Dear Friends and Family of IPODERAC,

I hope this letter finds you well in good health and spirits. On behalf of IPODERAC, and in particular all of the boys and girls who live there, l’m writing to express our sincere gratitude for all of the donations received this year and for your overall commitment to transforming the lives of children.

Throughout the past year, your support has helped IPODERAC during tumultuous times as the boys' home, the girls' home, and the quesería (cheese factory) continue to overcome considerable setbacks as a result of the pandemic. I’m happy to share with you that the children of IPODERAC are as tenacious as ever, now re-emerging post-pandemic, returning to normal school attendance, and venturing out from the campuses to attend trade schools and universities. 

Once again, in October this year, a group of board members and supporters of IPODERAC traveled to Atlixco, Puebla, for our annual visit. We thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with the children we’ve come to know as they grow and mature, and at the same time, to meet new arrivals, as well.  As in the past, the October weekend was also a coming home of sorts, including a reunion lunch on Saturday for all former youth to attend. It was thrilling to welcome home fifty or so former residents of IPODERAC, now as mechanics and cooks and lawyers, among other professionals, and now in many cases as spouse and parents, as well, with children in tow. With Día de Muertosapproaching, the backdrop for the weekend once again was an Atlixco awash with brilliant colors, featuring cempasúchiles (marigolds) and ceolosias (magenta flowers) to honor ancestors who’ve transitioned to the spirit world.

During the weekend, we also dedicated a special time to meet with this year’s scholarship recipients – the young men and women who receive financial support from the IPODERAC Children’s Fund to attend trade schools and college.  As they filtered into the living room of one of the casitas where we gathered on the boys' campus, some of the youth looked bashful while others were chatty and smiling. We broke the ice by introducing ourselves, sharing a bit of our experiences years ago when visited or lived at IPODERAC as volunteers. 

A stark difference among the recipients this year, compared to years gone by, was soon the primary point of discussion. Namely, only one of the eight young people before us was a young man. Board member Elsa Yamaoka held back tears when exclaiming “It’s truly moving to see so many promising young women here today.” One example is Zuri Hernandez. She’s getting ready to graduate from high school and to enter college to learn electrical engineering. In so many positive ways, Zuri is setting a positive example for her younger sisters who also live at IPODERAC.

Without donors like you, none of this would be possible. On behalf of each board member, every child, and all the caregivers and educators at IPODERAC, we extend our sincere gratitude to you for being a part of the extended IPO family. Your financial support goes a long way toward cultivating and strengthening a home where each child can flourish and, ultimately, where he or she, too, may come back home one day to reconnect as a healthy, productive adult.

If you’re a monthly donor to the IPODERAC's Children Fund, we would be so grateful if you would continue your support throughout 2024. Please just reply to this email with your permission to continue in 2024, and we’ll make that happen. Alternately, if you’d like to make a single donation at this time, that support is also very much appreciated. To do so, please click on this link.

Thank you again. We’ll continue to keep you updated as to how the boys and girls are doing, and we’ll look forward to the possibility that you, too, may join us in an annual October reunion trip one day – perhaps in 2024!

Sincerely, 

Alicia Lucero

IPODERAC's Children Fund
ICF Board Secretary
[email protected]