Loreto Children Fund
We have created a special fund to benefit the children of
Loreto. It focuses on the improvement of the quality of
life for the children of Loreto. The
primary activity of this fund will be to
support the annual Christmas Present
Project.
Every
year, the Loreto chapter of Cáritas (an
international charity) sponsors
a Christmas present project. A tree is placed
in the courtyard of the
Loreto Mission, and Loretanos are asked to
donate wrapped presents to
be distributed to the less fortunate children
of Loreto. The presents
are marked with appropriate age and gender, and
Cáritas volunteers
drive through various lower-income
neighborhoods and distribute them.
The present distribution takes place over a few
days around Christmas
and covers the Loreto neighborhoods of Miramar
and Zaragoza (as well as
surrounding villages, including San Bruno, San
Javier and Ensenada
Blanca). In addition, Cáritas volunteers
prepare and deliver Christmas
dinners, blankets and children's presents to a
pre-selected list of
families in need.
When
LBC staff member, Siri Thomas, began the
Christmas Present Project four
years ago, she offered to accept financial
donations from friends and
family to purchase and wrap presents. With the
help of some generous
donors, she was able to contribute a few
hundred presents. In 2004,
with the help of financial contributions from
Team Loreto Bay (and lots
of wrapping help from Loreto Bay Company
employees), LBC and Siri
contributed approximately 600 presents and also
sponsored 6 families
with dinners, blankets and presents!
For 2005, we sought to repeat the goal of having enough presents for all Loretano children who might not otherwise have a Christmas present, but also to improve the value of the gifts and double the number of sponsored families. That year there were 600 presents (each individually wrapped!), 66 blankets, and 41 meals for children and families in Loreto. |
In 2006 there were 582 presents, 80 blankets, and 45 dinners. We now look forward to the Christmas Present Project every year!
The Loreto Bay Foundation (through its US "host" Foundation, The Ocean Foundation) accepts and tracks donations earmarked for the Loreto Christmas Present Project. As a result, donations to the Loreto Children Fund became tax-deductible. The creation of the Loreto Children Fund as a vehicle for this project ensures that any excess funds (beyond what is needed for the Christmas Present Project) will be earmarked specifically for the benefit of the children of Loreto.