Do It For The Kids! projectORPHANS
Donation protected
There are many stories like this one, but this one is mine! Recently while volunteering in Puerto Rico, I met a teamster and fellow volunteer by the name of Pedro Gomez. He informs me about a small orphanage in the town of juncos. It was just up the street from where his mother lives. We loaded up his truck with food and water and began a journey that would forever change my life. The name of the orphanage is "La Casa De Todos" which translates to everyone's house. It is run by the kind-hearted Sister Carmen who has dedicated her life to caring for the many orphans of Puerto Rico.
All of these children are amazingly full of life and show no signs of their unfortunate circumstances which have landed them at this orphanage. Still surprising happy, they are now forced to live without the bare necessities that many of us take for granted. The roof of the main house was torn off by recent Hurricane’s. The missing roof is causing irreparable damage to the small two-story building where all of the meals are prepared and served. This building also housed the children's classrooms and an indoor playroom. They no longer have what few toys they had to share, or their playhouse where their imaginations were once left to flourish. This main building was in the process of some much-needed restoration when the recent hurricanes landed in Puerto Rico. The interior structure of the orphanage has been exposed to the continuous rains for more than a month after this hurricane devastated this beautiful island. Now left with no means to replace or repair the building, it has been exposed to an abundant amount of water and continuous moisture. The obvious health hazards are evident. Since the mold can be visibly seen on the replaced sheetrock, it is apparent that this dangerous mold is also growing behind these newly repaired walls.
With help from the leaders of the AFL-CIO, Lino Santiago a business agent for local 825, lathers from local 46 N.Y.C., an RN from Arkansas, and the hard-working members of local 14–14B operating engineers, and a fellow teamster lead by Peter Gomez from local 707, We reframed a temporary roof and installed tarps to keep the water from pouring in every time it rains. These repairs are temporary as most of us realize the building exposed to that much water for that long will never be safe for the children or their caregivers. So our mission is to return to Puerto Rico and knockdown and rebuild a reliable and safe building for the beautiful kids of La Casa De Todos. Because I believe all children deserve a safe place to call home!
We believe that every life matters and our passion is to see those we work with follow their heart, run after their passions, pursue their dreams, and live life with purpose!
100% of all public donations are used directly to support the orphans and their orphanage.
All of these children are amazingly full of life and show no signs of their unfortunate circumstances which have landed them at this orphanage. Still surprising happy, they are now forced to live without the bare necessities that many of us take for granted. The roof of the main house was torn off by recent Hurricane’s. The missing roof is causing irreparable damage to the small two-story building where all of the meals are prepared and served. This building also housed the children's classrooms and an indoor playroom. They no longer have what few toys they had to share, or their playhouse where their imaginations were once left to flourish. This main building was in the process of some much-needed restoration when the recent hurricanes landed in Puerto Rico. The interior structure of the orphanage has been exposed to the continuous rains for more than a month after this hurricane devastated this beautiful island. Now left with no means to replace or repair the building, it has been exposed to an abundant amount of water and continuous moisture. The obvious health hazards are evident. Since the mold can be visibly seen on the replaced sheetrock, it is apparent that this dangerous mold is also growing behind these newly repaired walls.
With help from the leaders of the AFL-CIO, Lino Santiago a business agent for local 825, lathers from local 46 N.Y.C., an RN from Arkansas, and the hard-working members of local 14–14B operating engineers, and a fellow teamster lead by Peter Gomez from local 707, We reframed a temporary roof and installed tarps to keep the water from pouring in every time it rains. These repairs are temporary as most of us realize the building exposed to that much water for that long will never be safe for the children or their caregivers. So our mission is to return to Puerto Rico and knockdown and rebuild a reliable and safe building for the beautiful kids of La Casa De Todos. Because I believe all children deserve a safe place to call home!
We believe that every life matters and our passion is to see those we work with follow their heart, run after their passions, pursue their dreams, and live life with purpose!
100% of all public donations are used directly to support the orphans and their orphanage.
Organizer
Jillian Cartlidge
Organizer
Seaford, NY
