August 2017 Happenings for
Hope House in Mexico
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Here is our monthly (más o menos) newsletter to keep our friends and family updated on what is happening with HHCR and Hope House in Mexico. The newsletter will provide updates on the boys, especially the new ones, a little insight into the staff, teams, vocational training, projects and items of special interest. If you know of someone that would be interested in HHCR/Hope House, Mexico updates they can subscribe here.
A copy of last month's newsletter can be found here. If you go to this website there is a link to all previous newsletters. |
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In July, three new boys were added. So we are now at 32! Their photos are in the collage below. On the right is Marcos, who is 12 years old. and top right is Alberto, who is 5 years old, and the bottom right is Leonel, who is 1 year old..
There is no shortage of boys who need a safe place to live, they just keep on coming. However, our current donation level is insufficient to support the number that we currently have. We have indicated this and other special needs in the "Financial Needs" section of this newsletter. Hope House as the staff and facilities to support approximately 30 boys so now they are beginning to stretch their resources more in an attempt to give these boys hope for the future. Consider helping us make this possible!
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We will also be continuing to introduce you to some of the boys so you can become more familiar with them. A photo and a little bio is included. If you want to know more about these boys or would like to sponsor one, go to the "Sponsor a Child" section in this newsletter.
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Gerardo was born in 2002 and arrived at Hope House in 2016. He is a very social and quite the jokester, making others laugh.
Gerardo is currently attending classes at Hope House until he turns 15 and can go into Jr. High. He is very smart and does well with his studies and hopes to become an architect. Currently, he enjoys wood-shop classes and is also is attending the weight-lifting class. He hopes to one day learn to play the guitar. He used to be on an American football team in his hometown, which is very uncommon for Mexican children. But at Hope House, you’ll find him playing soccer, drawing or coloring.
Gerardo loves Spaghetti, made with any kind of sauce, as long as it doesn’t have any zucchini. Overall, Gerardo is one of the best-behaved boys at the Hope House.
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Adrian was born in 2009 and came to Hope House with his three brothers (Ricardo Noe, Juan Carlos and Angel) in 2017.
Adrian is very active and loves to talk! He enjoys playing with his brothers, whether it be soccer or going on walks, and also enjoys playing with toy cars and Legos.
When he arrived at Hope House, he had never been in school before but will begin school this year. Adrian seems to like to learn, and often asks for little homework assignments to do. He is very smart.
Adrian’s favorite color is red. He is very healthy little boy, he’ll eat about anything, except fish.
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Some volunteers were kind enough to take the boys to the zoo. Children always love the zoo so it is a very special treat for the boys who, if they weren't at Hope House, probably would not have such an opportunity. Volunteers that show this type of kindness are always appreciated. The collage below shows the boys enjoying themselves at the zoo.
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Yes, the health of the boys is of great importance to Hope House. So they are regularly driven to doctors and dentists. The collage below shows one of our boys, Jimy, in physical therapy, one of the activities that need to be performed.
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One opportunity that Hope House definitely does not want to deprive the boys of is to attend conferences where they would have the opportunity to grow into well rounded adulthood. If the conference is not local, this requires someone to drive them and take care of them at the conference. Several of the boys had the privilege of attending such a seminar in Guanajuato, which is several hours away from Ixtlahuacan. Thanks go to Ever who drove them and chaperoned them there. The collage below is a photo of the boys clearly enjoying themselves at the conference.
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Local Volunteer Donations and Help
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Local volunteers that give generously of their time and supplies to help Hope House are greatly appreciated. Many times these volunteers provide support without much ado and we at HHCR are not aware of it at all or, possibly, much later. In the month of August volunteers again gave.
In the collage below, beginning in the upper left, a lady from St. Andrews Anglican church, which is local, provided avocados. Remember, avocados are almost an essential ingredient for most meals. The photo below that and the two top ones on the right are supplies that were donated for the pantry. Sometimes these items are not thought about but they are essential to feed the boys. The photo on the bottom right is a stack of backpacks that a group, represented by Nancy Medina, donated for the boys for school. Although school ostensibly is free, because it is public, there are significant costs associated with it, like uniforms, all school supplies, including backpacks, and inscription fees. Because of these costs, many of the boys, when they come to Hope House, have not attended school because their parents could not afford it.
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Although teams visit Hope House to help with the upkeep with the facilities, there are just too much that has to be done. Sometimes local volunteers come and work with the boys to keep the facilities appearing professional and clean. The collage below shows volunteers working with the boys to spruce up the front entrance to the main house.
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Mexican law stipulates that children cannot remain in homes, such as Hope House, beyond the age of 18. There currently are three boys that are 16. When they reach 18, the choices are: (1) Send them back out on the streets, (2) Help them find a job or (3) Aid in receiving a higher education, either in a university or technical school. For the last two choices the boys would live in the Transition House. Information on the Transition House are in the February 2017 and July 2017 newsletters. Tuition for Mexican universities and technical schools is significantly less than in the US. For example, one can receive a law degree for approximately $350 per semester. Tuition is low since students have to pay back by giving community service. Only qualified boys would receive a scholarship in that they would have to maintain good grades and show interest. The Hope House Children's Relief 501(c)3 has purposely been written to allow for this type of support. These donations would be kept separate and totally dedicated for higher education.
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Just to remind you that Hope House has a program available for donors who would enjoy supporting a particular boy. In this program a specific boy would be assigned to you. More information on how this program works, and how you can be part of it can be obtained by contacting Kina here.
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We received another additional recurring donation this last month bringing us to 47.5% of our goal of $2,000 per month. All this tremendously helps in keeping our boys off the streets and in a happy and secure home. The $2,000 represents less than 30% of the Hope House budget. This is a continuing significant need. We would like to see that percentage increase but feel it necessary to reach our $2,000 goal first. As you can see, the additional gift of $100 represented a sizable 5% increase. Because there now are more than 30 boys, we are considering increasing the goal.
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Hope House also has that special need goal of $2,000 monthly for health insurance for the employees. It is not only a desirable benefit but it is mandated by the Mexican government.. You can read more on this need at this link. |
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