Remember the Pequeños

Unlike any other moment in our lifetime, the COVID-19 Pandemic upturned our lives and our understanding of the world. Globally, we all struggled each day to protect our families and loved ones from the novel virus. The immense effects came quickly, and continue to persist. Parents lost jobs. Schoolmates were separated from friends and their teachers. Community resources were shuttered, leaving individuals feeling alone. Friends and loved ones fell ill. And in our pursuit of safety during the pandemic, many of us were forced into a bubble of isolation, focusing on the survival of our own families while worrying over the state of the world.

But unlike in the U.S., the countries where our NPH Homes reside didn’t have the benefits of government subsidies, local nonprofits, or food pantries to help them survive. Our NPH Homes depend on the generosity of donors. Yet each of our donors was also feeling the overwhelming impacts of the pandemic. During that same time, we had to cancel all our fundraising events and postpone our international trips as COVID-19 restrictions swept across the globe. With both direct donations and our primary sources of sustainable revenue (global events and international trips) being diminished, it’s understandable that our NPH Homes were faced with a $2 Million budget deficit. NPH’s survival, similar to our own, came down to cutting any expense beyond meeting a child’s most basic level of needs. This meant that even our core programs, dedicated to lifting children from poverty, were eliminated just so we could focus on keeping our pequeños safe, fed, and loved.

During 2020 and 2021, as the world joined together in solidarity against the virus, NPH was blessed by donations from past and new donors alike. However, the world has yet to return to normal. Borders remain closed and sizable events are still restricted, which means our sustainable sources of funding remain weakened. Without the opportunity for supporters to visit our NPH homes, or NPH pequeños to travel to share their stories, our pequeños remain isolated and without a voice. Now more than ever, the children are counting on anyone in this world who has met them, to remember them. They are counting on you to remember the moment that inspired you to be a part of the NPH family. They are counting on you to be their voice and share their story.

Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) means “Our Little Brothers and Sisters” in Spanish. NPH USA transforms the lives of vulnerable children in Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Peru. Together, we help children overcome poverty and become productive, caring leaders in their own communities. Founded in 1954 by Father William Wasson, NPH is supporting nearly 8,000 children, both inside and outside our homes, ensuring they have a safe and nurturing place to live, an education, clothing, healthcare, and a strong family support system. In addition, NPH’s St. Damien Pediatric Hospital employs more than 500 Haitians and is the only hospital wholly dedicated to pediatric and prenatal care in Haiti, a country of 11.5 million people.