Her Dream

 

A castle, horses to ride, a small beautiful garden space . . . . All of these things and much more have been in her dreams for MANY years!  During difficult times she has continued to believe that dreams can come true.

[singlepic id=97 w=320 h=240 float=right]It was my delight and pleasure to go with Yolanda Sanchez, founder and executive director of Pasitos de Luz, this past week to the construction site of her dream castle.

“The huge physical therapy room will be here, the kitchen and dining rooms there, the small private space for medical evaluations over there, and three therapy pools for exercises will be in that space that’s being framed in now . . .  .  and just beyond the large garden spaces for outside picnics will be the horses that will delight the children,” she reported to me as she literally danced around the new spaces taking shape very rapidly thanks to some generous donations.

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A Tribute to Madre Chuy

If you ever toured the Refugio for even an hour, you probably walked away knowing that Madre Chuy and her laundry room was its heart. And perhaps, like me, you may have an empty spot in your own heart knowing our lives and those of the children are no longer being touched by this humble, hardworking woman who has recently left the Refugio to live once again with her dear friend Madre Marcella in the Guadalajara area.

 

Jan. 2011 010Of the many hours I volunteered,there were only a few times that she asked for anything.  Once was for a strand of Christmas lights for the little tree she and the children had decorated, and another was for scissors to trim the children’s hair.  Lastly, she once asked for thread to make much needed repairs on some clothing…..I can still see the look of delight on her face when I arrived with a container of 24 different colors!

 

She was always very resourceful. Once when my husband was picking up debris, he cut his finger on a fragment of glass.  She asked Elena to get her an onion, from which she removed a thin piece of skin and applied it directly to the cut.  It worked like magic to stop the bleeding, and as a veterinarian, my husband was very impressed!

 

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2012 – A Time For Reflection … A Time For New Beginnings

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It’s the New Year and the time for new beginnings.  For many of us, it’s that time of year to do some housekeeping, to decide what no longer works for us in order to make room for something new.

We’ve done some of that, figuratively speaking, at the CSHF.  After many years of a wonderful relationship with the Canadian CSHF, during which time both foundations grew individually, we have decided to become totally separate entities.  We wish the Canadian Foundation all the best in their partnership with a new US foundation.  We would like to emphasize, however, that we, at the US Children’s Shelter of Hope Foundation, will be independent and not a part of their partnership.
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