Army of the Ordinary
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Have you seen the movie "One Life"? 🎥 It's an extraordinary tale of courage, compassion, and the impact that ordinary people can have on the world. Starring the legendary Anthony Hopkins, the film tells the true story of Nicholas Winton, a British citizen who, at the age of 29, orchestrated the rescue of 669 Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia.
Winton wasn't a celebrity or a government official. He was an ordinary man who saw an extraordinary need. What he did next is nothing short of miraculous.
He recruited what he called an "army of the ordinary"—everyday people who stepped up with cash donations and opened their homes to children who were on the brink of unimaginable tragedy.
Winton's story is a powerful reminder that anyone, regardless of their background or resources, can make a difference.
Here at Leaders2Give, we see the same spirit of giving and compassion in our community. Just like the heroes in "One Life," you too can become a part of an incredible mission to change lives forever.
Construction on the John Gullo Home for Children is now complete! This beautiful new facility will provide a safe haven for vulnerable children in Baja California Sur. However, we are facing a significant challenge: we need your help to fund the operational expenses that will allow us to open our doors to these children in need.
Why We Need Your Help
The John Gullo Home for Children is ready to welcome its first residents, but we cannot do it without the necessary funding to sustain them and maintain the facility. The total annual cost for operational expenses, including staffing and utilities, amounts to $105,000. This is where you, our community heroes, come in.
The Impact of Your Contribution
Your donations will directly support:
Staff Salaries: Ensuring that we have dedicated caregivers and support staff to provide the highest level of care.
Utilities and Maintenance: Keeping the facility safe, comfortable, and welcoming for the children.
Programs and Services: Offering educational support, recreational activities, and therapeutic services to help each child thrive.
How You Can Help
Just as Nicholas Winton rallied ordinary people to make a difference, we are calling on you to join us in this life-changing mission. Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us one step closer to opening our doors and providing a loving home for children in need.
Please consider making a donation today to become a part of our "army of the ordinary" who are making an extraordinary impact. Together, we can create a brighter future for these children and our community.
If you are interested in learning more about our funding needs and the impact of your contribution, we invite you to view our detailed Grant Request document. Click here to explore how your support can make a lasting difference in the lives of vulnerable children at the John Gullo Home for Children.
Also check out the important update under ‘Partner Updates’ below for another way you can help.
A Final Thought
As you reflect on the story of Nicholas Winton, remember that his legacy was not just about saving lives, but about inspiring others to see the power within themselves to effect change. You have that same power. With your support, we can turn the John Gullo Home for Children into a beacon of hope and safety.
Thank you for your generosity and for being a hero to those who need it most.
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PARTNER UPDATES
Líderes Para Dar / John Gullo Home for Children
We are so excited construction of our children’s home is now complete! This important project marks a significant milestone, and we are eager to move forward with setting it up to create a warm and welcoming environment for the children. We already have all the necessary furniture, which is currently stored in a nearby facility.
Our next big step is to move the furniture from the storage unit to the children’s home and assemble it. This is a significant task, and we need many volunteers to help make it happen. We invite you to join us in mid-July (exact date to be determined) for this monumental effort. If you have tools that could assist with the assembly, please bring them along. However, we will also provide the necessary tools on-site.
If you’re interested in lending a hand, please email us at info@leaders2give.org. We will share the details as soon as they are available. Your support will make a huge difference in creating a welcoming and supportive environment for these children.
New Creation Kids (NCK) Children’s Home
Since our founding, Leaders2Give has been dedicated to supporting the operational expenses of New Creation Kids, including essentials like food, water, propane, education, and more. Each year, our Board carefully reviews our available funds and establishes a monthly budget for the upcoming year.
The good news is that our budget has remained consistently stable. However, the rising cost of living has posed new challenges in recent years. We are grateful that there are various organizations that help New Creation Kids meet the children's needs to help alleviate this issue. Some of these organizations direct their support through us and others work directly with New Creation Kids.
Your support makes a significant difference in their lives so please consider making a donation today. Together, we can ensure that these children receive the care and resources they deserve.
The East Cape Health Center
In April 2024, the East Cape Health Center partnered with Rotary International to conduct health screenings at schools in the small Mexican towns of La Ribera and El Cardonal. Following the screening in El Cardonal, clinic personnel toured the town’s newly-constructed, three-room high school.
Although the school was set to welcome students beginning in September, there were no funds available to purchase desks and other necessary furniture. Recognizing this need, the clinic reached out to friends in Rotary, who directed the clinic to The Reuse Network, an organization that supplies school furniture donated in the United States to international groups.
After several weeks of discussions with The Reuse Network, the clinic, Rotary International, and Associatión de Artes, managed to secure through their combined efforts a 52-foot trailer containing used school chairs, filing cabinets, bookshelves and desks suitable for both children and teachers. The generous size of the donation allowed the clinic and other philanthropic organizations to offer updated furniture to 27 schools located in the East Cape area of Baja. Trucks and smaller trailers have been arranged and will begin distributing the furniture upon its arrival in Los Barriles.
This type of local teamwork demonstrates the power of community involvement, which the East Cape Health Center, Rotary International, and the Associatión de Artes exemplify.
Feeding The Hungry
The mission of Feeding the Hungry is to regularly provide food vouchers to the poorest of the poor in the East Cape community. Every single peso that their fundraising efforts generate is used to buy food vouchers for the neediest in that area.
Their laser focus on that goal enables them to guarantee year-long support for around two dozen struggling families.
They recently received a request from one of the generous supporters of the Feeding the Hungry Charity. Their grandchildren are growing up and, as part of their efforts to foster a spirit of giving in the next generation, they had talked with them about donating their favorite clothes that they had outgrown to the poor children in Los Barriles, BCS. They asked if they brought down to Los Barriles a bag of quality secondhand children’s clothing, is Feeding the Hungry in contact with some families that these children’s clothes would help?
They already have their work cut out in achieving their primary mission and have no desire to organize a clothing drive. However, they are in regular contact with locals who are grateful for any help we offer. If you want to encourage your grandkids to develop a spirit of giving, and helping those less fortunate than themselves, chat with them this summer and encourage them to consider passing on their favorite outfits to needy Los Barriles children.
If you do bring a bag of quality children’s clothes, contact Gordon at gordonandoy@gmail.com he will find them good homes.
SNAP - Spay, Neuter, and Prevention
SNAP is thrilled to share some fantastic news. They’ve introduced Isabella to the community, and they are happy to report that she is now out and about in the schools, making a positive impact on the youth.
SNAP believes that children are agents for change. Responsible pet ownership encourages kids to develop essential skills, turning them into compassionate caregivers. Their programs focus on teaching young pet owners how to care for their furry friends, fostering a sense of responsibility and commitment.
Isabella’s visits to schools have been a great success. She’s not only educating students about the importance of pet care but also inspiring them to become advocates for animal welfare in their communities.
SNAP is proud to see their plans come together and witness the positive changes in their young participants. They are currently working on the development of their Curso de Veranos program for 100 school age children sponsored by the Los Barriles DIF. With continued support, they can expand these programs and reach even more children, empowering them to make a difference.
In spay and neuter news SNAP has already passed 900 surgeries this year and the numbers continue to grow.
Crescent Moon Project - Art for Children
Want to see Los Barriles children focused on activities of pure enjoyment? Look no further than the Crescent Moon Project Art Studio located at Palmas de Cortez!
One of the goals of Crescent Moon is to teach children the fundamental skills needed to enhance their creativity and to create their own art work. To support this, the emerging artists have been working on fine-tuning the art of observation.
They are learning to slow down to deeply observe an image, translate it using pencil, then bring it to life with color using chalk and pastel crayons.
Another CMP goal is to expose children to native culture through art. In this vein, some students are creating bags using Mayan embroidery. This ancestral embroidery, originating from pre-Hispanic times, has been passed down through generations of Mayan women and used as a way of communicating culture and religion. Motifs such as birds, corn, human figures, diamonds, triangles, and other plant and animal forms helped distinguish members of different towns from each other. Colors also have their own special meanings. There are groups of artists devoted to preserving this cultural weaving form and the students have now experienced what makes this so special. As the children worked on designing and creating their bags, the project entailed learning about this indigenous art form, visualization, design, color and shape selection, and the actual embroidery.
And, finally, the Art Teacher and children are preparing for the upcoming Curso de Verano, a free camp serving 100 local children for which CMP is supporting the weekly Art experiences. Crescent Moon Project is pleased to partner with East Cape Environmental Education & Recycling and other various organizations to offer this experience for the children of Los Barriles. Especially appreciated are our partners with Friends Supporting Families who are providing much-needed volunteers for the Art Days.
To Donate to Leaders2Give and any of our Partners, visit our Donate page.