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We decided we could help and maybe make a difference in these kids' lives. We started talking with them and discovered there was
a tremendous amount of interest in having someplace they could go to study, get help with their homework, maybe take English classes,
learn about their culture and the environment. So, we started to work. We found a
centrally-located house for rent that looked like it could be fixed up to be used as a kids' center. We met several times to outline our goals
and strategies; we contacted friends,
acquaintances and relatives to ask for donations of books and materials.
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La Casa before beginning work |
Some of the kids help with the cleaning |
The response was immediate and gratifying. Even people we didn't know came forward to volunteer, to donate books to our small library; a
Canadian university donated four computers; individuals in Oregon and California took it upon themselves to establish collection centers and then
send us the donations with people coming to the area on vacation.
During the first week we received a television, bilingual dictionaries, buckets of paint, a ceiling fan; others promised help with the electrical installations and the plumbing;
others brought children's books, crayons, pencils and games; students from the high school offered to be tutors; natives of the United States and Canada volunteered to teach English.
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Everyone was so enthusiastic! More than a dozen people showed up to help us clean and paint the house and even before we had opened the doors,
94 kids had registered to take English classes!
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Well, now La Casa de los Niņos really has a home, but there is so much yet to do...
Wouldn't you like to help?
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