Friends of the orphans Canada supports Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos homes for orphaned and abandoned children, in nine countries in Latin America and Caribbean.
Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos International is a charitable organization serving poor, orphaned, abandoned or other especially needy children with homes throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
Our mission is to provide homes in which the children receive food, clothing, health care and education in a Christian family environment based on the principles of unconditional acceptance and love, sharing, work and responsibility. NPHI is committed to assuring the best possible care for those children through direct programs, through service to other caregivers and support organizations, and through direct engagement with the community in which the children live. A worldwide community of donors, staff and volunteers enables NPHI to help the children become caring and productive citizens in their countries.
After several years of being ‘in transition', Friends of the Orphans Canada settle down in the spring of 2004. Our office was relocated to Woodstock, Ontario, approximately a 1-hour drive west of Guelph, and 2 hours from Toronto. One of our Board members, Bill Van Haeren, and his wife Antonia generously donated office space for our new employed at that time office administrator and sponsorship coordinator, Caroline Stefan. We were grateful for their generosity, and for providing us with a ‘home'!
Several fundraisers have been held, primarily involving golf events, to support projects and construction work in different countries. In Alberta and Ontario, more than $215,000 CAD was raised during the summer and early fall of 2004. The most unique event is ‘The Quadboy', a competition involving swimming, biking, running and THEN golfing! In addition, events have been held in other parts of the country to raise funds for the other homes; British Columbia held a fundraiser specifically to help the situation in Haiti. Many schools have contributed by holding innovative fundraisers.
In 1954, a hungry, homeless boy was arrested for stealing from the poor box of a small church in Cuernavaca, Mexico. The young priest in charge, Father William Wasson of the United States, was unwilling to press charges; instead lie asked for custody of the boy. By year's end, there were 32 children in residence and Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH), Spanish for "Our Little Brothers and Sisters," was born. Girls joined the NPH family in 1959 and by 1963 nearly 400 children called NPH home. As the NPH model demonstrated success and gained respect, social service agencies and advocates for children referred more and more orphans to the home.
Over the past 40 years, several organizations in the United States, Canada, Europe and Mexico, have offered their support to NPH. These groups raise funds, write grants, arrange tours to the homes, organize special fundraising events and monitor sponsorship programs to help the children.
Each organization is administered by a volunteer Board of Directors and maintains a nonprofit status in its jurisdiction. If you would like to become a part of this worldwide network of supporters. contact us at info@fotocan.org
CEO - Norman Silberberg
Office Administrator - Ruth Blass