Love in Action Orphanage/Home for Children in Chapala needs help

Love in Action is located at 76 Pedro Moreno in Chapala. 76A is an empty house - I made a mistake and thought this was the place, but #76 is closer to Gonzales Gallo (the train station street). For those who might not know, 'Love in Action' is a refuge for street kids and unwanted children of Chapala. The youngest child is 3 months and the eldest is 19 years, (but functioning at about an age 9 level) The facility has about 6 buildings and each dormitory has living room, dining room, kitchen & bathrooms and divided into age groups. It is amazingly well organized and people can volunteer in many ways: i.e. provide a lunch once a week, Godparent a child, go there and give the children some cultural encouragement, stock the pantry, etc. etc. The pantry was scary to think there are 60 kids and so little back up of food. There is a paid staff of about 8. The director is totally bilingual and seems extremely competent. The founder Anabel Frutos is still there and is full of love and caring for the children. What started about 8 years ago as a dream for her has become reality. But they need our help. If a group of 3 or 4 or 6 could band together & provide lunch once a week that helps them a lot. Have a child as a Godchild and take them out once in awhile. Or if a committment is not what you want, drop food off to help stock the pantry. The director Dina at 765-7409 - director@loveinactioncenter.org will welcome you and show you around if you are interested.

Is Love in Action associated in any way with a religious denomination? If so, which one?

I think it's always good to know what cause a volunteer of time and/or money is supporting. For example, if I were a Roman Catholic or a Jew, I wouldn't be inclined to support a group influencing children toward a different religious group.

I don't think so but I'll find out and post back here.

simpsca wrote:I don't think so but I'll find out and post back here.

I would appreciate that, because when I went to their web site, "Faith" was one of the program goals. So....which version?

The plot thickens!

I found this on their website. It's an AC which is an official charity in Mexico. That means it is not sponsored by the Catholic or any other church. The statements you read were probably a reflection of the administrator.

"Anabel Frutos, the founder of the Love in Action Center, is a native of Mexico, born in Guadalajara under impoverished circumstances. She and her husband, Raul, now live in a poorer district in the town of Chapala. Anabel was aware of the great needs and poverty around her and felt she needed to respond. In 2001, a feeding program was established from her car port for children from the neighborhood. The original group soon began bringing their siblings and friends and then their mothers as well and a parenting class was added to this weekly event.

One day Anabel counted over one hundred people in her house and yard and realized that a more permanent solution must be found. Armed with her determination and faith in God, she found an old pottery manufacturing shop that consisted of a number of small buildings. A step of faith was taken to secure a piece of property where people from the area could come to be fed and encouraged.

Eventually classes were implemented to teach a skill that could help those with a limited income to generate finances.
Some of the courses offered were:
English, guitar, tin sculpting, crafts, sewing and salon training.

We saw a need to establish a day care for the neighborhood and when we went to get certified as an A.C., (civil association or nonprofit) the government asked if we would consider being a shelter for children. So now we are helping children that are sent to us from throughout the state of Jalisco in Mexico."

From TOB:

"Love in Action is under the auspices of an evangelical church. Anabel's huspand is the minister." Why be evasive about it, folks? What is, is.

I just don't see what the big deal is. Give or don't give but the kids need food.

Let's leave it at that and keep this one out of the Octagon. If you can help please do so, if not then don't.

OR start another thread in the Octagon to discuss the religious aspect of it......

Because the religious aspect of it doesn't bother me, I just want to state that my wife and I were involved with this organization shortly after retiring to Mexico (and I even solicited support from Stateside acquaintances), but after receiving reports that donations were not being properly accounted (that is, money was disappearing), we disengaged.

Maybe it's changed since then (2006), but it left a sour taste in my mouth to think that donations intended for the children were being siphoned off to pad the pockets of the administrators.

If it is now otherwise, I would like to know, but my advice is: "Look before you leap."

I would like to see a branch of the international organization, not affiliated with any church or political group.........Feed the Hungry. I can get behind that, just as we did in San Miguel as food delivery drivers.

My only problem with the group in question is the lack of transparency. For instance, the bio of the founder doesn't mention that her husband is the minister of the evangelical church that started this organization. If that doesn't bother anyone else, so be it. Personally, I'll admit to objecting to missionaries of all stripes. Down through history, they've generated too much strife.

However, feeding hungry kids is a good thing in itself, so I'll let it go at that.

I know there has been mis-management in some lakeside charities. I don't know about this one. But I do plan to take as much food staples as I can afford to the home.

I also don't know anything about any religious aspect and am not hiding anything.

I live in San Juan Cosala and help with the home here which is run by a Catholic priest. While I am not Catholic, I do what I can to help with that home also. I have done a number of things for the home in SJC and one is to fill two Christmas boxes, each totaling 300 pesos worth of things for two girls. Another member of our community is seeing that each child at the home receives a Christmas box. I have seen how much it means to the children to receive these gifts.