I was so happy to be part of it...

Below is a testimonial from Joanna, a Northwest regional Board member who has visited NPH Honduras several times and participates actively in supporting the work and events of the Northwest region!

When the plane hits the tarmac in Tegucigalpa airport I can't wait to get to the ranch to find my godson. I drop my bags off at San Cristobal, the visitors' house, and hit the gravel path headed towards Buen Pastor, the Boys' Side of Rancho Santa Fe. I can't help it. I tend to spend most of my time over there since I have been watching the "boys" grow up over the years. Many of them don't remember me at first, but it doesn't matter if they do or don't because after the first couple of days I'm friends with everyone. That's just how it is. Visitors, no matter how many times they've been, or not been, are welcomed into the family. As soon as they know your name you hear it being called wherever you go.

This year was especially great because my godson was celebrating his Quincea?era. The whole day was full of festivities. The girls started with hair and make-up around 10am and about 20 minutes before the 5pm mass the boys went to hogares to get changed. All of the dresses and suits were made at the Ranch, all the way down to the boys' shoes. 

Wind blew the pelting rain through the church during mass and we lost power for about 20 minutes at the reception, but it didn't get in the way of the celebration. All the 15 year olds looked so grown up and I got a little misty-eyed during the waltz. It was such a fun night and I was so happy to be part of it.

I owe a heartfelt thank you to NPH Honduras�

Below is reflection written by sponsor and Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Associate Board co-chair Allison Ahern.

 

Traveling to the Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (NPH) Home in Honduras in 2012 was a rare and special opportunity. I feel abundantly blessed that I was able to spend time with the children there, as they quickly refreshed my perspective on having compassion for others, showing gratitude, being generous of spirit, and the value of service. I witnessed the children's unquestioned willingness to share love. I also saw the positive impact of the NPH Model, for I was welcomed into a large, considerate family, in which the oldest members care for the youngest, and everyone sacrifices for the good of the whole. I was humbled by what the children have and do not have. Overhearing that some of the littlest ones graciously prayed to God for chicken, watching all of them lick their bowls after each meal and seeing the ongoing efforts to repair the roof over their heads, made the news that the NPH Homes need financial support very real. What these children do have though is a tremendous opportunity to succeed in this life, despite what they have already lost. Through NPH's support, which is truly the support of their "family," they can thrive academically, learn a practical trade, and grow into adults while enjoying happy, healthy and safe childhoods. This leads to what I consider a successful life, being able to support oneself and one's family while giving and receiving the love of God and neighbor. I owe a heartfelt "Thank you" to NPH Honduras for this reminder, and I look forward to journeying back there in the future.

 

Billy Jean In Miami

On August 27th, NPH USA Raised over $10,000 for scholarships for college students at NPH Haiti. Billy Jean, a recipient, spoke about how he plans on using his education to give back to his country by providing free legal counsel to underprivileged Haitians. He has been volunteering for two years at the home where he was raised since two years of age and is helping NPH USA raise the money it needs to enable the 600 children currently at the home in Haiti the opportunity to go to college just as he did. The event also featured the photography of award-winning Haitian-born photojournalist Carl Philippe Juste, whose politically active family was forced to flee its homeland in 1965. Settling in Miami, Carl has served the Haitian community since 1991 through his work at the Miami Herald capturing the struggles of Haitians in the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. Carl�s father, Viter Juste, who recently passed away at the age of 87, was the founder and creator of Miami�s Little Haiti neighborhood. 

Child Sponsorship table materials at the home of NPH USA Board Member Tomas Hauff 

From left to right: Guest 1 � Vivi Santisteban Guest 2 � Jaime Escandon Guest 3 � Marisa Chauvet 

From left to right: Guest 1 � Lourdes Martinez Guest 2 � Alfredo Benetiz Guest 3 � Monica Ledanzo 

From left to right: Guest 1- Sherman Humphrey Guest 2 � Daniela Humphrey Guest 3- Kristina Fueyo � Child Sponsorship Manager 

Bacardi, an NPH USA corporate sponsor 

From left to right: Guest 1- Theresa Rice � Board Member Guest 2 � Agueda Pol Guest 3 � Guillermo Pol 

Left to right:  Guest 1 � Tomas Hauff � Board Member and Host Guest 2 � Leah Stern � Regional Director Guest 3 � Gloria Burns Guest 4 � William Burdette 

Left to right: Guest 1 -  Kristina Fueyo � Child Sponsorship manager Guest 2 � Charles Webber & Guest 

From left to right: Guest 1 � Art Massolo � Chair of SE Regional Board for NPH USA Guest 2 � Kristina Fueyo � Regional Manager of Child Sponsorship Guest 3 � Leah Stern � Regional Director 

Left to right: Guest 1 � Maritza Jacobson Guest 2 � Rocio Pellerano � Vice Consul at General Consulate of the Dominican Republic, Miami Guest 3 �Ana Oliveira 

Artist Carl Juste with William Burdette who purchased --- "Legacy" shot in Havana, Cuba in 1996: What was once a prestigious private school for the elite now houses a state run day care for infants and toddlers. Toddlers take a look at the outside world through the vintage ironwork of the old and decaying building. 

Billy Jean takes a comedic respite following an emotional speech 

Guests sit outside of Pinecrest Estate listen as Billy Jean delivers an empowering speech about how NPH has saved his life and given hope to thousands of children in Haiti and in Central America, South America and the Caribbean. 

Carl Juste with one of his most famous pieces in the background, �The Mask� and holding �I am a Man,� shot in Memphis, TN. 

Artist Carl Juste with CJ and Madelyn Occhipinti who purchased --- "Leg Up" shot in Port-au-Prince Haiti, 2010: The Athletic Soccer player Wilfred Macena, 25, does a hand stand in jubilation after learning how to walk and kick a soccer ball again using his new prosthetic leg after several hours of being fitted. Guest 1 � Madelyn Occhipinti Guest 2 � Carl Juste Guest 3 � CJ Occhipiniti � Board Member 

From Left to right:  Guest 1 � Ingrid Vasiliu-Feltes � Board Member Guest 2 � Edison Sabala Guest 3 � Frank Donaghue � CEO of NPH USA Guest 4 � Olti Mollaymeri Guest 5 � Stephanie Hirschenson Guest 6 � Shawn Rosen - Holtzman

Long-time sponsors, the Hundt's, receive the annual Humanitarian Award!

Friends is pleased to announce we gave our annual Humanitarian Award to the Leo and Mary Lou Hundt, longtime Sponsors and great Friends! Mary Lou and Leo Hundt have been involved with NPH and Friends of the Orphans for over 25 years. They are Godparents to nine children and are in contact with 17. In the last 15 years, they have visited five NPH homes a total of 24 times. Leo served on the Friends of the Orphans National Board of Directors and was Chair of the Southeast Regional Board of Directors. They recently initiated an eye glasses mission, testing the vision of 215 children at NPH Honduras and delivering 109 pairs of glasses. They hope to expand the mission to NPH Mexico in 2013. We are eternally grateful to Mary Lou and Leo for their dedication and generosity. They have truly transformed the lives of our children and are making the world a better place. Below is a picture, Mary Lou shared with us of Farid, her godchild, that is currently finishing his year of service in Haiti.

The Hundt's with  Art Massolo, Southeast Regional Board Chair

President's Reception in Saint Paul

On the evening of February 28, 2012, not even freezing rain, flurries, and dangerous driving conditions could keep the close to 70 people from gathering at the Lexington in St. Paul for a night of celebration and recognition.


The President�s Reception is an event hosted by the Upper Midwest (UPM) Regional Board President to celebrate the successes of the previous year and to look forward with enthusiastic eyes to the many possibilities for growth in the year to come. At this time our dedicated volunteers are acknowledged and specially honored for the unwavering commitment and hard work that they tirelessly and generously give to help provide for the children of NPH.


This year we were grateful to be joined by Nestor Jaramillo (Interim Regional Board President), Sue Lovegreen (UPM Interim Regional Director), and John Iberle (Interim CEO). With many changes in the regional office, the UPM staff wishes to express its immense gratitude to those members of our board who have stepped up in a special way to fill necessary roles in this time of transition. It is because of this dedication that we are able to proceed forward under strong leadership.

Rose Schaffhausen and Nestor Jaramillo

The list of volunteers who deserve recognition within our region is extensive and seemingly endless! The Kautza family offered countless hours to help plan and run Faces of Hope in Iowa. Two of our volunteers, Andy Ottum and Rachel Olson, put on the Eau Claire triathlon. We would like to commend Vic Roers, for organizing the giving campaign that brought hundreds of stockings to brighten Christmas for the children of NPH Honduras. Another exciting initiative that began in 2011, and will continue in full force in 2012, is an increased presence on University campuses within the Twin Cities.


During the Fall of 2011 a group of peque?os from NPH Mexico traveled to Minnesota to share a little sliver of their lives with us. They traveled to many churches, schools, and businesses to promote ongoing support for their brothers and sisters. We would like to thank the Peque?o Tour co-chairs and Churches, so we extend our gratitude to Kathy and Richard Jordan and Fr. Steve Ulrick from Holy Name of Jesus as well as Mike Vievering and Fr. Tom Wilson from All Saints Catholic Church. Two other committee members that deserve special recognition for their outstanding efforts this past year are Anna Verhoye, Silent Auction chair for the Gala, and Kim Smith, a part of the Cinco de Mayo 5k committee.


We recognize all volunteers who offered 70 or more hours of their time to help in our office over the past year. Three people received this honor for the second year in a row: Larry Valley, Mary Kay O�Rourke, and Sylvia Harrington. Others who received the 70 Hours of Service Award for the first time are: John and Kathy Cleveland, Shannon Hollanitsch, Kate Romens, Jane Losasso, Cory Baird, D�Anne Briggs, Michael Rasley, LuLu and Dr. Peter Daly. Many of these volunteers have not only offered 70 hours of service, but their entire lives to supporting the children of NPH!

LuLu and Dr. Peter Daly

The Regional Above and Beyond Award is presented annually to a volunteer whose continued dedication and determination to transform lives goes above and beyond the call of duty. This year, we are giving this award to two individuals who have worked tirelessly to help us achieve our goal of raising children and transforming lives. The recipients of this award were: Deacon Larry and JoAnn Lawinger.


We recognize Mary Kasel for offering such acute attention to details, as she worked so hard to make the Angels of Light 25th Anniversary Gala a special occasion. In addition, Rose Schaffhausen was honored for 25 years of unwavering dedication to the children of NPH!
Over our 25 year history as an organization we have had such amazing volunteers. Many people who attended the President�s Reception were previously awarded Volunteer of the Year for their efforts, and are honored to still have them all actively working on behalf of the children of NPH. We would like to extend a special thanks to:
� JoAnne Zigman (1987)
� Mary Beth Mee (1992)
� Laurel Boerger (1993)
� Mary Kasel (1995)
� Jean Gray (1996)
� Gerald and Ginny L�Allier (1998)
� Gerald and Lucy Alfveby (1999)
� Larry and JoAnn Lawinger (2001)

Joanne Zigman and John Iberle

We are thrilled to honor Richard and Kathy Jordan as our 2011 Volunteers of the Year! Richard and Kathy are the epitome of volunteers who do it all and expect nothing in return. A big piece of each of their hearts is with the children of Miacatlan, Mexico. Richard has visited NPH Mexico multiple times with Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church, and we are thrilled that this summer will be Kathy�s first trip to the home! Thanks to the Jordans and their efforts at Holy Name of Jesus church, over $20,000 was raised for the 2011 Holy Name of Jesus youth group trip to NPH Mexico and over $42,000 during the Peque?o Tour as a host parish. Kathy and Richard are also responsible for starting two Holy Name of Jesus school sponsorships, organizing fundraisers to support the sponsorships of David and Maria at the NPH Mexico home and coordinating correspondence between the classrooms and their godchildren. From walking taco sales after Masses to car wash fundraisers in the dead of winter, Kathy and Richard worked tirelessly to raise funds and awareness for Friends and NPH. In her limited spare time, Kathy came into our office in December of last year as a volunteer, making calls to lapsed sponsors and personally helping our office raise more sponsorship dollars in the month of Dec 2011 than any month in the past, ever. Richard was invited to join our local Board of Directors and has taken on various projects as a board member, consistently volunteering himself for different tasks before having to be asked. To know the Jordans is to know the meaning of humble, loyal, and supportive. They are beyond generous in giving their time, talent, and treasure to the children of NPH and the Upper Midwest office of Friends of the Orphans, and we are honored to know and work with them!


We would like to THANK YOU all so much for your immense generosity and the vital support that you offer to Friends and the children of NPH. Our office could not function without all of your hard work and determination to help our children. Because of your inspiring volunteer efforts in our office, on committees, at events, at the NPH homes, fundraising on your own, and many other ways we are able to continue raising funds and together transform thousands of lives!

Investing in the Children's Futures

John and Laurie Dooley are longtime supporters and volunteers of Friends of the Orphans and NPH. Recently John shared the story of how he got involved with us, why he and Laurie are passionate about the children they sponsor, and how to invest in their future.

The huge refrigerator in our kitchen is covered with pictures of all the kids, grandkids, and a recent addition, our new nephew, Mateo. My wife Laurie and I have 6 children together and 6 grandsons with one more on the way. Over the years we have proudly added pictures of our 3 NPH godchildren shown standing beside us with their beautiful smiles on our visits to their homes. Our passion for the children of NPH has grown exponentially since 1999 when we viewed a video about NPH Mexico that had been circulating around our parish. Laurie brought the video to our small Christian community, and as a result, our group decided to sponsor a child. That child is now a beautiful, bright young woman who is graduating from high school with plans to study Accounting at the University in Monterrey (which thrills me as I am also an accountant). Along with us, 3 other couples in our group have continued to support her all these years. That was just the beginning. As I remember, our monthly contribution for Brianda was $25 per month, a pretty significant amount for us at that time.


In the summer of 2001 Laurie and I went with a group of people from our church, hosted by Fr. Tom Belleque, our pastor, to Miacatlan, Mexico, where we met Brianda for the first time and spent the day with her. We came home with a new passion for the concept of sponsorship and raised our monthly contribution to $35 per month! We were hooked!


Laurie began volunteering for our regional Friends office. She joined the Board, and they were looking for a treasurer so I was drafted for the Board as well. Before saying yes, I told Fr. Tom I was a little embarrassed about being on the Board since I really didn�t have that much money and didn�t have a circle of friends who had money. Fr. Tom wisely said not to worry about that and that the Lord had other reasons for calling people to jobs. Within a few years, the Friends� regional offices merged and my function as a treasurer was no longer needed. However, we continued to be involved, attended International meetings, visited homes in Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras. Laurie continues to serve on the Northwest Board and has been Board chair for the last two years. Along the line, we have added two more Godchildren, Jonathan in Nicaragua and Georgia in Guatemala, and raised our donations for each child again. The pictures on the fridge keep accumulating along with letters, report cards and Godparents� Day greetings from our kids. They are part of the big Dooley family.


We continue to work hard to share the incredible story of NPH and Friends with everyone we meet. What I know now is that our hearts, our very beings have been molded into individuals who care deeply for the NPH family and that we have been blessed with time, talent and the financial means to continue our support of NPH as we grow older. We will continue to be as generous as we can personally and from our business, Northwest Etch Technology. We believe strongly in making sure that when we die that our commitment to NPH will continue through contributions from our estate as well.


One of the opportunities we are excited about is the Fr. Wasson Legacy Endowment, established in 1995, which is an important tool for major gifts and estate planning. The FWLEI will remain an ongoing and everlasting source of financial stability for the children of NPH. Currently, the endowment has grown through gifts and investment results to a total of over $10 million dollars. A distribution policy has been established that allows for yearly donations to NPH and support of crises such as the Haiti earthquake that happened last year. Right now, the Board of the endowment is offering a $100,000 challenge matching gift to raise funds for the FWLEI on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the death of Fr. William B. Wasson.


As our financial contributions have increased, our commitment to providing for the future of NPH/Friends has grown stronger. Wouldn�t it be great if we could leave this earth knowing that the children of NPH through Friends of the Orphans will continue to receive our contributions year after year? Laurie and I are giving this much thought as we move into our retirement years.