JUAN PABLO FORNO
HOW CAN WE RECREATE A SENSE OF CHILDHOOD FOR UNACCOMPANIED MINORS IN ONE DAY?
PROJECT HISTORY
In 2014, there was a record-breaking wave of unaccompanied minors that crossed the American border. These children, between 10-17 years of age (and sometimes younger), are often fleeing from various hardships including severe poverty, violence, gangs, sexual and physical abuse. At the time, I was part of the Hispanic Business Students Association and after learning more about these children and the nature of their travel to America, we realized that adversity and harsh circumstances have robbed them of their sense of childhood. Because several of these children come from my country of Guatemala, I felt somewhat identified and compelled to do something to help them feel like kids again.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Since our group was restricted by the amount of time we could spend with the kids who are under federal care, the mission of this project was to create a one-day experience where they can freely express themselves, learn, play, eat, and gain a sense of cultural identity. Although a major goal was to make them have a fun time, our focus was for them to gain a brighter outlook on the future.
Throughout the day, the children participate in several recreational, artistic, and team-building activities such as creating their team jerseys, building the tallest tower, and of course, playing soccer. They are also able to enjoy Hispanic music and food to make them feel at home. We also invite a guest speaker to say a few inspiring words to the children and encourage them to keep dreaming. Finally, before the kids go back to the shelters, we surprise them all with gifts and school supplies.
COLLABORATION
Like any major project, there were a lot of moving parts that made this event possible. The two shelters that we worked with were A New Leaf and Southwest Key. They worked with us in making sure that the event followed federal established policies and that the children were safe at all times. A New Leaf helped us develop a volunteer orientation training which all volunteers had to go through if they wished to participate in the event. Financially, DDLN had the support of many individual donors as well as companies and organizations like Pepsi, Raza Development Fund, and Advance Guatemala, just to name a few. We also received support from the Undergraduate Student Government and the Business Student Council of ASU. In terms of volunteers, even though the majority did come from HBSA, there were several people who knew of us from our fundraising efforts that decided they wanted to get involved.
PROJECT IMPACT
Since its debut in 2015, The Dia De Los Niños (DDLN) project has become an annual event that will be having its fourth occurrencein spring of 2018. DDLN has hosted over 200 children from all over Latin America and the impact has been better than we ever imagined.
We never presumed that one day alone would be enough to restore someone’s entire childhood, but as the shelter staff have communicated with us, this event has played a crucial role in kickstarting the healing process for the children that have endured severe trauma. They instantly noticed a change in behavior and an increase in participation and eagerness to go to school. Knowing that it is OK to be a kid and that there are people who care and are willing to help them has allowed them to see the world differently and start thinking about new possibilities.
Another thing that was equally as rewarding was the effect that the event had on its volunteers. From the organizing committee standpoint, this even gave us an opportunity to experience what is like to run business project. We established a mission, developed budgets and proposals, worked within timelines, developed relationships with vendors and sponsors, recruited volunteers, raised over $25,000, and even created our own branded event. On the other hand, the day-off volunteers, have continually expressed that the event has given them a deeper sense of perspective in life and are thankful to be able to contribute to something greater than themselves. Some of them have actually come up with ways to help these children with their own projects! The event even received the 2015-2016 Philanthropy Event of the Year Award by the W.P Carey School of Business.
FEEDBACK AND PROJECT FUTURE
Even though DDLN has had its successes, there is always room for improvement for the upcoming years. In order to get a large number of children to attend, we had to work with about 8 different shelter homes every year. Logistically, this presents a challenge because the event itself is schedule-structured and every shelter has its own different routines and procedures.
In order to address this, the DDLN organizing committee is considering changing the dynamic of the event from a station rotation structure to more of like an open space carnival event. This way, we can have a greater variety of activities and children participate in the ones they like the most. This also allows us to be more lenient about arrival times and allows the volunteers to focus more on spending time with the children instead of sticking to a schedule.
Because of the shelter's "No-Picture" policy, stock pictures were used for this project.
TESTIMONIALS
"Of the many volunteering events HBSA participates in, DDLN is my favorite because of the positive impact it leaves children who are under government care. The impact it left me personally is having a different outlook in life, being more thankful for the things I am blessed with and sometimes take for granted such as always being able to have a full plate of food when I'm hungry and being close to family. The event only lasted a day, but the impact on both ends is one meant to last a lifetime"
Crystal Perez
Team Leader / Volunteer
"It is incredibly motivating participating in the event as a volunteer and witness youth inspiring youth! HBSA puts together a truly heart-warming event that pulls together backgrounds and cultures into a day of laughter and kinship. This event has come to define HBSA as a true campus and community leader."
Constanza Ponce
Event Sponsor/Volunteer
“The annual DDLN event was nothing short of influential and warm heartening. The interactions with the kids and meaning behind the event have given me a broader perspective of the opportunity I have as a student and professional. The appreciation from the kids was notable and I am confident they left with more knowledge about education, a better sense of direction, but most of all, with a reminder that life could be extraordinary. None of this is possible without the DDLN annual event.”
Felipe Corral
Team Leader for 3 yrs.
"I've done hundreds of hours of community service, but DDLN is the first service project that I felt like I was making an immediate and meaningful impact. The event is so unique in it's mission, which would not be possible without the enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers who look forward to spending the day with these kids. My greatest takeaway was how unifying an event like this was for so many people from all different backgrounds and beliefs. We all were able to rally behind and spread compassion and hope for these children, and that to me is why DDLN is such an important and amazing service event."
