[Master Plan]
[Thinking Beyond Orphanages] Creating a new paradigm in orphan care that provides real homes and real families for orphans.
“Thus the task is not so much to see what no one yet has seen, but to think what nobody yet has thought about that which everybody sees.� arthur schopenhauer
[awr-fuh-nij] -noun An institution for the housing and care of orphans.
Work together with us to create a new paradigm of orphan care.
[Contents] Our Story
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Vision & Mission
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Why We Are Different
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Designing for Mexico
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The Master Plan
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How Can You Help?
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Our Friends
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our story
[families are the seed] In the early 1990’s, Robert Miller, one of our young board members took a volunteer vacation to Guadalajara, Mexico. During his trip, he volunteered a week of labor to Casa de Protección al Niño, an orphanage in Tlaquepaque, a suburb of Guadalajara. He was faced every day of that week with the 120 children who subsequently stole his heart. With this emotional connection to the orphanage and its many beautiful children, it was inevitable that more trips were in his future. Five trips later, he was faced with a decision that would ultimately lead to the foundation of Our Family Orphan Communities, Inc. Due to the death of one of the owners, Casa de Protección al Niño was closing and the children were being split up and relocated to various orphanages across Mexico. Two of the orphan children asked Bob Miller to adopt them.
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While it was not in his conscious list of life goals, after checking into the legalities and the process, he readily took on the five year challenge of obtaining passports, green cards, and completing the necessary paperwork for the two brothers. He had successfully become the adoptive father of these two young boys. It was the awareness that he had gained by experiencing, first hand, the difference between children raised in an orphanage and those being raised by a family. This distinction became the seed for this project. We strive to make it possible for more children to be raised in families.
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mission vision [for the future] VISION The global vision of O.F.O.C. is to improve the life and environment of orphans of any race, religion or gender throughout the world. This is done with an organization that establishes, in developing countries, economically self-sustaining Orphan Communities that purposefully integrate profit making businesses with family style childcare for orphans.
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MISSON To create economically self-sufficient, environmentally green, high-technology based Communities in which street orphans live in a family, have surrogate parents and grandparents, receive healthcare, continue their education, learn computer skills, participate in social & recreational activities, receive job skills training and have an opportunity to attend college so They are better prepared for their and their country’s future.
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the difference [what makes us...us.] IN COMPARISON Too often, orphanages and orphans are simply treated like objects of charity. Some of the key differences in what traditional orphanages can provide to children and what the Orphan Community can provide for them are detailed to the right. There is only one organization with a unique, complete and economically sustainable program for ongoing total orphan care and development. It is: Our Family Orphan Communities, Inc.
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children...
orphanage community
Are raised in a family No Yes Learn how families function & work together No Yes Live in single family homes No Yes Live with parents No Yes Live with grandparents No Yes Learn what parents do in and for a family No Yes Learn what grandparents do in a family No Yes Learn how siblings behave in a family No Yes Participate in activities and events as a family No Yes Gain an understanding of how to raise a family No Yes Know what it feels like to grow up in a family No Yes Invite friends for a sleep over No Yes Go to stay at a friend’s home No Yes Have toys/things of their own No Yes Have clean drinkable running water in the home No Yes Receive regular health, dental and vision care No Yes Learn that a person works for what they get No Yes Experience cultural and art activities Rarely Yes Get a quality education Rarely Yes Learn computer skills Rarely Yes Receive job skills training Rarely Yes Opportunity to go to trade school/university Rarely Yes Have a financially secure environment. No Yes Wonder what it is like to have a family. Yes No Dream of being adopted Yes No Worry about being sent somewhere else Yes No Receive care based on donations to orphanage Yes No May go to bed hungry due to not enough food Yes No Learn things are donated/given to them in life Yes No Can confidently say “This is MY home” No Yes Can confidently say “This is MY family” No Yes
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the design
[for mexico & beyond] BEFORE MEXICO Before the focus on Mexico, one of O.F.O.C.’s international contacts in Vietnam discussed our work with the Humanitarian Support Company in Ho Chi Minh City. Soon, our founder received an airline ticket to go discuss what we were doing. During his trip to Hanoi, we formed a partnership with the Vietnam Aid Society for Disabled Children (VASDC). This organization works on helping children born with defects from Agent Orange. The initial plan for this partnership was to build a single organization to help children worldwide suffering from various states of poverty. Partners from the VASDC met with the President of Vietnam and soon, Ninh Binh Province donated land for the project. However, the optimism was soon lost, as sources of promised funding began to disappear. We are still waiting on our Vietnamese counterparts to find another source of funding, but this didn’t stop us from focusing our attention on Mexico, the true root of the project.
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FOR MEXICO Contacts were our first step. We needed people who could help with designs, business plans, architectural drawings and other items in order to prepare the project for implementation in Mexico. With huge support from the Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, one group stepped forward to help us: the “Idle Creatives,� a support group of artists and architects idled by the recession. Despite their unfortunate circumstances, they were more than willing to jump in head first and do something meaningful. They have become not only donors, but much appreciated, advisors. Our first brochure including a 3-D architectural model of the project was their creation. Using this brochure and a letter to selected governors in Mexico, we have started the process of creating discussion and building support to acquire land for the project.
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master plan [study for the future] ENLISTING STUDENT HELP To jump start the program we put the project in front of a very talented class of graduate students at the University of Colorado College of Architecture and Planning. Along with their professor and an advisor, the students put together a “sample� site for the design (since land has not yet been donated). Using the many tools available to them, the students created a complete mock-up of the site which would be fully functional if put into effect. It is impossible to fully express in words the gratitude that we feel for the class and the work they are doing on the project.
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As we have told the students, they are not doing this for Our Family Orphan Communities, Inc., or for themselves, but for the children in the future who will benefit from the communities in operation. They are not designing an orphanage, but are helping to create a new paradigm of care for orphans in our world. The community will be the place that these children dream about. A place where they can have a home and a family. It has been wonderful participating in the presentations with other guests and the volunteer advisors, as we have watched the progress of the students and the master plan.
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helping us [help them]
WHAT YOU CAN DO You have the opportunity to help build this unique community for orphans that provides them a home, a family, healthcare, education and job skills. Your help enables us to give them a brighter future. Volunteering To date there have been more than 300 individuals from over 12 countries contributing to the design and development of the Orphan Communities project. There are many opportunities and ways to utilize your skills and experience. Investing Social business investment opportunities will soon be available for many of the community businesses. In lieu of placing your funds in a bank account, you have the opportunity to put them to work in a humanitarian business. Your principle will be paid back with fair interest and until you are paid back you will have an influence in the operation of the business. 16
Donating Financial donations can always be used for daily operation of the nonprofit charity, or restricted donations can be made for specific activities. Travel funds needed now. In-kind donations including services help us to save cash funds for other needs. Bequests, beneficiary designations and other estate gifts that can be established with guidance from your legal and tax advisors. Venture Philanthropy We are working to position this unique, new paradigm project so that it is of interest to venture philanthropists. We value the business expertise that comes with venture philanthropy participation. If you feel you are qualified to assist in positioning our organization so that we qualify for venture philanthropist participation, please let us know.
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only hours [of your time] VOLUNTEERING Would you have a few hours each month to help us create this community? This new way to care for orphans? There are dozens of things that you could do. A few examples include: Writing and refining business plans for each of the businesses in the community Writing and submitting grants Finding opportunities for our executive director to speak to groups and organizations Writing guidelines for selection of the parents and grandparents Writing guidelines for selection of children Writing behavioral expectations for children Finding donors for all of the things needed for the community so we do not have to spend money on them Public relations, public service announcements
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Auto repair skills to fix volunteer vehicles Microsoft Project Manager Software skills Computer network design Business Intelligence Data Management Financial structuring of community & businesses Economic strategy for community. Structuring for investors Positioning our organization for venture philanthropists Social networking update person to tap the public relations potential of FaceBook, MySpace, Linked-In and others For a more complete list of volunteering opportunities, see our website: www.orphancommunities.org or in Spanish at: www.comunidadesdehuerfanos.org. We are also listing opportunities with Denver Metro Volunteers: www.metrovolunteers.org
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build locally
[invest your resources] INVESTING In order to build the businesses in a community, we need investors and lenders who believe in using their resources to help worthwhile causes. Social Business Investment Opportunities will soon be available for many of the community businesses. For example: Aquaculture/Greenhouse Dairy Farm Biogas Microloans Eco-tourism And others appropriate to the specific market and location.
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In lieu of placing your funds in a bank account, you have the opportunity to put them to work in a humanitarian business. Your principle will be paid back with fair interest and until you are paid back you will have a say in the operation of the business. Please let us know if you would like to be informed when we are ready to begin accepting Social Business Investments. E-mail: bobm@orphancommunities.org or call us at: 719-379-3755
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give a little
[donate confidently] DONATING Total transparency is one of our values. Financial Donations For daily operation of the nonprofit charity, or restricted donations made for specific activities and construction. While staffed with unpaid volunteers, we still have normal operating costs of any organization. Cash donations are needed to pay daily bills as we proceed. Immediate need: Tavel expenses to Mexico All donations are tax-deductible. Bequests, Beneficiary Designations & Gifts These can be established with guidance from your legal and tax advisors.
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In-Kind Donations Including services, this type of help saves cash funds for other needs. Organizational needs include: Blackberrys Vehicles Volunteer Residences Office Spaces & Parking On-Site needs include: Farm equipment and supplies Water system services and equipment Infrastructure & construction
For a more complete list of donation opportunities, see our website: www.orphancommunities.org or in Spanish at: www.comunidadesdehuerfanos.org. We are also listed with GuideStar: www2.guidestar.org
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jump together [venture on our path] VENTURE PHILANTHROPY This unique, creative new paradigm of orphan care is in one sense “all new� and yet in another sense is not. All parts of this project are drawn from proven business models and childcare models in various locations of the world. We are doing nothing more than consolidating proven techniques in one location. Since the businesses selected are proven to be profitable, we would value the experience of professional managers who would be part of a venture philanthropy arrangement. Thus we are working to position our project to include key elements for a venture philanthropy relationship. Such as having: an audacious humanitarian project a long term plan (3-6 years) for social change openness to a managing partner relationship an accountability-for-results process established a plan for using cash and expertise an exit strategy
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We look forward to partnering with philanthropic organizations that have experience in the businesses that we will be establishing in the community. If you are affiliated with any venture philanthropy associations or organizations, please contact us to see if we can work together. We desire to position Nuestra Familia Comunidades de HuĂŠrfanos so that it will be of great interest to venture philanthropists. Please email: bobm@orphancommunities.org or call us at: 719-379-3755
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our friends
[with a little help...] NOTHING TRUMPS COMMUNITY Since we have turned the focus to Mexico, the following is a partial list of those who have provided help, ideas, suggestions, support and donations to the class and/or the Orphan Community-Mexico project. We especially thank all those who participated as advisors, shared their expertise in developing the facilities of the master plan and who participated in the presentation of it. Ed Anderson
Healing Waters International – Executive Director
Fabrizio Argueta
Charles Schwab & Co. - Client Advisor
Eduardo Arnal P.
Consulate of Mexico – Consul General
Dan Benjamin
db Atelier Architects - Architect
Ryan Boykin
US Capital Investment Mgmt – Financial Advisor
Troy Braegger
Holme Roberts & Owen, LLP - Attorney
Adiel Brasov
Merrill Lynch – Financial Advisor
Steve Brooks
Charlie Bruce Manuel Caballero
Latin Marketing Solutions – Marketing Consultant
Mario Carrera
Abel Chavez
Bob Citullo
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OZ Architecture – Architect Holme Roberts & Owen, LLP - Attorney Entravision Comm./Univision – General Manager U of C - PhD candidate Denver Inner City Health Clinic – Medical Doctor
Ignacio Correa O.
Urban Designer - Architect
Nancy Creamer
North Carolina State University – Director CEFS
Marcela de la Mar
Consulate of Mexico – Dir. Educ. & Cultural issues
Daniel del Rio Jorge Eguiarte
Basham, Ringe y Correa, S.C. - Attorney
CTA Architects & Engineers - Architect
Larry Elkins
Adobe Compressed Earth - Builder
Mickey Elliot
Alliance for Choice & Education - Consultant
Amilcar Garcia C.
Basham, Ringe y Correa, S.C. - Attorney
Claudio Gonzalez B.
Basham, Ringe y Correa, S.C. - Attorney
Jorge Gonzalez M.
Consulate of Mexico – Consul for Political Affairs
Bob Hackman
O & V Printing –/Printer
Michael Hamers
Lightspeed Commercial Art - Artist
Daniel Harris
Wells Fargo - VP Regional Mgr Philanthropic Serv.
Scott Hartman
Boys & Girls Town – Dir. of Program Auditing
Andy Holloman
American Family Insurance - Agent
Doug Jackson
Project C.U.R.E.
Rick Jackson
Global Steel, Inc. - Builder
Garth Jensen
Holme Roberts & Owen, LLP - Attorney
Sean Johnson
Matt Kaspari Patty Keck
- Executive Director
MSCD – Student Kaspo, Inc – Marketing Specialist CH2M Hill – Community Relations Manager
Bebe Kleinman
Doctor’s Care – Executive Director
Bob Krieckhaus
Krieckhaus Editing - Editor
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our friends
[with a little help...] Roger LaBorde
Shaman’s Door - Counselor
Bernadette Loya
Doctor’s Care – Office Manager
Jorge Martinez
Basham, Ringe y Correa, S.C. - Attorney
Francisco J. Matus B. Francisco Miraval
Basham, Ringe y Correa, S.C. - Attorney
Project 21 - Journalist
Abraham Morales Michael Mowrey
Archdiocese of Den – Assoc Dir. Hispanic Ministry
Maker of Images - Artist
David Muñoz CT Nelson
Co. School of Mines–Assoc Prof Humanitarian Eng.
Nelson Art - Artist
Ignacio Orendain K.
Basham, Ringe y Correa, S.C. - Attorney
Taylor Owen
Owen Agency LLC – Foundation Director
Nick Parker PhD
Global Scientific, Inc.- Economic Dev. Specialist
Mark Pumphrey
So. Broadway Christian Church - Pastor
Amy Reichert
Office of Econ Dev & Intn’l Trade - Director
Len Rosenberg
Ministry Architecture, Inc. - Architect
Sergio Santana Kate Morgan Savage
FiBall, LLC – Accountant & Sports Coach
Highland Ranch Schools - Teacher
Cole Schofield
Charles Schwab & Co. – VP Client Service
Juan Serra
Basham, Ringe y Correa, S.C. - Attorney
Suzanne Shaff
Suzanne Shaff Photography - Photographer
Robert Shields
R. L. Shields MD - Ophthalmologist
Daniel Smith
Co Cardiovascular Surgical Assoc -Surgeon
Linda Sosa
St. Cajetan Church – Volunteer Coordinator
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Luis Soto
Archdiocese of Denver –Dir. Hispanic Ministry
Nicole Stibrany
Ron Thompson
db Atelier Architects - Architect Boys Town National Research Inst. - Director
Bob Townley
C3 – Jared Polis Foundation - Director
Bill Van Doorn
Van Doorn Development Group - Developer
Christina Varoz
Charles Schwab & Co. - Client Advisor
Sr. Andrea Vasquez
Diocese of Pueblo – Bishop’s Staff member
Jessica Vernon Charlie Walling
Denver Hispanic Chamber of Comm. – Acct Exec. Robinson Dairy – General Manager
Robin Waterman
Aurora Community Connection – Exec. Director
Steve Werner
Werner Consulting - Consultant
Erwin Young Patrick Young
Colorado Gators/Aquaculture - Aquaculture Expert
PK Design – Interior Designs
And there were more… (with apologies to anyone we have missed)
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“If you are going to give a gift, give what is most precious to you because anything less is just throwing away your trash to someone else.� gerald red elk, 1984
com mu ni ty [kuh-myoo-ni-tee] -noun A unified body of individuals: people with common interests living in a particular area.
Together we can redefine the term “orphanage� and change the status quo. Brochure Design: Alexa Kuppers-Kantor