My name is Julian Roberts and I am writing to you on behalf of an orphanage in Guatemala, where I work as a volunteer. I am also writing this letter with the approval of the non-profit organization, Orphan's Hope Project, Inc., a 501(C)3 foundation, that raises funds, buys necessary equipment and send donations of new clothing and other supplies for this all boys orphanage. The orphanage, Hogar Miguel Magone, is about 30 minutes outside of Guatemala City in a poor, but beautiful, rural area.



I had the honor of visiting this orphanage for the first time in August 2009. I was there for only a few days but once there, I knew that I needed to return. In September 2009, I returned for 11 more days and I really fell in love with the work, the children and the staff. I will go back for a week in October 2009. While there, I try to accomplish work projects at the home as well as bring supplies for the kids and the orphanage. When possible, I bring things for some of the people who live in the very poor villages near the orphanage.



I have a few objectives that I would like to accomplish in the next 6 months and I was hoping that you could find it in your heart to help me and the children. You would do this with the knowledge that you are brightening the lives of some VERY wonderful folks, including the 60 boys in the orphanage.



#1 The children start their three month vacation from school in mid October. They will return to school in mid January 2010. They will be needing new sneakers for this vacation period. I would love to be able to raise the funds to purchase them new shoes on my next work trip.



#2 On my last work trip, my friends and I, through donated funds, were able to repaint one of the large buildings that needed painting. We were also able to repaint several walls that were in need of painting. There are many more buildings that could use a fresh coat of paint. Raising the funds to buy the paint and to paint the buildings would be a great help.



#3 We were running out of time on the painting project as we had to return to the US. We were fortunate to be able to hire an out of work young man from the village, whose sister works at the orphanage. He helped with the finishing touches. His name is Christian, and he did a GREAT job. He is an artist as well and I would love to hire him to paint a new mural on the wall of the building that we painted, as we had to paint over the existing mural that another volunteer group had painted. That building needed to be painted because a large truck had overturned on the side of the building. The truck damaged the wall of that building, necessitating repairs and new paint.



#4 There is an 86 year old lady who lives in the nearby village of Aguacate. Her name is Nachita. She lives in a small, one room box of a house. The location does have magnificent views. However, she has no windows at all in her house! When she lights her wood burning grill for cooking, all of the smoke stays in the house with her. It is difficult to breathe in her house, as well as being extremely dangerous. And with no windows, she cannot appreciate those views. I would love to have a window, or possibly two, put in for her. This will allow her ventilation, as well as afford her the opportunity to enjoy the mountain view. Her house is a depressing, dark house and the addition of windows and light would certainly let her know that there's hope and that others care about her.



#5 Dona Nachita is also badly in need of new clothing and shoes. A shopping spree for her would be such a great thing! When another volunteer visited her in late August, Dona Nachita had a small amount of sugar in her cupboard but there was no other food in the house. She has no income and purchasing some food staples for her would be a humanitarian thing to do.



#6 There is currently a fund raising campaign in progress to get all of the boys new mattresses. I have been informed that this Massachusetts group of volunteers is close to raising the needed money to order the mattresses from the Facomsa factory in Guatemala. It would be GREAT if we could also give them new sheets and pillows to go with the new mattresses. Some of our children do not even have pillows. The mattresses and pillows that we do have are old, stained, lumpy and generally ready for the garbage bin. None of the beds have mattress covers on them. Having mattress covers would protect the new beds and insure a long life, free of dirt, stains and sweat. It is essential to get new mattress covers/pads before allowing the boys to sleep on the new beds.



#7 The current stove in the kitchen is not in full working order. I do not know about your cooking experiences, but I have cooked for 70 to 100 people on that stove. Cooking on this stove is NOT an easy task. How great would it be to put a new, fully functional, industrial stove in that kitchen? Half of the griddle works and the other side cannot be repaired. Neither of the two ovens can be repaired, which means we cannot bake anything in the kitchen. We need a new heavy duty, industrial sized gas stove.



#8 We could really use more shelves and storage to better utilize the available space at the orphanage. This requires both supplies and man power. The shelves would have to be securely attached to the cinder block walls but it can be done.



#9 The floor tile in each of the buildings is extremely slippery when wet. At least once a week, someone falls and gets hurt. Something to put on the tile to give it traction and make it less slippery would make the orphanage a safer place for the boys. Perhaps some of those stickers like you use in the shower? Ideas? Suggestions? Donations?



#10 I was informed that the mother of one of the teachers at the orphanage is in need of surgery. The surgery will cost 5000 Quetzales, which is roughly $610 US. We would like to find a donor to allow this woman to obtain the necessary surgery. The teacher makes less than $300 a month and this added expense is beyond his means at this time.



There is so much more that can be done at this orphanage and improvements are being made. We are constructing a new classroom building at this time. The retaining walls will be put in soon. We have broken ground for a separate girls' house, adjacent to the boys orphanage. This new house will eventually house up to 24 girls in a fully self contained house, with a house mother, a full kitchen and their own budget. We are attempting to set up computer labs. We are using Rosetta Stone to teach the children English, which they will need to continue on into business and careers after high school and college.



Orphan's Hope Project, Inc. is a viable non profit foundation. It was created in 2007 to support this orphanage. 100% of the funds raised go directly to Hogar Miguel Magone Orphanage. Please visit the web site for Orphan's Hope Project, read some of the stories, look at the pictures and explore the site. www.OrphansHopeProject.com. All donations are tax deductible when funneled through Orphan's Hope Project, Inc. Receipts for your donations will be given and the 501(c)3 letter is available to donors and the public. We also make it a point to send pictures to donors so that they can see that their donations have been received and enjoyed by the staff and the children. If you have questions about Orphan's Hope Project, please contact the founder, Diane Springer, at (510) 741-8554 or by e-mail at OrphansHope@aol.com.



Please take a moment out of your day and look into your hearts. Please help me change the world, one child, one person, one dollar at a time.



Thank You.



Sincerely,



Julian Roberts

 

Orphan's Hope Project Guatemala is dedicated solely to the support of Hogar Miguel Magone Orphanage in Mixco, Guatemala. We have a strong personal connection to the boys and girls in this orphanage and to the staff of Hogar Miguel Magone in Guatemala. We wish to sustain this connection and the connections of prior volunteer workers in the home. We realize that it is important to support this orphanage financially as well as provide new and returning volunteer workers in the home.



Please take the time to read about our foundation and our goals. We sincerely hope that you will find this a worthy project to support, both now and in the future. The future of these boys and girls depends on others who are willing to give of their hearts, their time and their donations.

Please join us in helping these young boys and girls become the best they can be. We can improve their lives and their education now, in their formative years, to insure a better future as adults.