Background
The annual backpack and school supply program for the orphan children of Asociación Para Los Niños Orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico includes preparation of several hundred backpacks containing personal and educational items plus toys and candy to brighten the Christmas Holidays for children, 1 to 18 years old, under the center's "Saluda" (Grace) program. This Center provides full time care for about 50 children and provides assistance to more than 300 other children.
Backpacks are prepared by volunteers and each includes a personal message for a child. Parents have commented that their children take special interest in this project and are excited to send gifts and personal notes to the receiving children.
Hunger Relief
Following the direction of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, food packages are distributed in various cities among the needy children and their families.
Most of these families are not able to provide even one complete meal for their children and almost all cannot afford any meat or fresh fruit, resulting in serious malnutrition among children.
Leaving the children and their families behind until the next distribution has been one of the most difficult things for these responsible volunteers.
Operations Hope, Vista, CA
When the doors of the Operations Hope Homeless Shelter opened in one cold rainy night in December 2004, it was filled immediately with homeless women and children.
Children ranged from infant babies to teenagers attending high school. The managers of the shelter announced an immediate need for clothing and hygiene items for their guests and to be able to send the children to school.
CHILD volunteers responded by setting up a drive that provided clothing and household items for these two shelters.
