TJ Orphanage Christmas

South of the Border

The Last Mile

TJ Orphanage Update - the Last Mile

First work trip to orphanage for new year was Friday, January 8th. Joining on this trip were Greg Bowers(Lake Elsinore), Don Phinney(Murrieta), Tom Thomas(Lake Elsinore), Dee Thomas(Lake Elsinore), Sue Dell'Acqua(Hemet Sunrise and wife of 5330 DG) and Kent Demuth (Temecula and taking picture).

The project is in the final stages of cleanup: outside trim, more dry wall (will it ever end), bathrooms, new counter work area in kitchen. Other items remaining include: final paint inside and outside, gutters, more blocking and caulking outside, and carpet for the upstairs area.

With over 50 volunteers all together from area clubs and our Tijuana Rotary partners, work has continued through out the summer, fall and now winter. With only one true professional in the bunch, the team is finally seeing the finish line and "we are all proud to be part of the team".

Funding is an ongoing issue for the project.

Next trip planned, January 15th. Contact Kent Demuth at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Program Speaker for next meeting

Vanessa Cantopolis, Ambassadorial Scholarship recipient, who has just completed her studies in England.

 

 

This was a very good Christmas for Casa Hogar Impacto de Amor

This was a very good Christmas for Casa Hogar Impacto de Amor, thanks to a great partnership of Rotarians from both sides of the border. The orphanage renovation is almost completed. On December 18th, the Tijuana Independencia Rotary Club hosted a fund raiser for the orphanage featuring opera tenor Cesar Sanchez. On Sunday, December 20, Rotary Club of Temecula, Lake Elsinore Rotary and Tijuana Independencia Rotary Club with assistance from Menifee Rotary, San Bernardino Sunset, our District Governor Rich and his wife Sue, MOMS Club Temecula-Central and several other friends of Rotary gave the children of the orphanage a Christmas party that they will not soon forget.

For the children, the highlight was the visit by Santa Claus and the Christmas pinata. The participating clubs and supporting individuals gave the children new clothes, toys, blankets and "Mom" a shopping spree to buy things for the older children and the home. 
 
For the adults, it was what Christmas is all about! For more information contact Kent Demuth, Rotary Club of Temecula or Tom Thomas, Lake Elsinore Rotary. 

 

 

Almost There

It may seem like a lifetime to those traveling down to Casa Hogar Impacto de Amor over the past year. Just a little over a year ago Lake Elsinore Rotary, Rotary Club of Temecula and the Tijuana Independencia Rotary Club undertook a project to renovate the orphanage.

When we made the commitment to undertake the project it was an easy decision. In February 2009 there there 10 children and two adults living in small two room Tijuana house with an add-on area for bedrooms for the children, unsafe electrical, no place for all to set down for a meal, outdoor cold water bath. Click for more articles.

After initial fund raising efforts, work began in July 2009. Now we are almost there! Most of the outside is painted, the upstairs "indoor" bath, with hot water, is one trip away from being finished, upstairs dry wall is finished, flooring is expected next week for the upstairs and final painting is planned for next Friday.

 Sometimes its hard to believe where we started.  

Thanks to Rotarians and friends from both sides of the border we have the end in sight.

 

 

Special Thanks to MOMS

A special thanks to the members of MOMS - Temecula Central.

Several months ago April Jacobsen, club member Leif Jacobsen's wife, heard about our work with the TJ Orphanage. She and the members of her MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club offered to make blankets for the children. Her group shown here completed 24 blankets given to the orphanage at the Orphanage Christmas Party.

From April, "MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club is an international non-profit organization that offers stay-at-home moms the opportunity to form lasting friendships, support each other, and plan activities for moms to participate in both with and without their children.  Each year we are required to conduct at least one service project within our  community.  Last year, we were able to participate in over 14 different projects.  Annually we hold a HUGE garage sale with most of our proceeds going directly to different charities.  This year we are happy to be using some of these funds to purchase the fabrics necessary to make these blankets  We hope that the kids like them.  Thank you for letting us partner with you this year.  We've greatly enjoyed our involvement."

April, once again, a big thank you on behalf of the Rotary Club of Temecula and the orphanage.

 

 

THE CHRISTMAS PRESENT OF A LIFETIME

The thirteen children and “Mom and Dad”, Manuel and Catalina,  of the Casa Hogar Impacto de Amor Orphanage in the Otay Torres neighborhood of Tijuana are getting the Christmas “present of a lifetime” this year – literally a new home.
 
Just six months ago, the house was made up of three shacks with outdoor plumbing. There was no hot water, no running water in the kitchen, electrical was unsafe, and when it rained, the children’s bedrooms were cold and damp. There wasn’t even a place for the orphanage “family” of 15 to eat together.
 
Now - fast forward to December of 2009. Through the generosity of Rotarians in Tijuana, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties, and friends of Rotarians from as far as Spain, this Christmas will be quite different.
 
Rising from shacks and third world living conditions comes a new two story home for the 13 children – soon to be over 20.  Just around the corner is the first hot shower, two new bedrooms with colorful bunk beds and even three bathrooms.  There is a TV room with more than one channel and room with a computer (soon to be two) for the high school teenagers.
 
The pride of living in a new home became quite apparent.  Manuel and Katy began getting rid of “basura” – junk and trash.  They became excited over walls that had drywall and fresh paint and new ceramic tile flooring that could be cleaned.  For the first time, Katy hung a new picture on the wall and they even had matching tablecloths on the tables and chairs that would now seat the entire “family” all at one time. The new kitchen has updated appliances and a soon to arrive custom kitchen island.
 

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