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Children’s Haven International

By Mary Nichols

Just across the border, in Mexico, there are over 10 million orphans and it’s a number that is growing.

For over 35 years, Children’s Haven International, located in Pharr, has provided for over a thousand orphaned and impoverished children in Reynosa, Mexico. CHI has provided these children with a home, family, food and an education. This Christmas, with the help of donations and their faith in God, the organization hopes to continue in existence and to continue providing a safe haven for their children.

Betsy Chacon, co-director of CHI with her husband Randall, says the organization has been able to sustain for so long because of volunteers and the passion of donors who want to help make a difference in these children’s lives.

“I think a lot of people would be surprised that we have been around for so long and committed to this. The amount of work accomplished by volunteers and others for the love of the children is just amazing. So many real people have come together to do such a big thing,” said Betsy. “It’s a testament of faith and shows how God has chosen many different people, backgrounds and countries to help this work.”

CHI is a non-profit organization started by Shirley and Lee Mendoza in Reynosa, after an orphaned child was left at their doorstep.

In the mid-1970s they rented a building where they began to care for needy children. Later, that building was destroyed by a fire. The Mennonite Disaster Relief provided the means for the couple to restore and purchase what the haven is today. The foundation is composed of 14 acres with six separate built homes; play grounds, outdoor pool and soccer arena, and a school.

The home is called Refugio Internacional de Ninos (RIN), or International Refuge of Children. Six acres were donated in 1988 in Pharr to CHI, and now serves as the main headquarters for the organization. There is also a third ministry in Canada, which provides volunteers and support.

Betsy says they are a faith-based organization and though there are ministries all over the world to help children, here the public can actually go across the border and see how donations have helped the children.

There are 58 children, from the ages of one to 18, living in five of the homes. Staff and house parents bring the total living there to 66. Each home can hold up to 12 children. There are three bedrooms in each home, with two sets of bunk beds. CHI tries to keep it to a minimum of eight per household; however there are times when they can’t turn a child away.

“We’re not able to take in any more children, but sometimes where there is a special case we can’t just say no,” said Betsy. “We try our best to make room and a home for them. We’re really hoping the Lord will bring more people that can partner up with us so we can build more.”

The organization is able to operate through group and individual donations, fundraisers and a thrift store located at their headquarters in Pharr. At the thrift store whatever is donated, volunteers pick what is the best and this is given to the children of CHI. Anything else is given to the local colonias. They also receive money from their “sponsor a child” program. The public can sponsor a child for as little as 25 dollars a month.

“It’s a rewarding way for the donors to give,” said Betsy. “They get pictures of the kids, letters, report cards, and they can see the success of how they helped that one child.”

Jesse and Darlene Curtsinger have volunteered at CHI for the past year and sponsor two children.

“It’s fulfilling and we love the children so much. We do it for them and it’s a sheer joy,” said Darlene. “We do it more for ourselves than we do it for the children, because helping them gives our lives purpose. We welcome other volunteers and donations.”

Many children that come to the home have similar traumas they have experienced and appreciate the love and care they receive from the volunteers. Betsy says several cases involve issues of extreme poverty where children are malnourished. One family of five was so poor they couldn’t afford food and their mother would boil tree shavings to eat and their newborn child would sleep in a milk carton.

“A lot of children’s mothers are in prostitution and the children were left in the care of relatives or a neighbor, and they felt the child needed more and brought them here,” said Betsy. “Others, their parents are in jail; they have been abused physically, sexually, verbally and emotionally.”

Stories and issues like this, have volunteer Jesse Curtsinger choked up. He took several minutes to compose himself and fight back his tears.

“All the kids have had traumas. If you compare what they have here now, to the conditions they had before, it’s extremely better,” said Jesse. “They are living in the best conditions they could be in because of this home.”

Some children in some instances leave the home. Betsy remembers when a brother and sister were taken back by their father and the young lady now works in the adult entertainment industry and her brother is in jail. These are cases where CHI always asks what would have happened if the children had stayed.

“For me personally, I was taken in by a family when I was 14,” said Betsy with tears running down her cheeks. “The difference a loving home can make on a child and the knowledge of Christ and that someone loves you is very moving. To be able to be in a position to help and give back is indescribable.”

All smiles, Darlene and Jesse gleam with joy and appear to be complete with the children they see as their own.

Everyone that works and volunteers at CHI shares the passionate desire to give the children a better life.

Magdalena Guillen, the director of the home in Reynosa, shares this passion. She holds a child, who in turn is hugging her, and says that her desire to help others was something she always had since she was young.

“It’s a big satisfaction. When I had the opportunity to come here, I liked it and they invited me to stay,” said Guillen. “It’s a beautiful thing to see them advance and be happy.”

After spending 30 years in the Mexico public school system, Gloria Gonzalez is the principal of the school. Gloria says she sees the children as her grandchildren.

“I do this out of love. Love for the children, for God and for the love of my profession. I love the children. My best years as teacher have been from working here. I get here to the home and the school and I feel like it’s my home,” said Gloria. “I get a lot of energy from the children because every child receives you with love and care. Anything you give them to do they do it with a lot of love and respect.”

The school is made up of six classrooms from pre-school to sixth grade. Recently, the school opened its doors to the surrounding community. They have approximately 92 children attending their academy, with 40 being from the home and 52 from the outside community.

“To be able to offer an education to additional children in the way that allows them to remain with their parents is good,” said Betsy. “Otherwise we would have to build seven more homes, to care for them.”

The children wear matching uniforms with a visible patch with the school’s name and logo. They approach anyone visiting as friends and are thankful for the life the home has given them now.

The family of 11-year-old Jorge had severe economic problems. Jorge’s mother was afraid that he would end up in the streets and become a delinquent and brought him to the home. Now at the home, teachers describe him as a class clown, but a very noble child. He aspires to be a police officer or the President of Mexico one day.

“I like it here a lot because I have a lot of friends. My favorite thing to do is play,” he said smiling. “I also enjoy learning math. I want the people to know that we are good and we’re going to grow up to do things differently.”

Ten-year-old Flor has three siblings, her father is in prison and her mother is a drug addict. They have nobody that comes to visit them and their mother hasn’t stopped by to see them in six months. CHI did take the children to visit their father in prison, and the home says it’s been very difficult for them because they have no visitors like the other children.

“I like to be here. They take us for rides, to the movies and to eat something.They helped me a lot,” said Flor. “I have learned fractions and learned to read and write. I like that I’m able to be with my brother and sisters and friends.”

The home is very proud that through their efforts some children return to help. Noemi arrived at the home when she was four years old with five other siblings. There were economic and alcoholic problems in her family. She grew up at the home and was thankful for everything she received. Now at the age of 26, she has returned to help, and is the director’s assistant in Reynosa.

“We grew up here, and we received everything a kid could want food, clothes, study, and spiritual guidance,” said Noemi. “There were a lot of questions for us, but I understood this was best for me. I finished my school and went to study and I received the support from this place.”

Noemi is grateful for the life she has now, and has often pondered what would have happened if she hadn’t been at the home.

Betsy says there are many ways that the public can help CHI and make other success stories like Noemi’s. Prayer is on top of list and very much appreciated for the home. The public can also sponsor a child, volunteer their time, or make a donation in money, clothes or other necessities.

There are also tours available for $15 per person. CHI takes groups to tour Reynosa then to the children’s home to spend some time with the kids to see how they are living.

The thrift store located at their headquarters in Pharr is open five days a week. There is also a fundraiser concert on Jan. 2 at Trinity Worship Center. Tickets are $5.

The volunteers and workers hope others will want to join the cause and come out to visit the home. They say it’s an experience that will change and impact your life.

For more information on Children’s Haven International or to make a donation, call 956- 783-4637 or visit www.childrenshaven.org.

Kops for Kids Collecting Toys

MISSION — Residents seeking to provide extra Christmas joy to local children are encouraged to donate new toys or money to Kops for Kids at local police departments by the end of next week.

Mission police will be accepting toy donations at the station until Dec. 18.

The department is also accepting monetary donations. Already, they have collected a few thousand dollars in donations from residents and businesses like Bike Masters, AT&T and H-E-B, said Mission Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jody Tittle.

Tittle said the money used goes to buy more gifts for local children in Mission and children who live west of Mission.

The department has a goal of $6,000 to buy gifts, Tittle said.

On average, Tittle said Mission police give children from 250 families gifts in their Christmas program.

So far, 50 families have signed up to receive gifts from police. To sign up, Tittle said families can visit the Mission Police Deparment. Parents must show evidence of residency with a utility or water bill.

The gifts will be distributed on Dec. 18 in front of the police station where the Mission Crime Stopper’s own Santa Claus will be present.

Palmhurst police officials were outside Walgreens over the weekend collecting toy donations for local children.

Police Chief Michael Vela said they had a good turn out for donations and expect even more this weekend when accepting donations outside Walmart along Mile Three Road.

Vela said the department collected so many gifts last year that after delivering to designated children on their list, supplied by local school districts, they began giving toys to neighborhood children in the city’s most needy neighborhoods.

Residents can also drop off money or toy donations to the police department or city hall. The last day to donate is Dec. 18, Vela said.