www.Light-The-Way.org

LIST OF NEEDS FOR THE CHILDREN
March 2010

Please see the pdf photo album for photos that are captioned with name, age, birthday, school attending and grade in school and date the child entered the home.
 
There are now 18 children living in the home and the Sisters have been asked by the Family Court to take charge of 24 children in 2010.  The Sisters are continuing to interview children for placement in the Home for 2010.  The sisters have done an amazing job of overseeing the construction of the new home and doing all the work necessary to bring 17 new children into the home in the last few months.

The Sisters are requesting assistance for the following items:

UNIFORMS:
7      Skirts                    $14.00 each    $   98.00 total
18    Blouses                 $  6.00 each    $ 108.00 total
18    Phys Ed Sets        $21.00 each    $ 378.00 total
18    Sweaters               $15.00 each    $ 270.0.0 total
36    Socks                    $  1.25  pair    $   45.00 total
18    Undies                  $12.00 set       $ 216.00 total

SHOES:
18    Dress                    $19.00 pair    $ 342.00 total
18    Tennis                  $15.00 pair    $ 270.00

(Note:  1 complete uniform above with 2 pairs of shoes is:  $103.25)

SCHOOL REGISTRATION, EXAMS AND FEES:
18    Registrations                     $50.00 each    $900.00 total
18    Examinations and Fees     $50.00 each    $900 total

SCHOOL SUPPLIES:
18    Books, Materials & Composition Notebooks:    $ 50.00 per  child    $900.00 total
8      Calculators                                                          $ 19.00 each           $152.00 total

(Note:  $254.00 for 1 complete educational sponsorship of a child.  This includes:  1 uniform set of all items $103.25, Registrations, Examinations and Fees $100.00 and schools supplies of $50.00 per child)

MEDICAL EXAMS, DENTAL EXAMS & PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING:
18    Physical Health Exams    $ 25.00 each    $450.00 total
18    Dental Exams                  $20.00 each    $360.00 total
18    Counseling                      $10.00 each    $180.00 per month

ELECTIVE SPECIAL CLASSES & SOCIAL EVENTS:
Swimming Classes:    $15.00 per year per child (group rate for 18)
Dance Classes:           $15.00 per year per child (group rate for 18)
Drama Classes:           $15.00 per year per child (group rate for 18)
Field Trips, holiday & birthday parties & other social events:  $50.00 per year per child

MISCELLANOUS ITEMS:
Tee Shirts              $  5.00 each
Casual Clothing    $25.00 each child (purchased in bulk "pacas")

We have broken down the list of needs and costs per item for a child.
Donors may elect to buy a pair of shoes, t-shirts, partial tuition, partial cost of school exams, etc.  Every penny given to Light The Way for the girls will be sent to the Hogar. 
All donations will be greatly appreciated and utilized by the Sisters for the children at El Hogar Luis Amigo. 

Note: These are items we know are needed by the school and the girls.
Anything over and above is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,              
 Polly
The cost of shipping items, and risks of successful postal delivery, make it most effective
to send checks directly to the foundation. Items can be purchased locally and coordinated
so that most pressing current needs can be addressed as they are identified.
The Sisters of the Capuchina Order are the 24-hour care givers and teachers.
The Sisters are skilled in educating a child to complete two school years of course work in one year.

This is very important, since many of the children enter the home without ever having
learned to read and write. The Sisters must also teach the girls how to live in an organized
and disciplined atmosphere. They must teach them to make a bed, care for their clothes,
personal hygiene and cook and clean the home. The work of the Sisters is never ending,
but their calling to start from a loving heart helps the girls heal and thrive.

The school year in Guatemala is from mid-January through mid-October. All of the girls live at the Home year round with the exception of the break for November & December when some of the girls have the chance to live with a real family or work. The average school day starts at 5:30.  Everyone must shower, dress, make their beds, have breakfast, tidy up their home and be in class at 7:00am. The high school girls leave for the bus at 6:30. School at the Home is very regimented with each Nun giving classes. They study all subjects: reading, writing, math, social and natural sciences, religion and history. Classes end at 1:00pm. High school girls also get out at 1:00 but most stay after school to use the computers for their homework and are home by 4:00pm. After lunch there is time for studying, sewing and baking classes, as well as weaving and other crafts. Each girl is assigned a team for the month and they rotate throughout the year the daily chores.

Kitchen duty, laundry duty, rooms and hallways are some of the distinct groups.

The nuns do have a computer with internet access at the Hogar. They do not use it much on-line because the internet cost is high.

The home is a charitable operation in it's own right and in addition to their charge as a home,  they are worked to obtain donations to build and expand their new facility;  If you are moved to contribute to the construction, you can send a check payable to Hogar Lús Amig̣ H.T.C. (Hermanas Terciarias Capuchinas) mailed c/o the Light-the-Way address and we will forward the donation. (As a foreign charity - it does not qualify for tax deduction & may take time to be delivered & cashed!)

Additional support to the girls is the mission of Light The Way.
Polly Reyna, the founder of Light The Way, is the Director.  
Web-space and domain registration was donated, and there is no office or staff, so every tax deductible penny sent to Light The Way goes to support the girls.

 IRS