Comforts of Home at Sponsor Site in Chile

I remember growing up as a kid burying my face in fresh, clean, crisp sheets at bedtime that my mom had freshly washed and hung out in the wind and the sunshine to dry. They smelled and felt so good, one of the comforts of a secure childhood. I was reminded of this when I learned about three boys at Chalice’s Chile sponsor site who were recipients of a bunk bed, mattresses, warm clothing, and sheets from the annual Christmas gift catalog. Chalice’s Christmas gift catalog offers supporters the opportunity to give a gift to a loved one or friend while also giving a gift to someone in need. By choosing a full bed kit, or chicks or ducklings to start a small business, or a health wellness check, or many other options, and giving that gift in honor of a friend, your loved one is presented with a card stating, “Bottles and formula have been provided for a baby in need in your name…” instead of the novelty socks that you may like but your sister may or may not.

These three boys, brothers, the recipients of the full bed kit in Chile, had moved from a shanty town with their mom, Carolina, to a social house, “Which allows them to live in better conditions of safety and shelter,” according to Paola Munoz, the Site Director at the Santiago-Chile sponsor site. Their bed, however, the old bunk bed they had, was in disrepair, falling apart, “Causing more than one accident to the children,” Director Munoz stated further.

Carolina, the mom of Jeremiah, Aron and Raul, didn’t want anyone to know that the boys were practically sleeping on the floor. “She felt that there were other mothers in greater need than those of her family,” Director Munoz said.

“That's why the excitement was great, knowing that they had been chosen to receive a bunk bed with mattresses, warm clothing and sheets. Today the children are happy, they sleep comfortable and safe. All a change for them, grateful forever to those who have given this great gift,” Munoz concluded.

When you sponsor a child through Chalice's child sponsorship programs you empower not only them, but their families and communities, to make significant and lasting change. The Christmas gift catalog offers another way to make a difference in the lives of people in need.

— Beatrice Maynor, Web Content Editor, Chalice US