I was recently in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico. While I was there, I met Roberta Valdez, who invited me to visit Casa Hogar Children's Home. Roberta is a former Southern California native who moved to Puerto Vallarta seven years ago. Since her arrival there, she has dedicated herself to assisting and volunteering with various local charity organizations. She told me that the most needy of these is Casa Hogar Maximo Cornejo, a dedicated children's shelter for orphaned, abandoned, disadvantaged and abused children.

Roberta took me on a tour of the facilities and suggested that I write a about the home for the Love is the Solution website, so that readers can learn about the desperate need of funding to continue operating the home and caring for the 60 children who live there.

Monthly costs are between $12,000 and $15,000, while available funds often fall far short of that amount. Even the smallest donation would help to provide loving care, shelter, food, clothes and schooling to children for whom this organization is their only hope.

I have included below all the information I could gather from Roberta, and ask that you read it through, and decide for yourself if you are able to assist this worthy organization. I found it an incredibly moving and inspirational opportunity to be of help to a very needy cause. Please contact Roberta if you decide you can help the children at Casa Hogar.

Nasser Zaghi, Founder
‍Love Is the Solution

Established in 1993, Casa Hogar Maximo Cornejo Quiroz is a local Puerto Vallarta, non profit organization; a children’s shelter open year-round, and dedicated to improving the lives the children living there – children who otherwise would be living in the streets or in abusive situations, without food, shelter or loving guidance. Casa Hogar is a safe and loving place for children to live.

Casa Hogar Children’s Home supports and cares for 58 children of all ages (birth through 14 years) The home is operated under the patronage of donors, private sponsors, volunteers and the help of a very small monthly stipend of $3,000 pesos for 60 children – the equivalent of just under 300 US dollars from DIF (Desarrollo Integral de la Familia), a Mexican government organization that is the legal representative for minors under the age of 14. Many abused and abandoned children are placed at Casa Hogar by DIF.

Some of the children living at the home were born there, and know no other place nor have they experienced any other kind of family love and encouragement than what they have received from the wonderful staff at Casa Hogar.

History:
Children’s Home Casa Hogar Maximo Cornejo was founded on February 1993 by Mr. & Mrs. Maximo Cornejo. The name “Maximo Cornejo” was chosen to honor the memory of the beloved Mr. Maximo Cornejo.

Mr. & Mrs. Cornejo recognized that there was a desperate need to help the underprivileged kids living in poverty -- starving or abandoned in the streets. They had a dream -- to create a Children’s Home in a loving environment, with a family-like atmosphere where the children's needs and desires would be the first order of importance. Children would be given an opportunity to grow, to be educated, to gain self-confidence, self-respect and look forward to a positive future.

Encouraged by his wife Elisa, Mr. Cornejo founded the CASA HOGAR. Mr. Cornejo was ailing at the time and finally succumbed to his medical problems. His memory will live on in his generous gift of February 1993. The commitment was made then to immediately start the orphanage and come to the rescue of these desperate children. Since that time, Elisa Cornejo has fulfilled the dream of her husband and has cared for these children since opening the home. Who Are the Children of Casa Hogar?
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“Casa Hogar is not just a home. We prepare the children to be good human beings and educate them to integrate into society - with respect and self-esteem!"

Rocìo Rodriguez
The children of Casa Hogar come from diverse backgrounds of abandonment, violence, abuse, family disintegration or extreme poverty. Some are children of indigent single mothers, others have been abandoned by their parents, and many have been abused, some have been born in prisons, some have starved not knowing where their next meal is coming from. They all have these things in common: a great need for love, the absence of a father or mother who makes them feel worthy of being loved, and the their own need to give the love they feel in their hearts.

Some of the children have come by way of local safety authorities. Others are channeled through the D.I.F social services arm of Government. Occasionally, some come from the parents themselves, looking after the welfare of their children and requesting assistance of CASA HOGAR until they can resolve the critical home situations that keep them from properly caring for their children.
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The children live at the home 7 days a week, 365 days a year. To carry out their studies, they attend various schools, according to age. Casa Hogar does its best to cover expenses such as uniforms, books and school supplies as well as tuitions.

The pre-school children, 2-5 years old, spend their days at the orphanage, 5 days a spending week in a classroom with a special education program developed by Barbara Wilde, Don & Susan Hansen and overlooked by myself, Roberta Valdez, and Paty Oseguera.
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With generosity and donations of these wonderful people, the program was made a reality and has been able to hire two teachers with a paid salary from these donations.
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The mission and focus of the program is to ensure that the children are educated early in life, so they will be well adjusted and secure their future.

There has been tremendous improvement in the children’s behavior, self-esteem and their thirst for knowledge.
A handful of volunteers work with the teachers. There is a staff, Luz Aurora Arredondo General Director Rocio, and Casa Hogar founder, Sra. Elisa Cornejo, all of whom do their best to make the orphanage feel like home and make it a secure, safe and loving environment for the children.

With approximately 60 children, the home is desperately in need of donations to be able to hire additional staff to assist with the many needs of the children.
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There are a various sections to the home. There is a Baby-Nursery Room, Toddler Activity Room, kitchen, dining room, laundry room, Play & Learn center, library area & study room; a (donated) computer room -- teachers are desperately needed to teach the older children how to use the computer.

Also, there are 2 storage rooms for food and supplies, an administrator’s office and various outdoor yards play areas. There are currently 55-60 children of all ages living at the facility, in addition to the Children’s Director, President of Administration, a nurse, two childcare workers, who are committed to the care, needs and safely of the children.

There is also kitchen, custodial and maintenance staff at the home but more are urgently needed to assist with so many children.

There are some part-time volunteers. This team and some of the staff do their best to provide daily activities like learning, playing and interacting with others.

The home is an official non-governmental organization registered at: IJAS which is the Regional Social Assistance Institute Hacienda (Mexican Department of the Treasury
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You Can HelpMaximo Cornejo Casa Hogar Children's Home is dependent upon donations from individuals, businesses, and churches of all denominations. Many of the hotels and tourist restaurants donate food and other basic necessities from time to time. However there is always a great need for more.

If you feel led to help, any donation would be appreciated.
Thank you in advance for all that you can do to make this community a better place for our children.

We welcome all levels of donations.

Desperately needed immediately are 3 water dispensers, one for the kitchen/baby area and the preschool salon. It is extremely difficult for the children to pour water from the large water bottles and would make it easier for the children to be able to get their own water when thirsty, if they could get the dispensers. They do not have to have both hot/cold water units; it can be with the one only.

We ask you to participate by contributing whatever you are able to assist the home.

Below is a list of consumable items that are needed on a regular basis:
•Cleaning
•Groceries & Kitchen Supplies
•Groceries/Food of all kinds, fruit/ vegetables, meats/milk/juice
•Laundry soap
•Bath soap
•Shampoo
•Baby powder
•Wash cloths
•Bleach
•Floor liquid cleaner, ex. “Fabuloso” or “Pinol”
•Mops & Upright brooms
•Dust pans
•Mop buckets & Trash cans
•Trash bags XL or L
•Scrub sponges & Pads
•Cleaning wipes
•Toilet paper
•Paper towels
•Aluminum foil
•Tupper wears L & XL
•Liquid hand soap
•Knorr Soups/Chicken Bouillon
•Sugar
•Tuna
•Breads
•Disposable diapers S, M, L, XL
•Napkins
•Nido Whole Powder Milk from Nestle
•Baby bottles
•Hair Gel

Medicine
•Buscapina for kids
•Mejoralito
•Tempra for kids
•Caladril
•Quadriderm pomade
•Capent pomade

Clothing
•Tennis Shoes & Sandals; ages from 1 to 14 years
•Underwear all sizes (desperately needed)
•Sleeveless tops/tee-shirts
•Summer Pajamas all sizes

Misc
•Bedspreads Twin Size
•Pillows
•Arts & Crafts Supplies Paste, glue/Construction paper/staplers/water colors/scissors (small)/ color crepe paper /oil paints
•School Supplies: notebooks w/squares, pencils/pencil sharpeners/erasers/Binders

School Uniforms
•We appreciate if you wish to donate school uniforms:
•Blue Marine Shorts for girls & Boys Sizes from 3 to 12
•Polo White T-Shirts in white Sizes from 3 to 12
•White Socks
•Underwear
•Black Shoes
•Tennis & Sandals

Monetary Donation
For operation of the facility monetary assistance is always urgently needed.

For more information on making a donation please contact us.

Monetary donations are accepted, and are tax deductible in Mexico; any amount is sincerely appreciated and put to good use with the needs below.

Monetary donations are used to:
•Subsidies in the payment of water, gas and electrical services.
•Maintenance of property and staff salaries
•Monthly or partial donation of gasoline and maintenance and operation of our transportation vehicles.
•Monthly expense of Food, Vegetables, Fruits, Chicken, Milk, Baby Formula, Diapers.
•Become an Angel Today. Guardian Angel: Sponsor-a-child Program, this program is pending and information will be on the new updated web site.

This program is selecting one of the children from the home and assisting with their needs with $30 -40 a monthly commitment for 1 year. You will receive all information regarding the child, a picture, correspondence, all updates, and you are able to visit with the child while in Puerto Vallarta. More information to follow.

Join us to Sponsor a Project
Casa Hogar relies on donations for a functional, welcoming, and a dependable environment, to help us achieve our objectives.

If you wish, you can send contributions to help construct/renovate and open new spaces/areas for the children and to continue with the endless maintenance and facilities accommodations.

There is an on-going project renovating the children’s bathrooms that are in dire need of normal repair with more than 15 toilets and wash basins needed for the 60 children.

A new sewer pipe system is currently being installed. It is a top priority, and very urgent to get the funds to complete the projects for health reasons and have the use of facilities for the children.

Projects that need to be done in the near future are:
•Dining room. Install new flooring & tiles. Equip the dining room including a plates, glasses, and cutlery.
•Office. Equipment such as a desk/copy machine/book cases/greeting area
•Girls and boys bathrooms, new flooring & tiles, plumbing repairs, lavatories & new restrooms.
•Donations In memoriam please contact: Casa Hogar, Roberta Valdez 322 293 7336,  951 526 2674 (USA)
•A room/salon/garden bench/gardens/dining areas/ can be built in collaboration with your desires and needs.
•All the expenses will be specified with official invoices in a financial report.
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Volunteer
There are many ways that individuals and groups can participate in orphanage activities. For example:
•Fundraising activities organized by you, your family, friends, company, or church group.
•Keeping in touch with the children at the orphanage through pen pal writing, e-mail, and other regular contact. This is a blessing for all participants.
•Building personal relationships with the children that help establish long-term fellowship bonds, giving the children a sense of family and belonging.
•Buying tickets to our Fundraising events.
•Collecting monetary donation from you friends.
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VISITING CASA HOGAR
For those that can come to the orphanage, volunteers are always welcome for the following activities:
•Helping the children with homework, multiplication tables, English, computers
•Reading stories to the children
•Plumbing and electrical repairs
•Painting
•General maintenance
•Celebrating Children’s Birthdays or lunch for the kids

For further Information, to visit the children/home/inquire about donations or other questions please

ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE

Location:Casa Hogar Máximo Cornejo Quiroz A.C.
1100 Road to Tepic City
Between PV Airport and Bus Station
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Phone : (322)-22-119-08
Web site: www.maximocornejo.org (new updated web site pending)