THE RUDY FOUNDATION HUMANITARIAN TRIP - MARCH 2023

In March of this year we were very fortunate to have two wonderful families join us on a RUDY humanitarian effort to work at the three orphanages in Arequipa, Peru. This is the first time we’ve had others come along with us in our travels to the orphanages and our week together proved to be a successful “test run” for future RUDY humanitarian efforts!

We spent the majority of our time in Arequipa working at the girl’s orphanage in Pachacutec - making much needed improvements - from plastering and painting rooms in disrepair, to mending benches, pouring cement, and making rain proof covers for the children’s laundry bins. Time was also spent at the older boy’s orphanage in Miraflores - where we hosted the weekly free meal for over one hundred homeless elderly people in that area. José and Gloria do this each week of the year to give back to the community and teach the children the importance of service. We love this tradition so very much! This was definitely a highlight as we worked together to feed that population of elderly in need of an extra hand.

In addition - much needed new mattresses were purchased for the girl’s and boy’s houses, using donated RUDY funds from the 2022 fall fundraiser. The fifty school-aged children were also very excited to report that this was the first year they’d been able to purchase brand new school uniforms rather than used uniforms. They all received new backpacks and shoes for the school year as well. This was also made possible because of the generous donations during our annual fall fundraiser.

We are so grateful for the donation of time and resources by those who joined us - in addition to all the hours of hard work given with smiling faces by these awesome kids during their spring break!

All work supplies and improvements were made possible by The RUDY Foundation donations. All travel expenses were covered by trip participants.

We are very excited to do this again and hope you’d consider joining The RUDY Foundation on our next humanitarian effort to Arequipa, Peru!

We would love to see you at our upcoming annual fall fundraiser on October 2nd in Salt Lake City, Utah!

2022 UPDATE - MOVING ONTO A UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE

When children reach the age of 17 in the country of Peru they are no longer legally allowed to reside within an orphanage. The children at Casa Hogar El Amor De Dios have been fortunate to attend a good local school in preparation to graduate and advance to a university experience if they choose to do so. The children have also learned a variety of skills and trades such as sewing, cooking, cosmetology skills and basic building and construction knowledge during their time living in the orphanage. This instruction is offered in an effort to help them be prepared for a job and to be able to support themselves upon leaving the orphanage.

The donations from The RUDY Foundation have supported these these trade programs as well as provided children with required uniform attire, school fees, and supplies to attend school. We are so excited to see this group of new graduates as they transition to their new educational endeavors outside the orphanage. When we first met them nearly a decade ago they were just little children. The RUDY Foundation is excited to offer continued support these university students.

2021 - WEEKLY LUNCH FOR THE ELDERLY IN NEED

For the last few years the directors and children of the orphanage open their doors once a week to the elderly in need in their surrounding community. Lunch and a chance to enjoy one another’s company is provided at no charge to those who need it. This simple act touches our hearts greatly! The orphanage gives what little extra they have and are teaching the children to serve and love. Below are some images sent to us from the orphanage director, Jose. Shown are some of the elderly who attend the lunch holding a The RUDY Foundation sign in thanks and recognition as well as the older boys helping to divide up fruit donated by a local farmer for each elderly person as they make preparations the night before a weekly lunch.

CASA HOGAR UPDATE SPRING 2019

Thank you for your continued support of the RUDY Foundation. We would like to share a letter and a few pictures sent from José, the director of Casa Hogar in Arequipa, Peru. Your donations have helped make the following improvements possible, and are truly blessing the lives of these children.

Jose’s words:

“Dear RUDY foundation and friends,

We are very grateful to God for all of you and for what you have done to help the children and the orphanage.  I send to you a report with what we have done with your support.  May God bless you all! Your help has been a great blessing, especially now that we are approaching the time to go back to school.  We are able to purchase what the children need regarding school supplies and any other needs to be ready to go back to school.

For your information, each year the children would wear used shoes or shoes that people would leave for us here at the orphanage, but this year we were so happy to be able to buy brand new shoes for each of the children according to the color the school requests (white).  We don't have words enough to express adequate appreciation for this gesture.  We are so grateful for you and your family and friends and community who provide us support.

Currently we have around 58 children and it seems to be always increasing day by day.  Right now we are only receiving children who are in extreme need or in a crisis situation, that is to say those who truly are without family or have been left behind or abandoned.

We would like to show you some of the things that we have done with the funds raised by The RUDY Foundation.  Once again, we are grateful to God, for his noble and generous heart.  God will  bless you all for your efforts in helping these children, just like it says in the Bible.  Matthew 25:40 - The King will reply, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

Yours truly,
Gloria and José”

Detailed use of funds donated by The RUDY Foundation following the annual fall fundraiser in October 2018:

1.  Renovation of bathroom at the younger boys’ house - new Toilets as well as new ceramic bathroom floor.

2. New bunk beds, new lights, fresh paint, enlarged the room and put in new floors in the young girls’ room.

3. Took the children on a one day summer camp excursion to the beach.

4.  Renovated the kitchen in the girls’ house. Turned this kitchen area that is frequently used by the 33 girls into a more usable space by changing out the old plumbing for new plumbing, putting in new floors to replace the old cracked tile as well as installed new kitchen cabinets and shelves for improved food storage.

5. Completed two rooms that they started to build the precious year at the older boys’ house. These rooms are intended for long term stay and use by families who have children undergoing cancer and other medical treatment at the local hospital. The families who use and benefit from these comfortable accommodations often travel long distances from rural areas and have little or no resources for their personal accommodations while their child receives medical care.

5. Painted the bunk rooms at the girls’ house.

7. Installed a new hand washing and teeth brushing station at the girls’ house outside by the bathroom.

8. Installed a tile floor on the roof of the girls’ house. This area was previously unfinished and never had a proper floor.  The girls love to play up here for the fresh air and the view.

9. New white shoes were purchased for the 55 children who attend local public school and are required to wear them.

10. Renovation of the bathroom on the first floor of the younger boys’ house. This has been a great need now for over three years and the directors of the orphanage were so glad to finally be able to make the needed repairs.

11. School fees for the coming school year - over $900 in fees for all the school age children at the orphanage.

12. Purchased ice cream, sodas, and some bathing needed bathing suits for the beach excursion. 

13. A Christmas dinner was provided for all of the children in the the orphanage.

Beach Trip Camana 2017

José’s words:

"Thanks to God we were able to rent a bus from the the Universidad San Agustín and we went to the beach retreat of Climática Domingo Savio de Camana."

A letter from José and use of funds donated by The RUDY Foundation following the annual fall fundraiser in November 2016:

A big thank you to everyone that participated in our 2016 Family Ice Skate Date!  We received the following letter and photos from José. Below are his own words and photos sent to us of projects and progress.

"God bless you...for helping us.  Only God knows exactly how much you were able to help us!  May God bless you for all of your help and for everything you have done for us.  Hopefully someday you will be able to return and see us here in the orphanage, it would be great to have you here.  Our house is your house whenever you would like to visit."

"Thanks to your support we were able to begin construction on two room for families who have children with cancer receiving long term care at the local hospital.  Now we can receive some children and their families that have this sickness.  As I explained to you before, God has put it into our hearts, the need to help children with cancer.”

The directors of the orphanage were able to add two rooms on the third floor of the older boys’ home for long term stays of families of ill children. Beds and bedding were purchased and exterior projects competed including adding solar panels and a hot water tank for the children.

Christmas 2016

Christmas gifts for the children consisting of new pajamas, hats, bibles and a box to hold personal items were purchased for each of the orphans.

Project La Casa del Tata 

José’s words:

"Now that the house has been constructed and completed we have a program where we provide lunch to the really poor, older people in the district Miraflores."

Once a week they open the doors of the older boys’ home to all the elderly in the area and provide them with lunch. José has expressed to The RUDY Foundation many times that he feels strongly he needs to serve others in his community and this is one way he is doing that.