Charity Leave
Bill McClung, Founder and CEO
Hogar de Niños Nazareth, Comayagua, Honduras
My two older sons and I, as well as a number of other fathers and sons from the Chicago Fellowship, traveled to the Hogar de Niños Nazareth orphanage in Honduras to visit and support the home's children. The group helped paint the new bakery in the main facility as well as spent a lot of time with the children.
The orphanage supports more than 200 children in a main facility and working farm. It was started in 1998 by Carmen Beteta with the help of a local Honduran church, and received early assistance from off-duty United States Air Force volunteers. Through a non-profit organization - All God's Children - (www.agcltd.org) formed by volunteers from the United States specifically for Hogar de Niños Nazareth, the orphanage was able to attain its current land and facilities. Children receive food, shelter, medical care, spiritual training and love. All God's Children (AGC, Ltd) offers a sponsorship program that matches caring donors with individual children and has received Charity Navigator's highest four star rating.
What did you learn and enjoy during your experience?
The experience was tremendous. Among many things, we played soccer, went to church and had an evening fiesta with the kids over the course of a number of days. We also helped paint a new bakery that will assist the children in making bread for the orphanage.
The children at the orphanage had very little, but you can see that they were given a lot of love and care. Given their circumstances, my two sons and I were most surprised at the genuine smiles and joy that came from the children. The poverty of the country is apparent, but we witnessed God's touch. To that end, we realized that no land or culture is so remote to which God is not in control and that we are all children under Him. This experience with my two sons will be a memory I will never forget.
Why would you recommend the Charity Leave Program?
It is there for you. If you are passionate about something and would like to support that interest with your time, ARO is giving you the means to do so. This could be in your community, at your children's schools, charitable organizations, and/or faith based organizations. The program has been around since 1994, and when a company like ARO will take the step of supporting something you personally care about, I can't believe why anyone would not use Charity Leave.
