Hogar del Niño Orphanage



We love El Salvador.  I spent my first summer there in 2005 as a volunteer with HELP International.  I volunteered with various community organizations, but I was particularly drawn to an orphanage for persons with disabilities, and I fell in love with the children and adults who live there.  I asked the orphanage administration if Ryan and I could come back and volunteer there for the first few months of our marriage at the beginning of 2006.  They said, "Sure!  You could even live here!"  Thus began the adventure of a lifetime.  You can read about it here.

When Ry and I returned to the States, we started fundraising for the orphanage and recruiting volunteers, and I now oversee a volunteer program that sends two college-aged volunteers to live and serve at the Hogar for three-month shifts.  We are always looking for qualified, passionate volunteers, so if you know anyone who might be interested, please send them my way!

     Hogar del Nino Project Blog
     Hogar del Nino Project FAQs and Application

I have been lucky enough to be able to return to the Hogar many times since, and I love it there.  Below you will find links to some of the posts I've written about my experiences at the orphanage.  It is an amazing place.

     I'm Going to El Salvador
     This Is What Love Feels Like
     Lift Where You Stand
     Feels Like Family--Summer 2009
     An El Sal Birthday
     Mural Project--Summer 2010
     If there's one thing I love about El Salvador, it's the rain

I hope to go back during the summer of 2014.  Can't wait to see these smiling faces again!