About Us
History
Casa Verde Home of Hope (Hogar de la Esperanza) was founded in Envigado, a suburb of Medellin, Colombia by Jose Arias and his family. Jose was born and raised in Colombia and is now also a U.S. citizen. While studying for the priesthood, Jose did missionary work and was indelibly struck by the plight of homeless street children in Medellin. These children eat from garbage cans, sleep on the street, get no education, and have a short life expectancy.
After Jose was established in the U.S., he used much of the money he earned to support a house in Medellin where volunteers, including his sisters and his father, could take in and care for some of these children. As Casa Verde grew and the children prospered, more support was needed. Casa Verde Home of Hope, Inc., a New York corporation, was started as a charity whose only purpose is to support the children of Casa Verde in Envigado. The Internal Revenue Service granted Casa Verde 501(c)(3) tax exempt status effective July 29, 2004.
The Casa Verde Philosophy
The key to Casa Verde is that it is a home for its children not just a place to live. Casa Verde provides its children with a true family existence that supports them emotionally as well as giving them the essentials of living. Education, healthcare, religion, music, and, most importantly, love and human values are integral parts of life at Casa Verde. As a result, the Case Verde children have an opportunity to reach their true potential, and many already have.
Our Vision
The family atmosphere of Casa Verde means that the house must necessarily remain small. Fifteen children and two adult caregivers is the ideal for the type of "family" we think is necessary. Right now, Casa Verde is full of happy, mischievous, wonderful, loving children who are on their way to a productive adulthood. Our immediate goal is to support them fully until they complete their education. Most of our grown children retain ties to Casa Verde and help out with the younger generation. We think Casa Verde is a true model for humanity, and we urge others to follow our lead.
What It Takes
Casa Verde is run without administrative expense. All of the fundraising and management time is donated. The caregivers are paid, as are some of the medical expenses (much is donated) and, of course, food, clothing, education, and religious costs. For the 15 children, this amounts to about $4,000 per month.