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 News from Around Banderas Bay | July 2005 
Family Donates $25,000 USD to R.I.S.E
 Sue Fornoff - PVNN
| | The Foundation's primary purpose is to support the needs of Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico through direct cash grants and donations of needed equipment. |
Puerto Vallarta - Many foreign visitors to Puerto Vallarta have heard about the Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza. (R.I.S.E) or the Children's Shelter of Hope and are curious about what it is. Those more familiar with the Refugio often bring kind donations when they visit, but Refugio officials were pleasantly surprised, perhaps even shocked, when they learned of the kind of contribution that was recently offered by one family: $25,000 US.
R.I.S.E. is a non-profit shelter for babies and children under the age of 14 who are being housed by order of the DIF (Desarrollo Integral de la Familia,) a Mexican governmental agency that is the legal representative for minors under the age of 14. Five nuns (Madres) from the Order of Carmelites of Jesus of Nazareth live at the shelter and look after the children on a full time basis. The shelter is located in Colonia Benito Juarez.
Shelter board members and volunteers provide tours of the Refugio as often as possible. On one recent tour, led by board member Sudy Coy, a family from Illinois, who also owns a home in Puerto Vallarta, was very affected by their experience. After seeing the shelter, playing with the kids and meeting the Madres, the family decided to make their generous $25,000 US donation to RISE.
The donation, made through the Children's Shelter of Hope Foundation, was ear-marked specifically for completing some of the construction projects at the shelter. It will help fund completion of tile floors, security fencing, playground improvements and additional safety features in the kitchen and bathrooms.
While this generous donation greatly helps cover construction expenses, there are many other needs which still exist. Special outings for the children, scholarships for future educational opportunities, emergency funds for medical or dental crises, planning and support for children who may eventual transition out from the Refugio family are among the ongoing expenses.
R.I.S.E. opened its doors in March 2001 because there was a tremendous need for another facility in Puerto Vallarta. Some of these children are orphans but most come from unbearable situations having been abused, neglected, or simply abandoned. Some were transferred from the only other shelter because of overcrowding.
Sadly, quite a few of the children have been in institutions most of their young lives. DIF's main objective is to reunite these children with their families, but in many cases this is not always possible and R.I.S.E. becomes their permanent home. R.I.S.E. offers these children a safe place to live when they have no other choice in life.
The Children's Shelter of Hope Foundation is a United States 501c3 charitable organization, which permits donations through the foundation to be deductible from US income tax. Plans are currently underway for a similar foundation for Canadian donations. More information about tax deductible donations can be found at http://www.childrens-shelter-of-hope-foundation.org
Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza, A.C. is located at R. Flores Magon #251, Colonia Benito Juarez, in Puerto Vallarta and visitors are welcome. Telephone: 222-7857 (if you speak Spanish), otherwise you can contact them through their website www.refugioinfantil.com. |
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