Regional Director’s Message

I hope everyone has been staying warm and safe in these wintery days here in the Northwest. Being ‘stuck’ at home for a few days with complicated road conditions, reminds me of a conversation I had with a young woman from our home in Honduras, who told me of how she felt her life was ‘stuck’ before finding her way to NPH. With her mother gone and her father struggling to provide the basics for her and her siblings, she saw no way out. Her father sought the help of NPH to allow his children a chance at an education in a safe environment away from the reach of the gangs that ran their neighborhood. She shared with me that at the time, at 12 years old, how hard it was to accept and understand why her father needed the help of NPH to ensure a better future for his children. At NPH, her and her siblings made new friends, played games they had never played, and safely walked to and from this school without fear. She was finally ‘unstuck’. Possibly how many of us here feel as temperatures warm, the snow melts, and we can safely get back to our lives and plans briefly put on hold with this storm. 

This young woman is now studying high school with NPH in the capitol city of NPH. In the years she lived full time with NPH, her father was able to save up a little money and move to a safer area of the city. She now lives with him, close by to her high school where she attends classes with her NPH classmates. She comes to NPH on the weekends to help and give back. She plans to go on to University when she graduates. Her younger siblings are a few years behind her but all three of them have a safe present and a bright future because of the family NPH was able to be for her, her brother and sister, and to her father. 

This is one of countless stories that highlights who we are as and NPH family and drives us to seek out new ways to help more children ‘stuck’ in desperate circumstances. Currently Haiti is experiencing heightened and extreme unrest in and around the capitol, putting too many children and families at frightening risk. Our NPH team on the ground is doing everything they can to respond while keeping our children and staff safe. Please keep our NPH family in Haiti and all those living in the fear and instability born from this unrest in your thoughts and prayers. 

We look forward to seeing you at our ‘Be the Bridge’ Faces of Hope celebration on March 28^th and sharing all of the ways we can be a bridge to a brighter future for the children and families we serve in countries desperate for a new path forward. We will be hearing from Donna Egge as she reflects on her retirement from more than 20 years working with NPH as the Director of Family Services and will have an opportunity to honor and thank her for her service. 

The KJR ‘Cliff & Puck’ show with former Seahawk Cliff Avril and Jason Pucket will be broadcast from our Golf Tournament at Newcastle on May 30^th. If you golf, or even if you don’t, come out for a good time to support this important work. Cliff is originally from Haiti and is active in supporting and drawing attention to important work to improve his home country. With the current turmoil on the ground in Haiti, we are especially grateful to him and Jason for helping us secure more support for those in need. 

As the snow melts, I hope the love of your NPH family and the support you provide to so many children brings warmth to you and yours. Thank you for all you do and all you are to our NPH family here in the Northwest! 

With gratitude, 

Ross Egge