Regional Director’s Message

Dear Friend,

Happy 2020!

As I write this letter, our national gift processing team is still recording 2019 gifts, so it’s too early to provide a precise year-end number of how we finished up the year. However, I am happy, thankful, and proud to share with you that the Midwest Region will end the year having raised more funds than ever before for the vulnerable children and families served by NPH.

As I look back on 2019, there were many highlights. In its 7^th year, our Football Legends Classic Golf Outing raised over $290,000, the most ever for this event. Our Viva La Familia Gala raised over $238,000…a 7% increase over the previous year. At that Gala, we bestowed our Corazón Award on John Iberle (pictured at right holding his award) in grateful recognition for his many years of volunteer leadership and generous philanthropy. Of particular note in 2019 was the fact that the Midwest Region conducted ten trips to NPH homes in the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador with a total of 225 participants. That’s three more trips and 67 more participants than 2018!

I wish I had a crystal ball to predict everything that is going to happen in 2020. I do know a few things for sure, which I will share with you here.

At the end of February and through the middle of March, families from three churches in the Chicago area will be hosting ten pequeños from our home at NPH El Salvador during our annual Pequeño Tour. If you have a sponsored godchild from NPH El Salvador who will be coming up to the US for this tour, we will let you know.

The 8^th edition of our Football Legends Classic will be held on Monday, August 10 at the beautiful Biltmore Country Club in North Barrington. If you are a golfer, this event is a ton of fun at an absolutely gorgeous venue. It’s basically a celebrity golf outing, with the celebrities being former professional football players — many of whom are members of the Hall of Fame or former Chicago Bears. We place a football legend in each of our foursomes, and it’s a fun day on the course hob knobbing with friends and former pro football players.

Our Viva La Familia Gala date and location is to be determined, but we should know the date and place by the time of the next email newsletter, and we’ll be sure to include the particulars.

Also in 2020, NPH USA is beginning a three-year strategic plan. Part of that plan includes a new national marketing campaign which you will see us begin to roll out in the next several months. As a region and as an organization, we need to ramp up our outreach efforts. Frankly, we can’t afford to be a “best kept secret” anymore. If we are going to substantially move the needle in terms of providing improved and increased services to the vulnerable young people and their families who we serve throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, then we need to substantially grow our donor base. I’m really looking forward to this new marketing campaigns to help us do that. Always keep in mind, though, that you are our best marketers! Talk us up with your family, friends, and within your churches and communities!

Thank you so much for your past support of our mission. I know it sounds cliché to say this, but it is a solid fact that we couldn’t do what we do without you. The young people of NPH need your continued generosity in 2020 and beyond.

Onward and upward!

All the best,

Chuck Allworth

Midwest Region Director