Six years ago, I took a bus trip with the Corazon de Vida organization to visit an orphanage in Tijuana. This one bus trip to Mexico changed the course of my life as a teacher! In anticipation of spending the day with a lot of children at the orphanage, I brought workbooks, flashcards, and other learning materials. I was shocked that, despite all the fun crafts and games that were provided to entertain everyone, a huge crowd of kids ended up at my learning station. As a teacher, I was moved by how much these children actually wanted to learn and how much they craved education. I had not seen such motivation from students in my 15 years of teaching here in the United States.
Upon returning home, I felt an urgent need to do something to provide these kids with greater access to education. I thought about how fortunate the students in my district were to have access to so many learning tools, and how fortunate my tutoring students were to get extra support with their areas of need. I also thought about how most kids, unlike these orphans, end their evenings with a bedtime story from their parents. I had a strong desire to help these kids who were missing out. I researched the education system in Mexico, and became further motivated when I learned that if a child arrives in an orphanage after the school year has begun, they often have to wait a full year before they can return to school. It pained me to know that children in these situations would also be removed from the social and educational resources that school offers. It is unfair that an already difficult experience would also make them fall even further behind in education.
During this time, I was working on my Master’s degree in Special Education. All of my coursework pointed to how important early intervention is to support successful student learning outcomes, making it very clear that I needed to help these children. On another day trip to Baja, I spoke with George, the Director of Corazon de Vida, at length about my desire to help. I told him that my very favorite online learning program, Raz-Kids, offered an extensive library of Spanish books and Spanish literacy resources. I explained how this program would enable the children of Corazon de Vida to read books at their level in both English and in Spanish and I started fundraising for Chromebooks, headphones, and Raz-Kids licenses.
A short time later, the Raz-Kids program was running successfully in several different orphanages, with the help of tutors and with older students acting as mentors/facilitators for the projects. Not only are we providing early intervention for the children within the Corazon de Vida network; we are also giving children access to hundreds of books and a library filled with literacy resources that they otherwise wouldn’t have. This program is also enhancing the children’s computer literacy skills, essential for success in the 21st century. We have even been stunned to observe special needs children, some of whom we thought were non-verbal, learning to read as a result of this program.
By Corazon de Vida volunteer Leah Alagna
Supporting the k-12 education needs for children in the orphanage system and continuing education through college or technical school once they age out of the system is key helping them break the cycle of poverty and abandonment and providing the opportunity to create a better future for themselves, their families and their community.
Corazon de Vida’s Back to School campaign covers tuition, uniforms, backpacks, school supplies and transportation costs for over 500 students from kinder to university. All Baja public schools require uniforms, which is good because orphanage students do not look different than any other students. CDV’s education program provides scholarship-based funding for teens aging out of the orphanage system and it includes funding for inscriptions, tuitions, housing, living expenses and transportation, all depending on each student’s situation.
Corazon de Vida started its Continuing Education Program with 3 students who entered university in the 2011/ 2012 school year. Currently, 45 past orphanage residents are in college or technical school in Baja, with 15 that have graduated with a bachelor’s degree in majors such as accounting, psychology, education, culinary, medicine, nursing and business. CDV Alumni are now serving as role models to their younger ‘siblings’ at the orphanages!
Together, we can help our children go from victims to empowered future leaders! Help us transform their lives by making a donation to our Back to School campaign HERE
You could also help our children have everything they need for a successful school year by donating any of the Back to School items in our Amazon Wishlist
La Noche Blanca 2019 was a resounding success! Corazon de Vida’s annual all-white attire fundraising gala was held at the stunning Santiago Vineyards in Orange County on July 20, 2019. We are very excited to announce that thanks to all the ticket purchases, donations, sponsorships, and auction participation, we were able to raise an incredible $220,000 in support of the children.
The arrival of guests in their best summer whites marked the beginning of the evening’s festivities. They were met by a beautifully arranged venue adorned with beautiful centerpieces sponsored by Harumi Takata Designs. Displayed on the auction tables for the guests to view were the alluring silent auction items which garnered much enthusiasm and anticipation. The items featured included tickets to sporting events, vacation experiences, and various other adventures. From the very start of the festivities there was an atmosphere of excitement for the evening’s events and what laid ahead. After the lively reception that included a signature welcome cocktail and tequila tasting sponsored by Tequila Partida, Mezcal tasting provided by Tahona Bar and Baja wines tasting by Baja United, the guests were delighted by a mouthwatering buffet style dinner that included made to order gourmet tacos and delicious desserts, sponsored by Taco Rosa and Taco Mesa.
Leading the evening's presentation was the Master of Ceremonies, Bob Miller followed by our founder, Hilda Pacheco-Taylor who gave a brief but powerful speech about the early beginnings of our organization. They were then joined on stage by several university students who over the years have been assisted by Corazon de Vida. The students recounted anecdotes about how they have been able to persevere in spite of hardship and achieve success as a result of the support of generous sponsors. It was an inspirational and uplifting moment and their testimonies served as an authentic illustration of what your support of Corazon de Vida and the children can achieve.
A very special thank you to everyone that attended, donated, participated in the silent and live auctions, and a heartfelt thank you to our Presenting sponsors Apogee Electronics and Hosa Technology, to our Impact Sponsor Aeromexico and our Dinner Sponsor Taco Rosa for the delicious dinner- including made to order gourmet tacos! Additionally, thank you to Taco Mesa for the delicious desserts, Harumi Floral Design for the beautiful centerpieces, Primal 24/7 for the special Paleo desserts that were a big hit, Partida Tequila for the tasty welcome signature cocktail and tequila tasting, Tahona Mezcal Bar and Amar Harrag for the always popular mezcal tasting and CDV Mission Partner Baja United for bringing us the best wines from Baja with your tasting. A thank you also to Ballast Point Brewing Company and Chihuahua Cerveza for the beer donation, the Bittick family and Penman Springs Vineyard for the wine donation and The Paper Company for the eco-friendly paper products donation. We are extremely grateful to the companies and individuals that donated items to our silent auction. Your contributions made a huge impact on our fundraising efforts.
A heartfelt thank you to our Host Committee for your hard work and commitment leading to the event by inviting your network, securing donations, sponsorships and silent auction items, to our superstar Master of Ceremonies Bob Miller for working the crowd throughout the night in such a magical way and to our amazing team of hardworking volunteers. None of our events would be possible without your support. Thank you for your love of the children and for believing in our mission.
We are overwhelmed with the increasing support we get each year. Every La Noche Blanca is a reminder of the loving and generous community that believes in our cause. We truly believe YOU are the key to our mission. Your loyalty to Corazon de Vida is the reason our children have hope for a better tomorrow. On behalf of the kids, GRACIAS!
Click HERE for the gallery of photos.
On Sunday, May 26th, some of the most renowned chefs in Baja, Mexico, united on an exclusive Chef Collaboration Dinner in Valle de Guadalupe in support of the children of Corazon de Vida. We are very grateful to announce that we raised over $17,000 thanks to everyone’s participation.
It was a magical day for a 6-course dinner at Cava Maciel, the sun set spectacularly in the distance while feelings of love and compassion flooded the hearts of the 50 guests that attended. Guests enjoyed an exquisite dinner paired with the best wines and beers of the region, which is becoming a well-known spot for food and wine around the world. As the guests arrived, they were treated with a signature cocktail and delicate appetizers. From the reception, they proceeded to sit down at the tastefully decorated wooden tables with colorful centerpieces, and the beauty of Valle de Guadalupe was the perfect backdrop scene.
We are deeply grateful to Chef Cosmo Goss (Carne y Vino) who put in all his energy to organize the chef collaboration dinner and ensured its success, to Oscar Torres (Animalon) who also participated with two delicious dishes and donated three In-house Chef Dinner Experiences along with chef Cosmo (a hit in the silent auction). We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to chefs Tony Petracca (Da Toni), Tania and Memo (Criollo Taqueria and In Bocca al Lupo) and Mike Raskin (Carne y Vino) for participating on this unforgettable chef collaboration dinner.
We would like to also highlight and thank: Cava Maciel and Jorge Maciel for hosting the event, Julia Goss for the beautiful photos of the evening, to Jim Brown and Jim Seman for their help in planning the event, recruiting guests and the wines for the dinner, to Oh My Handmade Jewelry for donating to our silent auction, and to all the local wineries that contributed with delicious wines for the pairings – Cava Maciel, Henri Lurton, Trevista Vineyards and Roganto.
We look forward to more event like this one in Valle de Guadalupe to help us raise awareness about our mission of breaking the cycle of child poverty and abandonment in the area. On behalf of all the beautiful children currently living in our orphanages, we thank you.
Click HERE for the gallery of photos
We are getting very close to completion of the baby dorm at the Casa Hogar Sion orphanage! Your support of this project allowed us to procure the land in 2017-2018 and start construction in late December 2018, and despite a very wet winter, we have made great progress. The construction team plans to finish the building by the end of next month. The Mexican social services agency will be ready to place infants as soon as the dorm is completed, giving these babies a chance to start their lives in a safe and stable environment.
CLICK HERE for photos of the project to date, from bare land to a beautiful 1100 sq.ft dorm that will house up to 13 infants, a caretaker, a small kitchen and laundry room!
Over $77,000 has been raised for the construction via the BABY DORM FUNDRAISING PAGE, from individual donors, team fundraising, matching funds, and events. Others donors helped with the land purchase and the hiring of a Tijuana real estate attorney to record the sale and receive title.
We just added another $15,000 to the budget to secure the perimeter of the dorm which is in an open space adjacent to the orphanage. The additional funds will be for a half block wall and wrought iron fence in the rear and front and to level the ground surrounding the building for proper usage. We are asking for one last push of donations to help us reach our goal. If you can help, please make a donation via the FUNDRAISING PAGE, or send a check to Corazon de Vida.
In the Fall, we would like to invite you to the inauguration of the nursery and to share in the joy of one day having a full house of 13 infants. We will keep you informed of the date with hope that you can join us.
Thank you for your love and support of Corazon de Vida and especially for the blessing of allowing us to build this dorm. We hope that with this last donation push, that we can complete the project within the next month.
We are so proud to announce that we had 2 additional college graduates this past month! Ivette is our first Law School graduate, and Obed our first Bioengineer.
Ivette and her siblings lived at the El Faro orphanage in Tijuana for many years and she overcame unbelievable challenges in her life to reach this goal. She struggled in her first year of university with her education major, but an incident at a part time job changed her career path to law school. She will focus on employment law that will give others a voice and justice when needed.
Obed moved into Rancho de los Niños at the age of 4 when his parents became the voluntary orphanage directors. When he was 10, he realized that one of his friends in a wheelchair was not able to play. Obed always remembered his friend and sought to help immobile children by going to university where he could learn to make prosthetics and other medical technology with an engineering degree. He wants to help other people, like his friend, who are immobile live a better life.
They both had to overcome so much to reach this milestone, however, the love and support of their Corazon de Vida family carried them through the difficult times in their journey. The children currently in the orphanages find inspiration in the over 20 university graduates in the last 7 years and the many more coming up. Thank you to our many sponsors who support the Corazon de Vida education program.
YOU can change a life by sponsoring a teen’s journey through high school and university.
Change a young life. Create a success story! Support our Education program: www.corazondevida.org/donations
On April 25th, Corazon de Vida held its annual Charity Golf Tournament as part of its 25th anniversary celebration. The day could not have been more perfect! The sun was out and the weather was ideal as players arrived at the beautiful Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Mission Viejo. The blooming flowers on the course made it all the more beautiful.
Golf players had the chance to buy Super Tickets and to take pictures on our Red Carpet which proudly displayed the image of our sponsor CHILO. Delicious tacos and drinks were enjoyed by all before the Shotgun start.
Guest grabbed their golf cart and made their way through the pristine hills of Mission Viejo as they played along the challenging course. Along the way, players had a chance to win a new Infiniti Q50 in our Hole-In-One event sponsored by Infiniti of Mission Viejo. The scenic golf course and the perfect weather made for an amazing time. The day was filled with laughter and fun!
After a great day on the green, the players came inside for a delicious dinner and the awards presentations. Fernando and Karen, engineering students currently in Continuing Education Program, made special appearances to talk about how CDV and all the people who have donated have changed their lives. By the end of the day, we had raised over $17,000 for our children in Baja! We would like to thank all the people who attended and donated, and all the companies that contributed with items for our raffle and silent auction. We owe the success of our event to each one of you!
We would also like to recognize our Golf Sponsor CHILO, Tee Sponsors: Travel to Go, Mako Equipment, Delorfa Services, A New View, SSP insurance Services, La Salle Solutions LLC, Savills, Ortega’s, Graceland Hospice and Califoam Products; and a heartfelt thank you to our Committee members Dan and Gina Streit, Juan Pacheco and George Perez for helping to organize the event, secure sponsors, obtaining donors and more.
Huge shout-out to our amazing Taco Station team for the delicious tacos!
To our staff and volunteers, thank you for your hard work and dedication to make our golf tournament amazing.
Click HERE for the gallery of photos!
25 years ago, Corazon de Vida first opened its heart to making a difference in the lives of hundreds of orphaned and abandoned children in Baja, Mexico. It all started with one orphanage, Puerta de Fe, and grew into providing funds and support for 9 more. Over the years we have seen children walk into these orphanages uncertain about their future and have seen that uncertainty transformed into hope when provided the opportunity to live in a safe and nurturing environment. Our mission started with one special woman who knew she wanted to make a difference, our founder Hilda Pacheco-Taylor.
Hilda grew up at Puerta de Fe Orphanage, the place that gave her and her siblings a place to call home. Years after she left the orphanage, Hilda went back to visit and found that the orphanage had lost most of their financial support and was no longer able to sustain the children that were living there. From that day forward, she became determined to give those kids the same opportunities she was provided, and this is where Corazon de Vida’s mission of ending the cycle of poverty, homelessness and abandonment first started.
It is hard to believe that within just a few hours from our California/Mexico border there are people living drastically different lives. It is estimated that there are more than 6,000 kids living in the streets in Baja. Since day one, we have seen a community come together in an effort to provide a better life for the children. There are so many beautiful stories of people practicing compassion and generosity in support of the children: supporters asking for donations instead of presents for their weddings or birthdays, corporate sponsors raising funds and awareness through their products and services, children hosting bake sales, working lemonade stands, and forming high school clubs, athletes running marathons and Ironman events, volunteers joining our trips every month and forming beautiful bonds with the children, and so much more! It may take a village to raise a child but when a whole community comes together, we are able to truly make a lasting impact that sends ripples of change across the border.
With the support of our donors, sponsors, chapters and volunteers, CDV has raised over $13 million in the last 25 years for the everyday needs of the orphanages – food, water, utilities, and for special projects such as facility repairs, construction and upgrades, medical and dental services and more. Knowing that education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, homelessness and abandonment, a focus on funding education has been a pivotal program for us throughout the years. In 2012, we started funding college and technical school for teens aging out of the orphanage system and to date, twenty students have graduated, forty students are actively attending school and ten students are set to start university this next fall and spring!
CDV is more committed than ever to continuing with our mission. We are profoundly devoted to helping more children and making a bigger impact in their lives. Our journey has only just begun and we know that with our wonderful supporters by our side, we will be able to bring hope and keep transforming the lives of many more children.
We cannot wait to see what these next 25 years have in store for us!
Birthdays are much more than gifts. They are all about the overwhelming feeling of love you can receive.
And there is a new and effective way to share that love on your special day! The social media platform that you use to keep in touch with relatives, old high school classmates and watch funny videos can also be used for something far greater. Social media users are utilizing the power of Facebook as a means to engage friends and family to participate in birthday fundraisers in support of their favorite causes.
Our mantra has always been GIVE LOVE. And in a simple and effective way YOU can do it too.
FACEBOOK has become a powerful tool to raise funds and it’s simple yet so impactful to so many lives. Orphaned and abandoned children in Baja live thinking that perhaps they aren’t worthy of love. You can show them differently.
It’s easy! Just follow these six simple steps:
1) Go to your Facebook account
2) Go to your 'home' page, and look on the left side column. You should see the 'fundraiser' option under "Create" at the bottom. Select on "fundraiser" and Facebook will guide you through.
3) Select Corazon de Vida Foundation as the non-profit you would like to support.
4) Set your time frame and your fundraising goal. Remember no set dollar amount is too small to make a change in our children’s lives!
5) Invite your Facebook friends and family to participate in your birthday fundraiser! Inviting others is truly essential to reach your goal. And don’t blame yourself if someone is unable or unwilling to contribute, you are creating awareness of the need and that also counts! Continue sharing for all your friends to see, as others may have missed the opportunity to help you reach your goal!
6) Thank those who contribute to your fundraiser and have fun!
Corazon de Vida appreciates and thanks you for giving back the gift of love on your birthday. You are truly extraordinary.
You may not change the world, but you can change the world of one child in need.
Noche de Gala was nothing short of a resounding success! Corazon de Vida and the San Diego Chapter held its annual fundraising event at the beautiful Coronado Island Marriott on November 3rd, 2018. The event was made more enchanting by the enthusiasm of the guests who came together in support of the children and with everyone’s wonderful and generous participation we were able to raise over $120,000!
Nearly 300 guests took in the beautiful panoramic view of downtown San Diego while enjoying delicious tastings of Baja wines and artisan mezcals. The silent auction was amazing and included many prizes like exotic vacations, unforgettable experiences and much more. It was exciting to see so many new faces at the event that were eager to learn more about Corazon de Vida.
The evening's program was led by Tim Altbaum as Master of Ceremonies and included heartwarming presentations that our guests enjoyed over a candle-lit dinner. Founder Hilda Pacheco-Taylor called university students up on stage during her presentation. It was a very emotional moment for everyone in the room. Their stories of overcoming adversity and their noteworthy academic achievements brought to life the meaning of our cause, and serve as inspiration and hope for the future of hundreds of children living at the orphanages supported by CDV.
This event was made possible thanks to our generous sponsors: Aeromexico, Bird Rock Systems and Warren & Burstein. Thank you to product sponsors Casta Tribal Mezcal and Baja United Wines for sponsoring the tastings, Harumi Takata and Harumi Takata Floral Designs for the beautiful floral arrangements, Ortega’s A Mexican Bistro for donating the food and refreshments for our volunteers, and to all the companies and individuals that contributed items to our silent auction.
We’d like to thank our incredible San Diego Chapter for your hard work, your love of the children and unwavering commitment to our cause as well as give special recognition and thanks to Noche de Gala’s Host Committee: Carolina and Larry Katz, Carrin and Michael Goldstein, Mayra and James Matteo, Mandy and Devin Burstein, Debra and Larry Poteet, Tami and Bill Sandke and Lisa and James Littman.
And finally, we would like to thank our wonderful and hardworking Volunteer Committee and volunteers, your presence and support is what made Noche de Gala so special!
Visit our GALLERY to view all the photos of the evening
25 years ago, Corazon de Vida first opened its heart to making a difference in the lives of hundreds of orphaned and abandoned children in Baja, Mexico. It all started with one orphanage, Puerta de Fe, and grew into providing funds and support for 9 more. Over the years we have seen children walk into these orphanages uncertain about their future and have seen that uncertainty transformed into hope when provided the opportunity to live in a safe and nurturing environment. Our mission started with one special woman who knew she wanted to make a difference, our founder Hilda Pacheco-Taylor.
