Orphanages
From our first years in Latin America, HELP volunteers have been anxiously engaged in working with orphans across the region. In all of the countries we work in, orphans are in desperate need of attention, love, and social contact with outsiders. Furthermore, the facilities in which these children live often lack basic hygiene, sufficient staff, and basic supplies to feed and clothe everyone.
Projects and time spent at the orphanages are often some of the most emotionally charged during the summer. Volunteers develop loving relationships for children that are left in dire circumstances and have little contact with caring individuals. While the staff at these centers are generally very concerned for the welfare of the children, lack of funding will often result in rooms full of children with only one or two caretakers to attend to all of their needs. In the end, the greatest gift we may be able to give to these children is a loving embrace and caring heart.