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1st MEXICO WORK TRIP |
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Dentists Providing Free Care to Orphans and Caregivers |
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Recently, A Child's Hope Foundation had its first "official" work project in Mexico. Kent White, Project Manager at A Child's Hope Foundation, gives a report on what was accomplished.
I imagine that some of you are disappointed that you had no idea we were planning a work project to Mexico and you weren't invited. Well, this was something of an "accidental" project that just happened to involve over 50 volunteers. If we would have had space, rest assured, you would have been invited.
We were approached by Smiles Around the World (a Florida based charity) to see if we could assist them in providing free dental care to orphaned children in Mexico. At that same time, we were also approached by several families to see if we could help them provide service at orphanages in Mexico during Christmas Break. So due to the initiative and fundraising efforts of all of these volunteers we had a fantastic week and accomplished quite a bit.
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Volunteers Painting a New Girl's Orphanage, Buena Vida |
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| Volunteers stayed at Door of Faith Orphanage in Baja California, Mexico, which is about an hour south of San Diego. Through the efforts of the volunteers, we were able to purchase construction supplies for Door of Faith Orphanage and get a lot of work done. Just to give you an idea of the scope and variety of the projects, volunteers framed, sheet-rocked, ran electrical, re-roofed, and primed and painted a girl's dorm. They also cut down a dead tree, planted some new trees, painted a new girl's orphanage across the valley, did some sheet-rocking at a local church, moved a water storage tank, chopped firewood, sewed and altered clothing, and did arts and crafts with the kids. Our volunteer dentists were able to see around 100 children and caregivers from three different orphanages, which resulted in lots of fillings and a few pulled teeth. Additionally we were able to donate needed supplies to several orphanages (baby formula, canned food, toys, etc.).
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Volunteers Provide a New Roof and Paint a New Wing |
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One of the great experiences I had on this trip happened when I was bringing some children from an orphanage in Tijuana to Door of Faith Orphanage to see the dentists. There was one seven year old girl (Lupita) in the van that pointed to the ocean as we drove on the coastal road and asked, "Is that the ocean? Can we go to the beach today too? I've never been. All I ever do is sit in my room and walk around and go to school. I never get to do anything fun. So, can we go to the beach?"
I was touched and we immediately promised Lupita that we would definitely take all of the kids to the beach. After the kids saw the dentists, they went to the beach with some of the volunteers from the group and had a great time in the cold Pacific Ocean. As we drove them back to their orphanage and they were all sleeping in the van, I thought about how relatively easy it is for each of us to make such a huge difference in the lives of these beautiful children who have so little. Thank you Donors and Volunteers! Because of you, Lupita got to keep her teeth healthy and see the ocean for the first time.
Besides working really hard, volunteers ate awesome Mexican food, did "touristy" things, sat up late at the campfire telling stories, and played with the children from the various orphanages. We made lots of friends on this trip and several are planning on coming back soon. We expect to have several work projects to Mexico this Winter and Spring and we will post the dates in upcoming newsletters and on our web site so you can come with us next time! |
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A Volunteer Playing with Lupita at the Beach |
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January 11, 2008 |
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Upcoming
Charity Ball |
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On Friday night, January 18, 2008, A Child's Hope Foundation will again be participating in the 12th Night Charity Ball put on by The Chris Jones Group and the Lehi Club of Rotary International. It will be held at the Barn at Thanksgiving Point, Utah and will cost $25 a person.
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| Couples dancing at the last 12th Night Ball |
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We will have Dancing with the Stars (local celebrities). We have a gigantic silent auction (Art! Tickets! Food!) and a live one (Trips! Cruises!), plus delicious food and big band swing dancing (with instruction!), and of course, the annual Golden Ticket Hunt (bring your quarters). Dress is semi-formal and up, so you can dust off that great dress in the back of your closet and come party with us. To RSVP, email here. |
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Bermuda Cruise Auction
We have recently received a generous donation from Stamping Up! of two double occupancy suites on a Holland America 7 night Bermuda Cruise departing from New York City on March 29, 2008. These cabins have a retail value of $4000 each. |
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Holland America Cruise Ship |
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| We will be auctioning off these suites by January 18th. If you are interested in bidding on these cruises, please contact us to let us know by sending us an email or calling us at 801-434-9200. To learn more about the details of the trip click here. |
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Ship's Dining Room |
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Forward this to a friend!
Let your friends know about A Child's Hope Foundation and forward this newsletter to them. Let them know they can subscribe at our web site. |
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Hope. Compassion. Love. With the help of volunteers and donations.
Get involved
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