For those of you who will be in Puerto Vallarta in early February, we are happy to announce the details for the following event.

Be sure to mark your calendars now for February 2^nd and plan to attend the biggest and best charitable event of the season – CELEBRACIÓN PARA LOS NIÑOS — to benefit the children living at Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza (RISE) and also Sendero de Esperanza y Amor.  The event will be from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at a NEW LOCATION this year in the stunningly beautiful Gran Salon of Hotels SECRETS Vallarta Bay/ NOW Amber.  Plenty of delicious food from many of Vallarta´s finest restaurants, terrific live entertainment, live and silent auctions, and LOADS of fun will be in store for everyone.  Plan to get your tickets early, as there will be a limited capacity of 480 lucky guests.  Tickets will be available for a donation of $700 pesos per person ($60 US/CDN) beginning on Jan. 1^st at Daiquiri Dick´s (Olas Altas #314), Peyote People (Juarez #222 Col. Centro), and RISE, or by contacting Patti at Pattibishop@comcast.net or Cecilia Altamirana at Cecilia_sendero_ea@hotmail.com.

For information about special reserved tables for this event please contact Chris Amo at chris@cshf-us.org.

You have always been, and always will be, the heart of our Foundation – without the financial support and interest from donors and volunteers like you, it would be impossible for us to carry out our mission.

If you haven’t already done so, please take a few moments to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. In our online community page, we post the latest pictures, stories, and latest events, like the recently announced Trunk Show, the Lost Treasures Sale, and several stories on the latest happenings at RISE and Pasitos.

But most importantly, we rely on the kind words of others like you and hope you will tell your friends, family members and co-workers about us and our worthy cause. Please share with others about our organization, ask them to read our website, join our newsletter, or follow us on-line.

We’ve found that once people learn about the wonderful work of our foundation, they’re happy to join our family.

RISE, one of our main “ships” is floundering now and asking for immediate help to cover the costs of their basic needs.  Due to the poor results from their major fundraising event last February and lower than normal donations during the long summer months, the RISE administrators now find themselves in CRITICAL need of assistance for funds to buy food, medicine, and pay the electric bill, which is always high during the summer.

There is always the unexpected at RISE – in August a family of three arrived at RISE.  They were in dire need of medical treatment and, of course, also needed clothes, shoes, and a “real” bed.  We, at the Children’s Shelter of Hope Foundation, have faithfully continued to make our monthly contributions to RISE, but we do not have sufficient funds to fill this MAJOR GAP.

Please, if you care about the continued success of RISE in providing for the needs of these very special children, send a donation RIGHT AWAY, marked “SOS for RISE” through our U.S. Children’s Shelter of Hope Foundation or through our Canadian partner foundation – Stevenson Ministries Foundation – New Beginnings Mexico .  All proceeds raised will be given directly to RISE to meet their current needs.

Do you have a childhood friend who is still there for you?  Or a sibling you shared a bedroom with and at times, talked to till the wee hours of the night?  The Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza (RISE) always reminds me that there are such children residing within its walls – children who many not be related through family ties, but who are together through situations beyond their control.

Through the generosity of donors like you, RISE has been transformed into a wonderful testament of what can be accomplished together.  Although projects like new bathrooms and playground equipment are completed, we must never lose sight of the fact that this is NOT just a beautiful, empty building….instead it is the home for many children.  This “home,” this “refuge,” this “haven,” will be where their childhood memories are formed, their values strengthened and for most, their education completed. That is why your continued support is so vital!

Bella and Fatima are such children.  Many years ago I took a picture of them.  A recent photograph shows how they have grown and thrived in the nurturing environment that is RISE.  Both have known no other home.

Under the caring wings of a dedicated staff and generous supporters like you, we are confident that Bella and Fatima, and other children like them, will continue to have a safe place to call home.  To enrich the lives of all the children at RISE, some of the experiences we enjoyed in of our youth are now being offered to them. Each Saturday many of the children participate in the Boy and Girl Scouts program, taking hikes into the mountains or working to earn another badge.  During this summer break they are also attending the  “boot camp” program that Chris wrote about in her article.  And several of our girls who love to sing are being offered the change to lift their voices together –  a video on our website shows an impromptu performance.

It is a struggle each year to raise the essential funds needed to pay for just the basic expenses for this home called RISE. Our needs are even greater right now as we help the staff prepare the children for the beginning of school.  It is also hard for all of us at the Children Shelter of Hope Foundation to ask again for your help.   But this year we have an exciting opportunity that we know you will want to participate in – that being a matching funds campaign!!!!  Are you ready to join us?

This past Spring CEA (Camp Athletic Evolution) invited the toddlers and kindergarten-age children at RISE to participate, free of charge, in a rigorous health and sports development program at their new, modern, well-equipped facility in Nuevo Vallarta.  Their “Boot Camp” is an innovative, stimulating, structured training program emphasizing the fun of physical activity and sports participation.  Several of us from Children’s Shelter of Hope Foundation, have had the opportunity to go along and observe these young children as they crawl through tunnels, jump over hoops, and walk on balance beams, while they giggle in delight.

And, through the summer months, Boot Camp training, under the direction of Sports Manager Eduardo Figueroa and his capable staff, is being offered to the school-age children from RISE as well.  What a wonderful way to promote physical conditioning and exercise to insure a brighter future of hope for these special children.