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MANOS DE AMOR POR BAHIA, A.C.
CASA HOGAR
The
association is a nonprofit organization that was born from the desire of
a group of citizens of Bucerias to help the less fortunate, especially
the children of Bahia de Banderas. It was formed on April 13, 2004.
The main
project of this group was to construct an orphanage/shelter in Bucerias.
This was accomplished in 2009. The children moved to their new
home in April. This is the first in this area. The nearest in Nayarit is in Tepic
and those in Puerto Vallarta have their own motives and needs to be
addressed.
The children
who are housed in this Casa Hogar are not necessarily orphans.
They are children whose parents are either unwilling or unable to care
for them. About two years ago, three children were brought to the house by
DIF (the Mexican counterpart of Family Services). The neighbors
had reported the mother for child abuse. The children were 3, 5
and 7 years old. The mother would tie the oldest two to
their chairs while she went to work. The baby brought them food
and drink during the day. We had these three for six weeks, until
an uncle took them into his home. He immediately returned them to
the mother who did not really want them. It took nearly a year for
them to be brought back to us. We often have children brought to
us who are too much trouble for the family because they have mental or
physical problems. Often, the family does not have the resources,
time or money, to care for these children. In times past,
the family would take these children but in Mexico, as in the United
States and Canada, families have scattered across the country. The
older family may still live in Mexico City and the younger ones have
moved to this area to work. So, the family is not here to help even if
they are able. Our hope is to
provide these children with food, clothing and shelter, ensure that they
attend school and give them a safe haven for as long as necessary.
All of our children attend school. Three of them attend special
needs schools because of mental/physical handicaps.
W e
receive no assistance from the government. All of our funds come
from fund raisers and donations. We receive monthly assistance
from a group in Montana called Lifeline of Hope. Each year we
receive a sizable contribution from Eagle's Wings. We also have a
few dedicated individuals who make donations throughout the year.
We do put on two fund raisers each year. One is a cocktail party
in January and the other is called Rhythm 'n Ribs which is held in the
central plaza in February. There is a generous group of people who
stay in the trailer parks in the north of Bucerias who put on an annual
hamburger feast to benefit the orphanage.
To supplement the fund
raisers and donations, we solicit usable but no longer needed items and
hold bazaars, usually once a month.
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