CORAZON DE VIDA :: A YEAR-END MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER Posted on 20 Dec 11:30 , 0 comments
Dear Corazon de Vida Angel,
If the last couple of years have taught us anything, it’s certainly the importance of community. We realize that we are beyond blessed to have you as part of Corazon de Vida’s community of support. Your generous giving has continued to provide life-saving support for the children of Baja.
During the second half of this year, the orphanages opened up for limited visits so we could finally see the children again. Every time we visit, we remind the children that the support we provide is because of you, and your faithful giving. The children cannot wait to see you and thank you personally, so we pray that we can resume our monthly visits to the orphanages in 2022.
Keeping up with the life sustaining and education needs of the children has been our primary focus during this time. Aside from our monthly financial support, we held several “supply drives” where we collected additional food, cleaning supplies and personal hygiene supplies that were all delivered to the orphanages.
Thanks to your support this year we have been able to not only focus on basic needs, but we have also been able to focus on quality-of-life improvement projects such as fixing plumbing issues, broken windows, and other safety related repairs.
Other projects included the installation of a patio shade for the Special Needs dorm at Rancho de Los Niños so they can enjoy their outdoor activities, as well as installing some beautiful synthetic grass on the playground at Los Angelitos orphanage. As you can imagine, we already have a long list of projects for 2022!
The 2021/2022 school year continued in a distance-learning format for some students and in a hybrid format for others. In a way, the hybrid format presented a new challenge for the orphanages in learning how to properly utilize the staff’s support to ensure the children could follow the required schedules.
We have continued to provide support for in-home teachers and tutors and for education technology such as laptops, Chromebooks and other devices that the children need for their schoolwork. Children are sometimes transferred to other orphanages and so we follow them to ensure their needs are covered. This year, a few of our children were transferred to another orphanage and when we visited them, we found that the orphanage needed help with technology for their students as well. In some cases, students were trying to do schoolwork on the staff’s cellular phones! Thanks to your donations, we were able to provide Chromebook laptops, desktop computers, and headphones for these future leaders.
This year we have four (4) students completing their university studies:
Nothing fills our hearts more than to see our children succeed! If you EVER wonder if your support makes a difference, here is living proof that it does!
Cecilia entered an orphanage as a young teen. Cecilia graduated in 2016 with a degree in psychology. During her internship period, Cecilia decided to focus on Human Resources, specifically, training and recruitment.
Last year, Cecilia got a job with Crowe Tijuana, one of the largest international consultancy company in Mexico. She continues to succeed in her career, and serves as a strong role model to our students.
Isaac lived in an orphanage with his three sisters for 6 years during a time when their single mother could not provide for them.He and his siblings eventually able to reunite with their mother when he was in high school but Corazon de Vida continued to provide educational support to Isaac and his siblings. Isaac graduated from college in 2016 with a degree in accounting.
He has been working as an accountant for Toyota Tijuana for the last 3 years and helps support his family.
This quote is for you, from one of our Alumni:
“I represent your donations, your visits to the orphanage, your Christmas gifts each year, your effort to donate each month …. If you donate $1 or $100, you will be part of the history of each one of us, I hope to one day meet you, DONOR, and thank you personally, but if that does not happen, THANK YOU from all of us!” – Alin Cuevas, MD
Together we are giving orphaned and abandoned children an opportunity for a life of purpose and possibility. Please consider making an additional end-of-the-year tax deductible donation and help us continue to make the dream of a better life a reality for our kids!
We are blessed to have your support and partnership in this work!
Hilda Pacheco-Taylor
Founder, Corazon de Vida Foundation
“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill