Helping Honduran Kids: A Cluster Project

This Lenten season, as in all Lenten seasons, we are getting ready for the death and Resurrection of Jesus. We pray, we fast, and we give alms. Alms giving can take many forms; it can be a donation of money, food, clothing or some other item that is needed by someone living in poverty. It can be another act of charity such as visiting the sick, volunteering at a nursing home, hospital or school.

Bishop David Ricken says in his book, Journey to the Foot of the Cross: 10 Things to Remember, "It's about more than throwing a few extra dollars in the collectong plate, its about reaching out to others and helping them without questions, a way of sharing God's unconditional love."

This Human Concern's Lenten House will be used for Helping Honduran Kids, a non-profit, volunteer organization that provides for the needs of Honduran children. There is an orphanage that cares for 22 children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned in the northern section of Honduras. HHK feeds about 100 children a day as well as providing vitamins and clothing to children in the area. The organization also has a Jungle School that serves 100+ children from K-6th grade. Poor children in Honduras generally only go to school through third grade. Some of the children walk a three-mile round trip to get to school. The education HHK provides is important to them because they know that education is the only way to be lifted out of poverty.

HHK has no salaried administrative employees so most of the money (96%) donated goes to serving the children directly. By donating to organizations such as this, we acknowledge that we are all made in God's image, no matter where we were born, the color of our skin or our socioeconomic status. The service this organization does, and others like it, can have a snowball effect. Each child who earns this education will most likely help another, and pretty soon the whole village is educated.

If you would like to learn more about this organization, please go to their web site: http://www.helpinghonduraskids.org/. Financial donations to this organization can be made in the Lenten "house" in the gathering spaces at any of the cluster parishes. On behalf of the children, thank you for your generous support and prayers.

There are some other great ideas for you and your family for Lent on catholicing.com.

Submitted by Denise Murre, Child Minister

One of the things that makes me so proud to be Catholic is our commitment to the social justice principles as articulated in Catholic Social Teaching. And one of the ways we put this commitment to action is through organizations such as Catholic Relief Services (CRS). The video below talks about the situations of orphans in Nigeria, and how CRS is helping these young people to help themselves.