THE RUDY FOUNDATION 2025 HUMANITARIAN TRIP

Spring 2025 – Service in Arequipa, Peru
In the spring of 2025, The RUDY Foundation traveled with a dedicated team of thirty volunteers to Casa Hogar El Amor de Dios in Arequipa, Peru. Over the course of a week, the group poured their time and energy into meaningful improvement projects that enhanced both the comfort and dignity of the children’s living spaces.

The work included plastering and painting bunk rooms, refreshing interior and exterior walls, and sewing new curtains to brighten common areas. Volunteers also deep-cleaned bedding and mattresses, repaired broken windows, and repaired stair railings for added safety and beauty. To further improve daily life, the team updated electrical systems and installed new lighting, making the orphanage brighter, safer, and more functional. Beyond facility improvements, the team provided personal care by offering haircuts to the children and accompanying some to medical appointments, including hearing aid fittings and pre-surgery consultations for corrective procedures.

This week of service was more than just repairs and renovations—it was about restoring hope, fostering joy, and ensuring that the children of Casa Hogar feel seen, valued, and deeply cared for. Please enjoy the video collage below of this special week in Peru!

THE RUDY FOUNDATION HUMANITARIAN TRIP - MARCH 2023

March 2025 – A New Chapter of Service in Arequipa, Peru

In March of this year, we were blessed to have two wonderful families join us on a RUDY Foundation humanitarian trip to serve at three orphanages in Arequipa, Peru. This marked the very first time others have accompanied us on one of these trips, and it proved to be an incredible “test run” for future efforts. Working side by side for a week, we shared meaningful experiences, strengthened bonds, and saw firsthand how much more can be accomplished together.

Most of our time was spent at the girls’ orphanage in Pachacutec, where we tackled much-needed projects—plastering and painting rooms in disrepair, mending benches, pouring cement, and building rain-proof covers for the children’s laundry bins. At the boys’ orphanage in Miraflores, we joined José and Gloria in one of their most cherished weekly traditions: hosting a free meal for more than 100 elderly people in the community. This effort, carried out faithfully every week of the year, not only provides nourishment but also teaches the children the importance of compassion and service. Sharing in this beautiful tradition was truly a highlight of the trip.

Thanks to the generosity of our supporters during the 2022 Fall Fundraiser, we were also able to provide brand-new mattresses for both the boys’ and girls’ homes. In addition, the 50 school-aged children were overjoyed to begin the school year with new uniforms, backpacks, and shoes—the very first time they have ever had the opportunity to receive new rather than secondhand uniforms. These small but significant improvements brought great pride and excitement to the children, and reminded us how far each donation goes in changing lives.

We are deeply grateful to the families who donated their time, energy, and resources to make this trip possible, as well as to the children who cheerfully spent their spring break working hard alongside us. All supplies and projects were funded through RUDY Foundation donations, while trip participants generously covered their own travel expenses.

This trip has inspired us to continue building opportunities for others to join us in future humanitarian efforts. We hope you’ll consider being part of the next chapter of service in Arequipa.

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 past several years, the directors and children of the orphanage have opened their doors once a week to welcome elderly neighbors in need. Each week, they offer not only a nourishing lunch but also the gift of companionship—a chance to sit together, share stories, and feel cared for. This simple tradition moves us deeply. With the little extra they have, José and Gloria choose to give, modeling for the children what it means to serve with love and generosity.

The photos below, sent by José, capture the beauty of this effort: elderly guests smiling in gratitude as they hold a RUDY Foundation sign in thanks, and the older boys carefully dividing fruit donated by a local farmer—preparing with joy the night before to ensure each visitor leaves with both a full stomach and a full heart.

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.