FFK Newsletter 2004

7/31/2019 FFK Newsletter 2004

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Merry Christmas!!!

November 30, 2004

Honduras Page 2 El Salvador / Casa Asis Page 3 Nicaragua Page 4 Getting involved Page 5

inside...

To: All my friends and friends of theorphans

I give my deepest thanks for the generous help that you have given the orphans. You are always in my prayers and every night at bed time

the children pray for you.

In the last twelve months,computers and clothing, items for personal hygiene, sports equipment and other things have been sent to the orphanages in Guatemala,Honduras and Nicaragua. The chapel at Casa Asis (children age 5 and under in Nicaragua) has been completed and furnished with your funds. In our next shipment we are sending ice-making and sewing machines to Nicaragua. The amphitheater in Honduras, which I hope to dedicate upon completion,again is from your generous funding to the program.

I will spend the month of December in Nicaragua. Sister Phyllis Kelleher who started Casa Asis has built it from scratch into a fine, caring and loving facility. Sister,who is retiring at the end of the year,was responsible for my involvement. I thank her from the bottom of my heart

as it has given me great joy to contribute to this wonderful cause.

With love and gratitude in Jesus,

Rev. Frank Colacicco

Christmas at Casa Asis By Pat Black

Christmas has become even more of ablessing since I’ve spent three at CasaAsis. Sr. Phyllis was visiting St. Isidore’sfour years ago and I showed her aroundSan Francisco. At the end of the day sheinvited me to come to Casa Asis in SanJorge, Nicaragua to hold her babies.

I told her I didn’t speak Spanish andhad never had children. I didn’t feelqualified. She smiled and said the chil-dren know when they are loved and thetiny babies don’t speak Spanish either.

So I went, when she needed me themost, at Christmas time.

Believe me, in Nicaragua, at least atCasa Asis, it’s not about presents. It’sabout Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus.Oh yes! Jesus’ birthday is celebrated withpiñatas and sister takes the children on anouting to see the Christmas lights in town.The Grandes children (ages 4 through 7)go one night and the Chicos (18 monthsthrough 3 years) go another night.

A simple 4 foot tree in traditional

(Continued on page 3)

First High School Graduatefrom Garbage Dump

Born on December 2, 1982 in Cuer-navaca, Mexico, Letitica Aguilar has onebrother and five sisters. She, her mother and two sisters live at Milpillas, the gar-bage dump for Cuernavaca, where theysurvive by selling the inorganic trash theycollect. Leticia began her studies at NPH

in the third year of secondary school in1999. She says she has learned manythings, one of which is to appreciate what she has. It was her dream to finish high

school, and she is very proud to haveachieved it. After graduation Letic ia began giving

a year of service to NPH. She is workingin the Medianos Section, taking care of eight to ten-year-olds. She hopes to con-tinue her studies and become a pediatri-cian because she loves working with chil-dren. She also wants to help her mother and sisters move out of the dump. (Her sisters Estela and Sandra are studying at

NPH.) NPH will help Letticia attend theuniversity. It currently has 70 pequenosenrolled at the university. Letticia says of

NPH, “They are helping to change the future of so many of us”



Page 2

Rancho Santa Fe, HondurasSeptember 19, 2004

Dear Friends,

Sometimes you know a person though you have never met him or her,have even never seen his or her face. At Nuestros Pequenos HermanosHonduras, a home for orphaned and abandoned children nestled in themountains east of the capitol Tegucigalpa, six-hundred children and youthknow Father Frank through his generosity and the generosi ty of his friends.

Over the years, Father Frank has helped to feed, cloth and educate ourchildren. Clothing donations from Father Frank are the children’s favoriteas they are of great quality and match the children’s taste.

In 1998, when Hurricane Mitch destroyed Honduras and left over twomillion people homeless, a continuous flow of clothing and medicine fromFather Frank helped NPH to mount an effective emergency relief program.

Soon, we will finish a project that will also be a permanent reminder of Father Frank’s outreach to the poor. An amphitheater, built next to oursmall chapel, will serve our family to celebrate mass and religious feasts.We are very excited over this addition, as it will be a beautiful place tocelebrate and give thanks to God Almighty.

On behalf of all of our children, we thank Father Frank and his friends fortheir generous help. May God bless you,

Reinhart Koehler

Reinhart Kohler with Angela

Reinhart Koehler Director of Family Services

In 1986, I had the opportunity to become a co-founder of our NPH home in Honduras. As theNPH Honduras National Director, I have dedi-cated my work to creating a loving and caringenvironment for orphaned and abandoned chil-dren. While we care for almost 600 children andyouths on a daily basis, approximately 1,500have called Rancho Santa Fe in Honduras theirhome over the past 18 years. Since 2001, I havebeen appointed Family Services Director. In thiscapacity, I collaborate with all the NPH homes insetting standards for child care and developingpolicies to ensure the best possible service to ourchildren.

All Parents dream that their children will be-come positive leaders as they grow up. Our NPHfamily is no different. We hope that, as adults,our children will give back to NPH and the soci-ety of their country. We hope that we give themthe tools to become agents of change in helpingtheir impoverished nations break the cycle of poverty, violence and injustice in whatever smallor big way they can. Especially during their yearsof service to the NPH family, all of our childrenaccept adult responsibilities and become an es-sential part of running our NPH community.

An Amphitheater in Honduras

Father Frank’s Kids is providing the re-sources for building an amphitheater next tothe chapel at the NPH facility in RanchoSanta Fe, Honduras. When completed by theend of November, it will provide seating for upto 600 additional people attending masses and special events.

Children in Honduras are posing for this photograph to show us the founda-tion of their new amphitheater. The pillars are going up and soon the roof will be added.

Honduras



Page 3

New Home for NPH El Salvador

This summer is the first summer that the “pequenos” of NPH El Salvador will stay in their new home after construction was finished on the firstphase of the “little city.” Included in the first phase were the boy’s and girl’s dormitories, the school, the kitchen and dining room, and the clinic.

The children are very excited to be in their new home after living in temporary housing until the construction was completed. A second phase of construction for a babies’ house, an administration building, a multi-purpose building, sport court and utilities such as more access roads, lighting,perimeter fencing, and additional phone services is expected to be completed in October.

Inside the new kitchen

El Salvador(298 Children)

Boy’s Dormitory Girl’s Dormitory

A shipment from Father Frank’s Kidsarrives full of clothing and supplies. To-day Father Frank is organizing and fund-ing, through donations, shipments total-ing over 16,000 lbs. of clothing, com-

puters, and needed supplies each year toCentral America.

Getting a “new” pair of shoes is alwaysexciting. The shoes that are donated arein new or “almost new” condition.

Casa Asis (Nicaragua)

lights gets oohs and ahs and Santa is abig hit. The evening ends with a trip toan ice cream parlor. Each child picksout his or her own ice cream (orphanspractically never have choices). It seemsto be color, not flavor, that determinesthe choice. It’s a wonderful magicalnight for all.

On Christmas day there is traditionalfood (Naca Tamales) and each childgets an apple – a real treat. After theirnaps, they gather around the tree andSanta gives each child a gift bag aboutthe size of a lunch bag with small toys,an orange and candy. Each child canpick a ball from a bin with all sizes andcolors of balls.

The older children’s gratitude is sosincere and heartfelt, it brings me closeto tears. Another observation thattouched me was how willing the chil-dren, for the most part, were willing toshare their new toy or ball. They are notused to owning things. The childreneven share the clothes they wear so theytrust that what they need will be therefor them.

There is a lot to be said for the sim-ple life and the children are teaching methat all the time. Feliz Navidad!!!

Christmas at Casa Asis (Continued from page 1)

Introducing Father to NPH By Sister Phyllis

It was at theInternationalBoard Meetingin Mexico a fewyears ago that Ihad the privilegeof attending.During one of the lunch breaksI was lookingfor a place to sit down, eat, and chat a bit. Ipassed this table with a vacant chair and Iasked this gentleman if I could sit down. (Iam sure it was one of the saddest days in thelife of Father Frank when he told me to sitdown. Oh how many times, I am sure hewished he had said it was taken.) That wasthe beginning of our friendship (at least

from my perspective). Of course, I try neverto miss an opportunity to talk about NPHand especially Casa Asis in Nicaragua. So Itook the opportunity to try to give my littlespeech to the fine gentleman who I soonlearned was Father Frank Colacicco! Afterbeing interrupted many times by passersby, Ifinally got in a few words about Casa AsisAND I was able to get in an invitation toFather to visit us in Nicaragua. If my mem-

(Continued on page 5)



Page 4Nicaragua

Casa Asis (35 Children - 5 years old and under)Casa San Marcos (26 children)Casa Santiago (230 children)

Remember Pepito from last year’s news-letter? Well here he is - a healthy littleboy. Seeing him now, you would never

guess that he was so fragile, he had to be fed with an eyedropper every hour around

the clock. This loving care saved his lifeand, God willing, it will help David

(pictured below) to overcome his illnessand also become a healthy little boy.

A Doctor’s View.. By Dr. Pau l Cortez

“Bless the beasts and the children; for in this world they have novoice, they have no choice.” - The Carpenters

A crowd of brown faces with bright shining smiles gathers inhushed excitement. Finally, the anticipated moment arrives and achorus of young voices sing out “Father Frank”. The courtyard isfilled with commotion and unbridled joy as the children swarmaround Father Frank and embrace him with love.

Their joy of life and loving nature seem in stark contrast to the harsh reality of theworld in which they live. They are orphans living in one of the poorest countries inour hemisphere. Parents often relinquish their beloved children simply because theycannot afford to feed them. Where unemployment runs at 60 percent and the averageage of the population is 13 years old. But these young faces are filled with love andhope, nourished by a deep faith in Christ. They are not the faces of despair or self-pity. Their joy touches me and overwhelms me every time I visit there.

I am a pediatrician with the John Muir/Mt. Diablo Health Network and was firstasked to visit the orphanages 5 years ago. My first mission was to “smuggle” in about$30,000 worth of donated medicines. Father Frank packed a giant suitcase bulging atthe seams. We only hoped it would not stir the curiosity of the Nicaraguan customsagents. Thankfully they tend to be lenient when you’re traveling with a Catholicpriest.

When I arrived on my first visit, there was an outbreak of deadly meningitis.Twelve deaths had been reported in the area and we scrambled to vaccinate over 300children.

Another significant health problem for the children is asthma. It is frequentlyworsened by the common practice of burning garbage. They pile up their garbage andburn it, sending irritating fumes in the air usually at ground level where it affects the

children. We brought many asthma medicines to treat the children and recommendedthey build an incinerator to carry the fumes upward away from the children. The in-cinerator is now built and operating well.

Not all of the health issues are so easy remedied. On my last visit I met David(pictured to the right). He is a one year old little boy who lives in a neighboring com-munity. He is happy and playful, with a bright smile and glimmering eyes. He is hisparent’s joy and I can see their love for him as they explain his symptoms to me. Hisarms and legs are very thin while his abdomen is bloated. His urine shows highamounts of protein. He has a condition known as nephritic syndrome. In the UnitedStates his prognosis would be very good. With the right diet, medications and moni-toring, his condition frequently resolves spontaneously. At worst, David would re-quire a kidney transplant. In Nicaragua, he is at high risk to die in childhood. Hisfamily does not have the means to offer him a specialized diet, the community doesnot have the facilities to administer medications and monitor his kidney function.There is no organ transplant capability in the country. We can only pray he lives longenough for the condition to resolve spontaneously.

With every visit to Nicaragua, I see what a tremendous contribution our parish canmake to the lives of these children: with reusable clothes, medicines, toys for enter-tainment, books and computers for education. And they, through their struggle, teachus such lessons of courage, dignity, and hope.

Please feel free to contact me through the St. Isidore’s parish office if you wouldlike further information.

“Bless the beasts and the children. Give them shelter from a storm. Keep them safe,keep them warm” Ibid.

David, shown here with his mother, issuffering from Nephritic Syndrome. He isat high risk to die in childhood. His fam-ily does not have the means to offer him aspecialized diet, the community does not have the facilities to administer medica-tions and monitor his kidney function.There is no organ transplant capability inthe country. We can only pray he liveslong enough for the condition to resolvespontaneously.





Page 6

Father Frank’s Kids PO Box 478Alamo, California 94507

Father Frank’s Kids, Inc. has been registered as a non-profit charitable organization. Your donations are tax

deductible .

Contacts:

Mike Hertel (925) [email protected]

Ann Ferrante (925) 743-1935

Lauren Retagliata (925) [email protected]

Dick Sanders(925) [email protected]

Brent Smith(925) [email protected]

Charlotte NovakRemember how, as achild, you couldhardly wait for yourbirthday? There wassomething specialabout getting olderbut more importantly,this was your day. Itmeant a birthday cake, a party and pre-sents. It was exciting to think about whatwould come in those presents. This iswhy Charlotte’s story is so special. Thisyoung lady, who was about to celebrateher 8th birthday, decided that, instead of presents, she wanted donations for FatherFrank’s Kids. She has learned very earlythat it is better to give than to receive.Her donation amounted to $248.20 andwas forwarded to Nicaragua. Thank youCharlotte!!!

Sewing Machines - good working order Knitting Supplies - Yarn & needles Houseware pots & pans, silverware,glassware in good conditionTools for home (metric) and garden School classroom supplies (blackboards,chalk & erasers, paper, scissors, pencils) Coloring Books & Crayons Musical Instruments (all kinds includingsome larger items like pianos, etc.)Bicycles in good working order (all sizes) Sports Equipment (soccer equipment,basketball equipment, balls, etc.)Toys (Frisbees, balls, Barbie dolls, stuffed animals, tricycles, wagons, cars, etc)Vitamins (children & adult - Must not be

past or even close to expiration date)Medical Equipment (blood pressure,stethoscopes, wheel chairs, crutches, labequip., hospital beds, dental equip., etc.)

Medical Supplies (Bandages, soaps, etc.)Medications (Antibiotics, Asthma, Blood Pressure, Heart, First Aid & snake bitekits, etc.) (Medicines must not be past or even close to expiration date)Financial Assistance for shipping and to

purchase needed i tems.

Our Wish List! Father Frank is providing a link

between families in Northern Californiaand orphanages in Guatemala, ElSalvador and Nicaragua. Containershipments are planned at least once a yearto each of them. As you can see fromthese pages, the donations are atremendous help for the children and theoperation of the orphanages.

The following is a list of some of thethings Father is looking for to include inupcoming shipments:Baby items (food, chairs, strollers, beds,clothing) Disposable and cloth Diapers (all sizes) Powdered Soap for washing clothes Items for Personal Hygiene (like soaps,shampoos, tooth brushes, tooth paste)Children’s Clothing (including socksand underwear)

Volunteers Needed...There is always a need for help with sort-ing and packing. Are you interested inlending a hand? If so, call one of the con-tacts listed below.

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FFK Newsletter 2004