Puerto Vallarta, Mexico – WOW! We’ve (almost) made it through 2020. As the holidays approach us and the year comes to an end, it’s a great time to look back and reflect.
The first thing that comes to mind is gratitude to all of you, our donors and volunteers, for helping us get through this year of challenges! At times, it seemed daunting, but we did it with your help. We thank you of with all our heart and wish you and your families all a happy and joyous holiday season and a peaceful new year.
Sponsor a R.I.S.E. Child is HERE!
We are extremely excited to introduce a new fund-raising opportunity; Sponsor a R.I.S.E. Child (SpARC) program. The children are excited too. You will have the chance to change the life of a child that has had unfortunate life circumstances – and what better time to be doing so.
To introduce themselves, they drew pictures and wrote a little story about who they are and what they desire for their future. They are loving and caring, just like all children, and have dreams that you can help them achieve.
Here is a sneak peak at a few of the sponsor opportunities, but you can click HERE to learn more about SpARC and to see all of the sponsoring opportunities.
Your R.I.S.E. family continues to need your support as the pandemic continues. If sponsoring a child is not your thing, we have many operational needs, that your financial donation will go towards – water, gas, internet, salaries, etc.
In an effort to keep R.I.S.E. on the RISE, please click HERE and press the DONATE button – every little bit helps! Monthly donation options are also available, and preferred, if possible, as it helps with budgeting and planning.
How are the Kids Doing?
The children are doing fantastic. They are spending their weekdays going to online school, saying the rosary daily, attending sports classes, and doing homework. They enjoy their weekends watching movies, playing games, attending catechism and music classes. We are excited that our long time art volunteer, Joann Ravgiala, will begin her classes again via Zoom this Saturday.
Our music teacher is teaching the kids Christmas songs, and it is bringing joy to all of them. They are learning instruments and rhythm. They will be out of school in a couple weeks for the Christmas break with plenty of daily activities for them to enjoy.
Shout Outs
Thank you to all that have helped make R.I.S.E. a better home for our children this last month. The Jay Sadler Project has had 2 team members on site for 2 weeks and is planning to continue to help us upgrade our home and make it safer!
The awesome team of hair stylists from Luna Castro Academia de Belleza cut all of our children’s hair and will continue to be our resource for keeping our kids looking good!
Much thanks to both organizations for your support and generosity – words cannot express our appreciation!
Upcoming Events You Won’t Want to Miss
1. December 23 – R.I.S.E. Children’s Christmas Posada – Keep your eyes open for the opportunity to view the kids performance online. We will send out links via email, as well as post the notices on our Facebook page. We will live stream the show as we are unable to have visitors at R.I.S.E. during the pandemic. Details to follow.
2. COMING SOON – Online Auction – We are working on an Online Auction to sell donated items we are unable to use or that were intended for fundraising. Pictured here are a few samples of what we will have available. Looking for the perfect holiday gift? We are happy to sell in advance of the launch of the site – contact Lisa(at)risepv.com.
We have more to choose from, including some of the children’s pieces. If you are an artist, or you have art that you would like to donate as a way to raise money, please let us know. Don’t forget to share with your friends. Details of auction site will follow.
Happy Holidays from all of us at RISE and Muchas Gracias for your continued support!
The Refugio Infantil Santa Esperanza is a non-profit shelter for babies and children under the age of 14. Some of these children are orphans but most come from unbearable situations having been abused, neglected, or simply abandoned. R.I.S.E. is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, EIN (52)2442583. All contributions are tax deductible. More information about the shelter and how you can help can be found at their website: RisePV.com.
