Padre Alfredo Children'S Village


	Padre Alfredo Children's Village is a Catholic-run orphanage located in the heart of Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The Village was founded in 1972 by Padre Alfredo, a Franciscan monk who emigrated to Bolivia from Austria. The unique mission of this orphanage is to raise orphans in a village made up of single family homes where each child is raised in a loving home environment with a mother and siblings. Today, the orphanage has grown to include two villages with a total of 21 homes. Each home has a "house mom" and 10-12 children, providing each child with all of the emotional and social benefits of growing up in a loving, family environment. Padre Alfredo's Village also has a home for young, single mothers, a daycare for poor families in the community, and a young men's residence where teenage boys learn a trade. Check them out on their website at www.padrealfredo.net.
Get Involved:	Padre Alfredo Children's Village is always gratefully accepting donations to help with the expenses of running the orphanage. They greatly appreciate your support and carefully steward the money given to them. Click on the donation button above, to donate now. Or, if you'd like to be more directly involved with the Village, check out one of the programs below. Child Sponsors: Sponsor a child for as little as $20 a month. With this program, you can have a direct impact on a child at the Village by sending and receiving pictures, letters and updates on that child. If you'd like to become a Child Sponsor, fill out our Contact Form and we'll be in touch to get you set up. Agriculture: Like the idea of helping the Aldea be self sustaining? You can purchase pigs or chickens to help the Village raise their own meat and supply the children with fresh eggs. You can also purchase things like seeds so they can grow their own vegetables. Fresh Water: As in most developing countries, access to clean water is a challenge. Contribute to the Fresh Water Fund at the Aldea and help them dig wells which will provide the children with fresh water all year long. Internships: FCGM is partnering with Aaron Gilbert, a student at Goucher College, who is developing an internship program to send volunteers to Padre Alfredo Children's Village. Interns and volunteers live on site at the orphanage and work with the children in a variety of capacities. To learn more about how you can get involved in this program and to get a unique view into life at the Village, click Aaron's logo below.