller ones she will be watching! So I make sure to give her extra attention! She is a happy girl and loves a bit of fun! Still loves the chocolate too! Sometimes her hips give her a lot of pain but more often she is fine. She loves her school and the special ed classes are going really well.

Yoldi is now one year without seizures! Wonderful, right?! What happened? Well he told all of us he asked God to cure him and he did! Medically speaking we have no reason to explain the seizures stopping because the medicines are the same and even with the medicines he was having seizures regularly! He no longer wears the helmet! He wanted to stop taking the meds but we said no for now. Maybe if he goes longer without them we can try! After him begging us for months to let him return to school (to the program we have for older kids that includes life skills, and trade school) we relented! So he is a happy student and doing great!

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful support. I know you have been with us every step of the way. I will never meet most of you, but know that I consider you all to be part of our family here in Kay Christine. You will be happy to know that we continue to work hard to bring services to children with disabilities living with their parents. Our Special Ed school is going very well, as are our therapy programs. Not only that but we are trying to help other people in the rural areas of Haiti so we can reach out to the children that no one ever helps. Our dream is to to be a part of providing services throughout Haiti – one parish at a time!! With the help of God and good people like you, we will get there!

A look back at 2013 for the International Volunteer Program

2013 was a great year for our International Volunteer Program. Seven new volunteers joined the NPH community in January 2013. In July, another 32 committed to serving for a year at NPH, and three served for the summer in the Dominican Republic. A total of 68 volunteers served at some point during the year. That includes those who finished service in early 2013, and those who have extended their service from previous years.

Our volunteers work long hard hours each day at NPH and show tremendous dedication to and love for the NPH family. In appreciation of their hard work, we support them as best we can.

For the first time, we hosted two “Re-Entry” retreats for volunteers who have completed their service. It’s a safe space for volunteers to reflect on the experience, share stories from their time at NPH, and process the difficult aspects of service. We hosted and facilitated weekend long retreats in Minnesota and Washington for 16 former volunteers. Kara King and Joe Cotton, both former volunteers themselves, helped plan and facilitate. We plan to host two retreats each year going forward as they were very well received!

We have dedicated funds to assist in the cost of international medical insurance starting in 2014. This should help all our volunteers purchase high quality medical insurance in case they are injured or ill while serving at NPH.

Our International Volunteer Coordinator again visited two homes to see our volunteers in action, spoil them with some homemade food and treats, and learn more about the volunteer program in each home. This helps us choose the right home for the right volunteer, as well as building important connections to our volunteers.

We again welcomed two Hightower Kloos Legacy Fund recipients in 2013 - Avriel Burlot and Amber Moore. These volunteers also received some additional support for their time in Haiti. They help us keep the memory of Ryan Kloos and Molly Hightower alive, as well as the legacy of Erin Kloos in action. We will forever mourn the loss of Molly and Ryan as we celebrate the contributions of our current Haiti volunteers. 

To learn more about our International Volunteer Program, click here! You can also meet our current volunteers here!

Highlights from 2013 at NPH USA!

2013 has been another wonderful year at NPH USA. Our family of dedicated supporters and happy, healthy children continues to grow and flourish. Thank you to all of our friends who have supported our cause to nurture this family over the year. 

Check out some highlights from each of the regions from the previous year; highlights YOU helped to make possible! 

Northwest
In the Northwest region we welcomed the third annual cohort of six young leaders from NPH for a year-long program of study and leadership development. We also celebrated 25 years in the Northwest, having raised over $11 million from more than 10,000 supporters all across our region! As part of our Gala celebration, we gave Silver Circle awards to our closest and most generous supporters from the past 25 years and welcomed guest speaker, former NPH Mexico student, Aurora Zacarias. We had 10 volunteers from the Northwest who lived and served at one of the NPH homes this past year, while we also mourned the passing of key supporters, including Sr. Virginia McMonagle, who was a committed supporter of NPH in Haiti, and Fr. Lee Hightower, who sponsored 6 children in Mexico and Haiti, and left a significant legacy gift of more than $80,000 to NPH. Our Associate Board for young professionals ended its second year with a bang, raising more than $40,000 for NPH and sponsoring a variety of fun and successful events and campaigns in Seattle and Portland. To top it all off, we raised more than $1.25 million from NW supporters, the most ever and 70% more than we had raised just four years ago! We also welcomed more than 100 new sponsors in our region.

Southwest
In the Southwest region we were all thrilled to have 315 new sponsorships this past year! We hosted four mission trips to Mexico and Guatemala with teens and young adults to our NPH homes abroad. We welcomed 16 children from the home in Nicaragua to the States. They performed at fiestas, liturgies and our Gala in both Arizona and California. In Arizona the children were at fiestas at Our Lady of Perpetual Help-Scottsdale and Our Lady of Perpetual Help-Glendale. The students from the Diocese of Phoenix schools participated in the 14th Annual Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos Mass and Cultural Exchange Day. The culmination of the events in Arizona was our Faces of Hope Gala that raised $175,000! For the first time, we visited Palmdale, California and were hosted by two schools in the Palmdale area where many new relationships were formed. We then moved onto to Danville, California where the community of St. Isidore’s and Father Frank’s kids hosted us for the seventh year. The children performed at a school mass, a fiesta and the weekend masses and at De La Salle High School. This year we also had several third party fundraisers where our supporters hosted events to support NPH USA, including a Crazy Hat Party, a dinner, and a Men’s Poker Night. Our first annual golf tournament was held in September and was very well attended raising $16,000 to support the children. We also continued our wonderful partnership with the Brophy school that has been sponsoring children for over a decade, and we were so pleased to welcome the new Home Director at NPH Guatemala this past year, a former Brophy student!  

Upper Midwest

2013 was a wonderful year for the Upper Midwest region. The annual Celebrando a los Ninos Gala was yet again a great success. We raised more money and had more attendees than any previous year and had a great program with fantastic speakers!  In addition, the Gala had a new $100,000 fund-a-need match that helped tremendously with our fundraising efforts. Our region's volunteer power was enormous this past year. The University of St. Thomas has many students who have made NPH USA their mission and their help and support has been phenomenal. More sponsors from the UPM were able to meet their sponsored NPH kids by joining one of the trips to our various homes this past year as well. Our region was proud to host trips to Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and El Salvador in 2013!

Midwest
Throughout 2013 the Midwest Young Professionals Board, which was launched in February with a simple informational gathering, has truly flourished. Beginning with a group of just 20, fast forward to December – the YP Board now has a Chair and other leadership positions, various involved committee members, and numerous applicants for board membership consideration for 2014. Ashley Spataro, a child sponsor and capable and experienced fundraiser, has hit the ground running as the very first Midwest Young Professionals Board Chair. With her enthusiasm and leadership, the YP Board has hosted a series of networking happy hours called “Cheers for Children”, a successful bar crawl throughout Chicago’s Old Town neighborhood, a pumpkin carving party with pequeños from NPH El Salvador, and most recently a holiday gathering that raised over $5,000 in donations! 2013 was a wonderful year for Midwest child sponsorship with a total of 269 new godparents joining the NPH family – the highest number of new sponsors in one year that the Midwest has ever seen! We ran five mission trips to various NPH homes, giving several sponsors the opportunity to meet their ajihados for the first time. We also had several amazing events in the Midwest this past year. In August we gathered for our first annual Football Legends Classic, where 19 football legends, including NFL Hall of Famers and former Chicago Bears players, teamed up with our supporters for a great day of golf and fundraising making over $173,000 to support NPH! A few weeks later we hosted our annual Gala, where attendees heard the story of Merlin Antunez, one of the first pequeños at NPH Honduras, participated in raffle games and a live auction, danced the night away, and helped raise over $145,000 for the pequeños. The Gala also honored the region’s first Unsung Hero Award recipients: Chris Ambroso, Scott and Mary Lane, and Ellie O’Connor were all recognized for their contributions for the children of NPH. In October, five individuals ran the Bank of America Chicago Marathon with Team NPH USA. These dedicated individuals gave back to NPH with 26.2 miles and raised over $17,000. The year ended with 10 children from NPH El Salvador visiting Chicagoland for the annual Pequeño Tour. The children were hosted by parishioners from Holy Cross in Batavia, IL, and they visited donors and sponsors all over the Chicago area. 

Mid-Atlantic/Northeast
The Mid-Atlantic/Northeast region would like to thank each and every one of our loyal donors, incredible sponsors, dedicated volunteers, and passionate friends who joined our team to go above and beyond for the children of NPH in 2013. We are honored and privileged to announce that our region raised $1.8 million last year in unrestricted funding to help support the basic needs of the 3,300 children in our homes! The amazing generosity of the Flatley Foundation, which made a $1 million gift, and also is matching 1:1 the more than $800,000 we raised, will bring us to an astounding total of approximately $2.6 million! In addition, our donors have helped us to obtain 140 new child sponsorships, welcome 905 new donors, and partner with Puma in donating over 700 soccer balls, cleats, sneakers, and mixed products to our homes. We also wish to send a special thank you to our new and current international volunteers who are at the NPH homes giving a year or more of their time for our children. 

Southeast
2013 was an incredible year for the Southeast region. In March, we celebrated our fabulous Equestrian event, with scores of people turning up to support our special needs programs in Haiti, raising over $20,000. Our annual Faces of Hope luncheon brought together almost 300 people, with our largest child sponsorship sign up to date, numbering 25 new godparents. NPH Mexico National Director, Rafael Bermudez, spoke passionately about the impact sponsorship has on the children at our homes. NPH Haiti Pequeño, Billy Jean, brought his first-hand experience of growing up in our home in Kenscoff to a festive house party at the home of NPH USA SE Regional Board Member Tomas Hauff. Billy shared his powerful story of success and how NPH changed his life. He is now studying law in Port-au-Prince, so that he can bring legal counsel to less fortunate Haitians in his home country. World renowned Haitian photographer Carl Juste was on hand to talk about the outstanding work NPH is doing on the ground in Latin America and the Caribbean. (Check out an awesome article about it here!) The summer was smoking in Miami as we held our first collaborative yoga event with Equinox gyms, and had a packed class of yogis, raising thousands of dollars for the children of NPH. The end of the year brought a priceless gift; Fed Ex Latin America sponsored several scholarships for women studying business in Latin America. We were also listed as one of Miami’s preferred charities for the Holiday Season. Our family also got bigger, bringing on a new Regional Director, Leah Stern, and several new regional board members, Theresa Rice, Maria Shojaee, Dr. Ingrid Vesiliu Feltes, Dr. Robert Jacobson, and John Price. We are excited for 2014 when we will start the year off with a Haitian Shabbat dinner. Stay tuned for an August trip to our home in the Dominican Republic! 

Life-changing

After visiting their godchild at NPH El Salvador, great supporters Jan and Stu shared about their experience.

We had an outstanding and a life-changing experience. What they are doing at NPH in El Salvador is the handiwork of God. We met our godchild and got to be there for her Quinceañera, the 15 year old coming out party. We played with the little ones, had dinner with the University students, toured some of the country. Being with the group was great also, and spending time with Chuck and Frank (NPH USA staff). We plan on going again next year! We are also starting to plan an event for St. Thomas the Apostle some time in January or February. God Bless, Jan & Stu

I will never be whole again as part of me remains at Rancho Santa Fe...

The below post is written by wonderful friend and supporter, Jenna Bishop, who recently visited NPH Honduras. 

I'm not sure how a single trip can simultaneously blow my mind and break my heart, but my recent trip to Honduras accomplished just that. Traveling to NPH Honduras was eye-opening, challenging, incredible, and unforgettable. I will never be whole again as part of me remains at Rancho Santa Fe... 

Though I wouldn't call it a "vacation" (unless you traditionally spend part of vacation in a henhouse or shoveling bunny turds), I can say without a doubt that it was a meaningful getaway. Away from some modern luxuries, I discovered a different pace of life, was given new opportunities to experience joy, and witnessed what hard work really looks like. The staff did [and continues to do] so much with relatively so little, and yet they are raising beautifully strong children on a daily basis. Their overall work ethic was humbling to say the least, and the sense of family/community present on the ranch was equally awe-inspiring. NPH's dedication and commitment to children is almost tangible; what a gift that I was able to see it firsthand.

Meeting Father Rick Frechette

Below is a post from Cheyenne, a student from Random Everglades School in South Florida.

(Cheyenne is pictured second over from the left.)

The man, the myth, the living legend, Father Rick Frechette, had been a mystery man for months. At the end of my junior year, me and a group of friends decided that we truly wanted to make an impact in our community. Our goal was to convince our school, Ransom Everglades School, to launch a school-wide global initiative. We planned to do this by adopting an orphanage located in Kenscoff, Haiti. The global initiative is about more than providing supplies collected during a drive or check sent from funds raised at bake sales - it is about a sustainable partnership between Ransom Everglades School and St. Helene orphanage and providing resources through campus-wide engagement. The final step in establishing the Ransom Everglades Haiti Initiative proved to be the most difficult; meeting the man who runs the St. Helene orphanage we planned to adopt, Father Rick.

When I first came in contact with Father Rick through email he expressed his gratitude but explained that traveling for him was difficult and often short noticed. I quickly realized that Father Rick did not just run the orphanage he also got his hands dirty with the daily mundane tasks of the orphanage. Although I wanted to meet with Father Rick and discuss the Haiti Initiative in detail that meant pulling him away from the children I wanted to help. We proceeded with the hopes of meeting him down the line.

Ransom Everglades School launched its first initiative and was able to raise over 750 sheets between both the lower and upper campuses. It was shortly after the first container of sheets shipped that I received an email from Father Rick stating that he planned to be in Miami. I was more than thrilled about the possibility of meeting the man I had only been able to view on video. On December 3rd, I had the pleasure of meeting Father Rick. During his school-wide address he stated that the difference between the children in Haiti and the students at Ransom Everglades was simply the structures of our lives were different. Father Rick, in less than 10 words, shed light on the need for our initiative.

One of the main principals of the Ransom Everglades School is to give to the community more than you have received from it. St. Helene and Ransom Everglades Schools are hundreds of miles apart and we share a similar commitment to community. Just as Ransom alum often come full circle to give back to the institution that gave them so much, children from St. Helene often return to the orphanage to help and contribute to the program that gave them so much.

Having the opportunity to meet Father Rick was truly remarkable. Father Rick has such a passion for his life’s work. Even in the face of disaster and peril, his spirit is one of resilience. His visit today has inspired me and the other members of the Haiti Initiative Committee to do the work that Father Rick so desperately needs help with. This marks the beginning of true sustainable partnership between Ransom Everglades and Father Rick that will contribute to his amazing legacy.

Global Grandmothers Supports NPH USA!

Below is a wonderful letter from our friends over at Global Grandmothers letting their members know about our work. Check it out! Thank you for the support GG!

Dear Friend,

Today we want to introduce you to NPH USA, the newest GG-recommended charity. NPH USA, previously called Friends of the Orphans, supports the programs of Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (NPH). We think you'll agree that supporting NPH USA is a perfect way to get Thanksgiving off to a running start.

Keep Their Hope Alive

Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters) provides a home for 3,342 abandoned and disadvantaged children in 9 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean - Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru.

Each home has a clinic, a school, a workshop (carpentry or welding), and a garden. Since its beginning in 1954, NPH has raised more than 17,000 children. Miguel Venegas, raised at NPH Mexico, is now Executive Director of NPH International.

We were especially drawn to NPH USA because: 
NPH instills the values of caring and sharing so that the children give back to their communities when they are grown. All children raised in NPH homes give a year of service back to the home when they graduate from high school or higher education. 
NPH encourages child sponsorship and organizes donor trips so sponsors can meet their sponsored children and visit the homes. This seems like a wonderful opportunity for linked giving with a grandchild - with the future possibility of visiting the child whom you had sponsored together. Click here to see how you and your grandchild can sponsor an NPH child.

Transform a child's life through sponsorship

When the GG Board met earlier this year for our annual review of charities, we thought NPH USA was a great choice for Global Grandmothers. Like all GG-recommended charities, NPH USA has earned a Charity Navigator 4-star rating, in addition to meeting other criteria.

Thank you for joining us to make the world a better place for kids!

Diana McDonough President Global Grandmothers

It has been a joy from the very beginning...

Below is a blog post by great supporter and godparent, Marcy Diehl, reflecting on some of the wonderful pequenos at NPH.

It has been a joy from the very beginning when I first began my relationship with little 10-year-old Dokendia at NPFS Haiti. The communication we share is truly special and even receiving her report card is fun. I try to write about 4 times a year. (I understand that the children really enjoy getting mail -- don't we all? - - so that has spurred me on!) I always remember to pick up lots of stickers and other bright flat objects to send off to her when I write, and they meet with much approval. I sent her pictures of my little dog and me once, and she was pleased about that as well. You have to be a big person to enjoy a picture of a little old lady and her tiny dog!

It was a real pleasure to meet Ronel, another pequeno, in San Diego last year. I think we provided him with his first public speaking engagement, but he was so poised that one would think he was a seasoned fundraiser! I did not think of him as a "fundraiser" but he turned into one because the audience could see where their donations were going and how successful they really were. He is so unassuming for all of his accomplishments, and it was a surprise to discover that he is a very talented artist along with being a medical student and just 30 years old! 

Shirts for NPH USA!

Alex Peck is a great supporter of NPH USA who has a strong passion for NPH Guatemala. Read more about the special way he's helping the children in our homes! 

My name is Alex Peck, owner and designer of clothing line called Peace Action Apparel, which helps raise money for deserving organizations around the world. When my older sister volunteered to move to Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) Guatemala location for a year I knew it was a special cause. Since my first visit, I was inspired to lead a project to support and spread the word of NPH.

I wanted the designs to be as organic as possible and therefore chose to use hand drawn sketches done by NPH community members themselves. In May 2013, the orphanage held a design contest in which two were chosen from hundreds of drawings to be used for the front designs. On the back is the official NPH logo of founder Fr. William Wasson holding hands with children of the community.

By purchasing a shirt, you donate all proceeds to the organization. But above all, when you choose to wear the shirt, you are potentially sparking the interest of others who may be willing to donate, volunteer, and even sponsor a child directly benefiting these children’s lives and allowing for a bright and inspiring future.

Check out the shirts here!

Artists: Diana Elizabeth Sánchez Camargo, Cesar Geovany Gonzalez Arriaza 
Fabric: 50% Polyester, 25% Cotton, 25% Rayon