Dormitory Rehab Starts

08 May Dormitory Rehab Starts

By Phil Waldron, CEO

Last month we shared with you the goal for our 2023 Spring campaign to raise $100,000 before June 1^st in order to finish the construction on our Moses Project dormitory building. Thankfully the pledges have begun to trickle in. We are grateful to those who are motivated to give to this project since it helps our young charges who participate in the Moses Project program.

One family from Colorado has not only pledged the money to purchase paint and materials for painting the dormitories, but they have also scheduled to come and do a big part of the work themselves. This type of “donation” is a double blessing. It benefits both those who receive the help, i.e., the boys, as well as benefiting the “donors” because they get to spend time with the boys all week long while they are here painting. What a blessing to get to see firsthand the positive impact that their sacrifice and generosity has had!

This spring campaign drive is one that has a far-reaching impact too. Multiple generations of boys will be blessed by participating in the program and having the experience of living in an environment that is clean, hygienic, and aesthetically beautiful. As I think about this particular aspect of the campaign, I’m reminded of a comment that was made to me by Stan Stout, who served as Director of the Ciudad de Niños in Ensenada, México for more than 20 years. Stan told me back in 1999, when we were forming an orphanage in Cozumel, México (the Ciudad de Ángeles) that he wanted all of the children in his program to have the opportunity to live in an environment with floor tile, painted walls, good lighting, etc. because even though many of the children didn’t come from homes with all of those things; “once they enjoyed the benefit of living in an ordered, clean and aesthetically appointed home, they would never want to go back to squalor.” He stated that he was convinced that giving the children in the Ciudad de Niños an opportunity to live in such good conditions was part of helping them become free of the poverty trap that so many generations repeat.

And just to clarify, the level of finishes that we are talking about is not the “Taj Mahal.” In fact, it is not even up to the standards that you and I as North Americans would consider an acceptable level of finishes, (no hot water in the showers or bathroom sinks for instance). We are talking paint, ceiling insulation, ceiling instead of exposed rafters, fixing broken light fixtures and outlets, and ceramic tile throughout the building instead of bare concrete which is harder to maintain clean.

Your assistance with this particular need is one that will make a tangible difference almost immediately. Please consider giving something now or pledging something at a future date that will help us finish our building. When you give or pledge something towards this effort, please let me know by emailing me at: [email protected]