Hope Haven Childrens Home in Belize
Donation protected
Update: September 22, 2018
First and foremost, we want to thank each and every one of you for your donations throughout the past year. So much has happened, and we hope that you read this update with an open heart and joyful pride knowing that every one of your dollars have made such an amazing difference in many lives throughout the community of San Pedro in Belize.
We will be ending this specific GoFundMe campaign, simply because we have now partnered with Love Share, a 501(c)3 organization registered in the US. This allows your donations to become tax-deductible. If you'd like to continue making donations, or a monthly pledge, to Hope Haven, please visit http://www.love-share.org/make-a-difference/. Please be sure to put "Hope Haven" in the notes/comments when making your donation.
Secondly, to receive ongoing updates, we ask that you please subscribe at: https://mailchi.mp/00aef8d4d7c5/hopehaven-gfm
Without further ado, here is how we've put your donations to use:
The past year has been rewarding but did not come without challenge as we have been working hard to get the renovations and permits complete for the shelter portion of our building to open. Our desire is to partner with you as we seek to serve the community of San Pedro, and for you to become and continue being a part of our family here in Belize. We are so appreciative of your prayers, involvement, and resources.
When we became aware of Juan's situation, he was 7 years old and in Infant 1 (first grade). The school would not pass him to Infant 2 (second grade) because of his inability to read. Although Juan is a smart boy, he was in an overcrowded classroom. Being a respectful and shy boy. he did not want to interrupt the teacher to ask for help. His mother learned of the Love Share tutoring program and contacted us to see if we could help. After discovering that Juan was excited and eager to learn, we worked with him three days a week throughout the summer. At the end of the summer, we were able to go back to the school and have him re-tested... HE PASSED! The school agreed to promote him to Infant 2. He was so excited, and we were too!
We met Rose in 2015 with a busted lip and bruised face as she came into food bank looking for assistance. We asked what happened and she told us "she fell down". Although we knew it wasn’t true, we did what we could and added her to the first food bank program. As we continued to get to know her and build trust in our relationship, we found sponsorship for her children to go to school. As her daughter got older she got tired of witnessing the abuse, at 9 years old, begged her mom to come speak with us about it. Finally, Rose confessed and we were able to begin the process of getting her out of a 10-year long abusive relationship. After court procedures and a protection order, she moved into Hope Haven for transitional housing and protection with 24-hour security while the courts processed her paperwork. After she was legally protected, we moved her into a small one room house near church members where she would be safe. We then hired her at Hope Haven as the housekeeper. Today, Rose is gainfully employed, 6 months free of abuse, and all four children are in school. The family is now safe.
Jocelyn came into Hope Haven seeking assistance for her 12 year old daughter, Gaby. Gaby had withdrawn from her family and was having difficulty at school to the point of hiding in the bathroom and not wanting to go to class. We started working with her in the playroom, allowing her to work out her issues through play therapy. On September 21, Gaby participated in a Belize Independence Day parade dance group. Although she has now turned 13 and outgrown the play therapy program, we will continue working with her as she is transitioned into the SHINE program.
Finally, we thank you for your donations; through them, we were able to sponsor tuitions for 86 children, ranging from primary schools through college. The difference that you've made in the lives of these students and their families has not gone unnoticed, and they have expressed their gratitude that they wish to pass on to you. We have also fed over 12 dozen mouths with hot meals every Wednesday and Sunday for the food bank program. This allows families to spend more time together and less time worrying about how to feed their children. We were able to complete the finalization of our children's shelter; by our next update, we'll provide you with stories of the children that we will house in it.
From the bottom of our hearts, and the hearts of every participant in Hope Haven and its projects/services, thank you so much for making a difference in so many lives.
Sincerely,
The Hope Haven Team
==========
Update: November 11, 2017
On November 4, 2017, donors and supporters gathered at the site of Hope Haven to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony for the official launch of the community center (SHINE Center on the ground floor).
The SHINE Center is the new home for Colleen's Kitchen (San Pedro Food Bank), along with artisan craft days and the SHINE program. The SHINE Center will also provide children's play therapy, adult counseling services, and will host community events such as seminars and training programs.
The second floor is near completion, and will officially open its doors to serve as a children's home as soon as January. We are currently applying the finishing touches and require just a bit more to make sure that we pass our inspection by the Belize Department of Human Development.
We have just a few items left on our wishlist, and will require ongoing expenses to keep the home and community cenater operational.
We are very excited to have launched the SHINE Center with all of your support, so thank you very much!! We could not have done this without you!
If you find it in your hearts to help us achieve our final touches for Hope Haven, please feel free to share this page with your friends and family.
For a full list of what we still require to complete the center for inspection, please message us on our facebook page at www.fb.me/raisemeupbelize
Again, we thank each and every one of your for your support, and would love to invite you for a tour of our facility. Please let us know when you're available so we can walk you through it! We love and appreciate you!
===============
Update: July 7, 2017
It is with a heavy heart that our board shares the news of the senseless death of a minor. 13-year old Faye Lin Cannon was found unresponsive, and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crime. A post-mortem later showed that she had been the victim of sexual and physical abuse. This was more-than-likely an ongoing situation.
WE NEED OUR SHELTER NOW. We need a safe haven for children on the island. We need counseling services. We need children's therapy. And we will have it soon. But how can we help protect children if there is nowhere for them to go?
We are working as fast as our funds allow us to, but building a shelter for the country comes at a cost. Your donations could help, and every single dollar that you donate will go towards the launch of Hope Haven, the island's first children's shelter. So now is the time to step up. If you've been thinking about donating money, materials, or time, please reach out to us.
Let's help prevent senseless deaths like this from happening in the future. We need you, and we need you now.
Please help.
**Please note as we can only withdraw go fund me into a US account we use Eric Beymer's account and he gives the money to us (without taking any fees)
=======================================
On the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize, host to nearly 25,000 residents, foster care services are desperately needed. This project, Hope Haven, will be the first children's home on the island, and we are currently raising funds for completion of the first phase of this project, which is the renovation and construction of the building that was generously donated by San Pedro Lions Club.
Won't you please consider making a donation to this cause? Every amount makes a difference. If a monetary donation is not possible for you, please read below on how you can volunteer your services and time.
To provide full transparency, and to reassure you that Raise Me Up is a reputable organization, we have released our financial report for 2016, which can be viewed or downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3itWUZot6gXdlpkc3RiWWNlV00/view
Hope Haven is a joint venture between Raise Me Up (NGO, Belize), San Pedro Lions Club and S.H.I.N.E.
The children's shelter will reside on the second story of the building, while the ground floor will offer community service, including emergency placement and outpatient counseling for domestic abuse victims, a food bank, mental health services, and play therapy and educational services for the fostered children. In addition, Hope Haven will house the SHINE Center, which will focus on the empowerment of at-risk youths.
Construction began officially in February of 2017, and the infrastructure and framing of the children's shelter (upstairs) has been completed!
Volunteers are always welcomed, and the building is available to view for progress from Monday through Saturday, 8am to 6pm. To volunteer, please send a message to Brittney via our Facebook page.
Raise Me Up (RMU) is a registered NGO in Belize (2015), located in San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye. Originally a group who excelled at helping organize fundraisers and putting on events, the founders of RMU realized the need and the ability for a small non-profit to be formed that could efficiently and effectively meet needs in the community.
Raise Me Up board members:
Dee Regis, Kaitlin McWhorter, Brittney O'Daniel and Jodie Bowen.
SHINE board members:
Britney Travis and Michelle Nunez.
Hope Haven additional board members:
Melanie Paz, Flora Acona and Marlene Houghton.
Raise Me Up's other current projects include:
San Pedro Food Bank: Offers weekly food distribution to (on average) of 40 families as well as plans to move to the shelter and offer a daily feeding program at several elementary schools for qualified students.
Literacy Program: 20 volunteers are organized to give one-on-one tutoring, anywhere from 1-3 hours per student, for 60+ children with reading difficulties at Holy Cross Elementary School.
San Pedro Kids Club: With over 3,600 school aged children on the island and very little availability of after school programs, in October of 2016, SPKC began offering free sports, crafts and tutoring Mondays-Thursdays during the school term.
First and foremost, we want to thank each and every one of you for your donations throughout the past year. So much has happened, and we hope that you read this update with an open heart and joyful pride knowing that every one of your dollars have made such an amazing difference in many lives throughout the community of San Pedro in Belize.
We will be ending this specific GoFundMe campaign, simply because we have now partnered with Love Share, a 501(c)3 organization registered in the US. This allows your donations to become tax-deductible. If you'd like to continue making donations, or a monthly pledge, to Hope Haven, please visit http://www.love-share.org/make-a-difference/. Please be sure to put "Hope Haven" in the notes/comments when making your donation.
Secondly, to receive ongoing updates, we ask that you please subscribe at: https://mailchi.mp/00aef8d4d7c5/hopehaven-gfm
Without further ado, here is how we've put your donations to use:
The past year has been rewarding but did not come without challenge as we have been working hard to get the renovations and permits complete for the shelter portion of our building to open. Our desire is to partner with you as we seek to serve the community of San Pedro, and for you to become and continue being a part of our family here in Belize. We are so appreciative of your prayers, involvement, and resources.
When we became aware of Juan's situation, he was 7 years old and in Infant 1 (first grade). The school would not pass him to Infant 2 (second grade) because of his inability to read. Although Juan is a smart boy, he was in an overcrowded classroom. Being a respectful and shy boy. he did not want to interrupt the teacher to ask for help. His mother learned of the Love Share tutoring program and contacted us to see if we could help. After discovering that Juan was excited and eager to learn, we worked with him three days a week throughout the summer. At the end of the summer, we were able to go back to the school and have him re-tested... HE PASSED! The school agreed to promote him to Infant 2. He was so excited, and we were too!
We met Rose in 2015 with a busted lip and bruised face as she came into food bank looking for assistance. We asked what happened and she told us "she fell down". Although we knew it wasn’t true, we did what we could and added her to the first food bank program. As we continued to get to know her and build trust in our relationship, we found sponsorship for her children to go to school. As her daughter got older she got tired of witnessing the abuse, at 9 years old, begged her mom to come speak with us about it. Finally, Rose confessed and we were able to begin the process of getting her out of a 10-year long abusive relationship. After court procedures and a protection order, she moved into Hope Haven for transitional housing and protection with 24-hour security while the courts processed her paperwork. After she was legally protected, we moved her into a small one room house near church members where she would be safe. We then hired her at Hope Haven as the housekeeper. Today, Rose is gainfully employed, 6 months free of abuse, and all four children are in school. The family is now safe.
Jocelyn came into Hope Haven seeking assistance for her 12 year old daughter, Gaby. Gaby had withdrawn from her family and was having difficulty at school to the point of hiding in the bathroom and not wanting to go to class. We started working with her in the playroom, allowing her to work out her issues through play therapy. On September 21, Gaby participated in a Belize Independence Day parade dance group. Although she has now turned 13 and outgrown the play therapy program, we will continue working with her as she is transitioned into the SHINE program.
Finally, we thank you for your donations; through them, we were able to sponsor tuitions for 86 children, ranging from primary schools through college. The difference that you've made in the lives of these students and their families has not gone unnoticed, and they have expressed their gratitude that they wish to pass on to you. We have also fed over 12 dozen mouths with hot meals every Wednesday and Sunday for the food bank program. This allows families to spend more time together and less time worrying about how to feed their children. We were able to complete the finalization of our children's shelter; by our next update, we'll provide you with stories of the children that we will house in it.
From the bottom of our hearts, and the hearts of every participant in Hope Haven and its projects/services, thank you so much for making a difference in so many lives.
Sincerely,
The Hope Haven Team
==========
Update: November 11, 2017
On November 4, 2017, donors and supporters gathered at the site of Hope Haven to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony for the official launch of the community center (SHINE Center on the ground floor).
The SHINE Center is the new home for Colleen's Kitchen (San Pedro Food Bank), along with artisan craft days and the SHINE program. The SHINE Center will also provide children's play therapy, adult counseling services, and will host community events such as seminars and training programs.
The second floor is near completion, and will officially open its doors to serve as a children's home as soon as January. We are currently applying the finishing touches and require just a bit more to make sure that we pass our inspection by the Belize Department of Human Development.
We have just a few items left on our wishlist, and will require ongoing expenses to keep the home and community cenater operational.
We are very excited to have launched the SHINE Center with all of your support, so thank you very much!! We could not have done this without you!
If you find it in your hearts to help us achieve our final touches for Hope Haven, please feel free to share this page with your friends and family.
For a full list of what we still require to complete the center for inspection, please message us on our facebook page at www.fb.me/raisemeupbelize
Again, we thank each and every one of your for your support, and would love to invite you for a tour of our facility. Please let us know when you're available so we can walk you through it! We love and appreciate you!
===============
Update: July 7, 2017
It is with a heavy heart that our board shares the news of the senseless death of a minor. 13-year old Faye Lin Cannon was found unresponsive, and was pronounced dead at the scene of the crime. A post-mortem later showed that she had been the victim of sexual and physical abuse. This was more-than-likely an ongoing situation.
WE NEED OUR SHELTER NOW. We need a safe haven for children on the island. We need counseling services. We need children's therapy. And we will have it soon. But how can we help protect children if there is nowhere for them to go?
We are working as fast as our funds allow us to, but building a shelter for the country comes at a cost. Your donations could help, and every single dollar that you donate will go towards the launch of Hope Haven, the island's first children's shelter. So now is the time to step up. If you've been thinking about donating money, materials, or time, please reach out to us.
Let's help prevent senseless deaths like this from happening in the future. We need you, and we need you now.
Please help.
**Please note as we can only withdraw go fund me into a US account we use Eric Beymer's account and he gives the money to us (without taking any fees)
=======================================
On the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize, host to nearly 25,000 residents, foster care services are desperately needed. This project, Hope Haven, will be the first children's home on the island, and we are currently raising funds for completion of the first phase of this project, which is the renovation and construction of the building that was generously donated by San Pedro Lions Club.
Won't you please consider making a donation to this cause? Every amount makes a difference. If a monetary donation is not possible for you, please read below on how you can volunteer your services and time.
To provide full transparency, and to reassure you that Raise Me Up is a reputable organization, we have released our financial report for 2016, which can be viewed or downloaded here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3itWUZot6gXdlpkc3RiWWNlV00/view
Hope Haven is a joint venture between Raise Me Up (NGO, Belize), San Pedro Lions Club and S.H.I.N.E.
The children's shelter will reside on the second story of the building, while the ground floor will offer community service, including emergency placement and outpatient counseling for domestic abuse victims, a food bank, mental health services, and play therapy and educational services for the fostered children. In addition, Hope Haven will house the SHINE Center, which will focus on the empowerment of at-risk youths.
Construction began officially in February of 2017, and the infrastructure and framing of the children's shelter (upstairs) has been completed!
Volunteers are always welcomed, and the building is available to view for progress from Monday through Saturday, 8am to 6pm. To volunteer, please send a message to Brittney via our Facebook page.
Raise Me Up (RMU) is a registered NGO in Belize (2015), located in San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye. Originally a group who excelled at helping organize fundraisers and putting on events, the founders of RMU realized the need and the ability for a small non-profit to be formed that could efficiently and effectively meet needs in the community.
Raise Me Up board members:
Dee Regis, Kaitlin McWhorter, Brittney O'Daniel and Jodie Bowen.
SHINE board members:
Britney Travis and Michelle Nunez.
Hope Haven additional board members:
Melanie Paz, Flora Acona and Marlene Houghton.
Raise Me Up's other current projects include:
San Pedro Food Bank: Offers weekly food distribution to (on average) of 40 families as well as plans to move to the shelter and offer a daily feeding program at several elementary schools for qualified students.
Literacy Program: 20 volunteers are organized to give one-on-one tutoring, anywhere from 1-3 hours per student, for 60+ children with reading difficulties at Holy Cross Elementary School.
San Pedro Kids Club: With over 3,600 school aged children on the island and very little availability of after school programs, in October of 2016, SPKC began offering free sports, crafts and tutoring Mondays-Thursdays during the school term.
Organizer and beneficiary
Brittney ODaniel
Organizer
Dallas, TX
Eric Beymer
Beneficiary
