Author: CSHF Board

Meet Magdelena – A Sendero SOS Star

 

MagelenaMaria Magdelena Padilla López was born in Las Palmas, a village about an hour east of Puerto Vallarta where she lived with her sisters, nieces and nephews before deciding in January to come to Vallarta to study.    She is 20 years old and now attends Universidad de Guadalajara PV. She has always helped her older sisters with chores and caring for their children.  Several years ago she became interested in studying psychology because she likes to help other people and feels that she has a talent in this area.  For Magdelena moving away from her home has been a challenge since she has always been close to her family; however she is happy to realize now her dream of becoming a psychologist.

Sendero is currently helping Magdelena by paying monthly for her school tuition, book fees,  uniform and shoes, educational materials, bus fare, and also rent and food so that she can stay in Vallarta to study and work toward a better future for herself and her family.

You can help Magdelena or any of the other dedicated and motivated students to reach their educational goals through Sendero’s new SOS – Sponsor One Student by sending a donation right away marked “SOS.” For more information about this program, please refer to our website – www.cshf-us.org and view the Sendero link. Our suggested donations levels for the SOS program are:

  • A donation of $300 US/CDN for a full year of support for one student, or
  • A donation of $150 US/CDN for a half year of support for one student, or
  • A donation of $20 US/CDN each month.

Each donor will receive updates and photos of their sponsored student twice during the school year, and the satisfaction of knowing that they are helping to make a real difference through SOS – Sponsor One Student.

Thank you to New Beginnings and Sendero

 

WP_001226Many of you are aware from our newsletter articles and other publicity that Sendero de Esperanza y Amor (Pathway of Hope and Love) has moved their efforts and focus to the Bosque de Progreso neighborhood (site of the old dump) in order to partner with the New Beginnings Mexico (www.newbeginningsmexico.org) facility to support children and families living there in extreme poverty. Andy and Janet Stevenson from New Beginnings have established strong relationships with that community and are offering educational, vocational, nutritional, legal, and medical assistance. Sendero, as a part of the developing relationship between New Beginnings and Children’s Shelter of Hope Foundation, is now extending this effort with the teens and children there by:

1. Providing scholarships and material support through the SOS program to strong, dedicated students in danger of dropping out of school for financial reasons;
2. Offering daily tutoring for homework and enrichment opportunities for students at the New Beginnings facility;
3. Arranging for doctor, nurse, and dentist assistance to provide services to the children on a regular basis; and
4. Developing activities specifically for babies and toddlers to stimulate their growth and development.

A recent visitor to the New Beginnings facility, Jeannette Coulpier, shared the following comments:

WP_001129“I just want to report on what a wonderful day I enjoyed on Friday, February 14th. Thank you all so much for making this happen for me. When I arrived at New Beginnings I met Janet and Andy, and also Bety from Sendero. I sat with the children until soup time and helped the little ones make valentines. Bety and Alejandra worked with some children on school skills. One little girl’s grandfather came in to show his beautiful paintings he would like to sell. Many ladies were busy making wonderful neck scarves with beads and crystals to sell at local markets. Children played all around in the dirt piles making fun from whatever they found or thought up.

I met Eva and Christina cooking the biggest pot of soup I have ever seen. I met other volunteers who came to help serve lunch and prepare dispensa bags. We packaged 100 packs of rice and beans to be handed out on Sunday. When the soup was finished we drove it blocks away to serve it to the many children who came running. I felt like Santa Clause as it was Valentines Day and I got to hand out a lollipop and marshmallows to each child along with a vitamin. HOW FUNNY IS THAT!! Thank you, thank you to Andy and Janet and the others for this special experience and the wonderful work you are doing.”

Profile of Our Donors

 

February marked another milestone for Children’s Shelter of Hope Foundation – the completion of our eleventh year of helping children and families in the Bay of Banderas area near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  It is amazing how we have changed and GROWN over these years.  Although our Board of Directors is still a small group of energetic, compassionate volunteers, we have gained many new friends and supporters.

Donor-Page

We are proud to share that we currently have 715 caring people who have donated to our foundation and have their names listed on the Donors page of our website. Many of these donors give regularly – each year, bi-annually, or even each month. Some donate for specific efforts, such as mattresses (see above article), tires, shoes, backpacks, etc.  Some sponsor children each year through our 10 X 10 program at RISE (website link) or our new SOS – Sponsor One Student program (website link) helping to support strong, dedicated students through Sendero de Esperanza y Amor.

Contributions range from $20,000 per year to a one time donation of $5.  Each is valued as helping our foundation make significant contributions and changes at RISE, Sendero, Pasitos de Luz/Casa Connor, Houses for Hope, and other smaller projects.  We are making a difference!! We hope that you are a part of our ever growing family of donors.

 

March Mattress Marathon

DSCN1761No, this is not an advertisement for a mattress store sale.  It is a challenge!!  Let’s see if we can raise enough money in the month of March to replace all of the old, tired, and, in many cases dirty mattresses that the children at Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza (RISE) sleep on each night.  Many of the mattresses have been on beds there for over ten years.  None have ever had mattress covers.  There are currently:

  • 10 cribs with small mattresses in the nursery,
  • 12 smaller trundle beds and  extra pull out mattresses in the toddler bedroom;
  • 30 twin size mattresses on the bunk-beds in the three bedrooms for girls, and the one bedroom for boys.

The average cost for replacement mattresses is $200 US.  Please make a donation marked “Mattresses” TODAY or sometime during the month of March so that we can buy new mattresses for the children right away.  Thank you!!

SOS

DSCN1632We, at Children’s Shelter of Hope Foundation, are excited to share a new scholarship/sponsorship program, SOS or Sponsor One Student, being launched this month at Sendero de Esperanza y Amor.  The Sendero Board of Directors are currently identifying motivated, dedicated, and serious students in the Bay of Banderas area, enrolled in secondario (middle school), prepa (high school) or a university program, but in danger of dropping out of school for financial reasons.  The goal is to “rescue” these students by offering financial support, including enrollment and tuition expenses, transportation expenses, books, uniforms, shoes, backpacks, basic school supplies, etc.  Their attendance and progress will be closely monitored by the Sendero staff, and a minimum GPA (grade point average) will be required in order to continue receiving support.  At this time three students have already been accepted into the SOS program (including Alexis, pictured above, who used to live at RISE) and more are being considered as funds become available.

Las Palmas girls

The needs of these exceptional students vary a great deal, from only requiring tuition and bus money for an English class, since most English instruction in the public schools is not satisfactory (about $30 US/CDN per month for 10 months), to a much higher level of need for several university students who need housing closer to their school and a food allowance plus college tuition, bus transportation, uniforms, etc. (about $200 US/CDN per month for 10 months).  Sendero staff will conduct an intake interview with each student and their family and, for those who meet the GPA and economic poverty criteria, construct an individualized  support program, allowing them to remain in school and eventually reach their ultimate educational goal. What a wonderful way to break the cycle of poverty and bring hope to these deserving students and their families!

Our suggested donations levels for the SOS program are:

  •     A donation of $300 US/CDN for a full year of support for one student, or
  •     A donation of $150 US/CDN for a half year of support for one student, or
  •     A donation of $20 US/CDN each month.

Each donor will receive updates and photos of their sponsored student twice during the school year, and the satisfaction of knowing that they are helping to make a real difference through SOS – Sponsor One Student.