UC San Diego Students Offer Charity for Girls Home in Tijuana

The Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC) is a nonprofit organization devoted to providing health care for underprivileged communities in developing countries. FIMRC has more than 3,000 staff and volunteers worldwide who work with various outpatient clinics and partnerships to provide community outreach, education and medical services to children. One of these partnerships is a student-led organization that offers charity for girls at the University of California San Diego (UC San Diego).

The UC San Diego chapter of FIMRC is enthusiastic about helping children and making a difference in the world. Pharmacological chemistry major Jonathan Winfield, co-president of the group, told FINE magazine that his involvement with the FIMRC is about donating his time to a worthy cause.

"I was invited by a friend to participate, and I eventually became more and more involved in the project," said Winfield. The project that inspired Winfield to commit to FIMRC is the Los Angelitos Orphanage, a nonprofit organization in Tijuana, Mexico. Winfield and fellow students in the FIMRC group donate much of their time to the children at Los Angelitos, many of whom were abandoned and suffered a life of abuse, neglect and exposure to drug use. Many of them have deceased or incarcerated parents.

Edward Perry and Norma Angelica Contreras founded Los Angelitos in 2003 after volunteering with a number of orphanages in the Tijuana area. Perry says he was placed in an orphanage at age 4, and his desire to help children growing up in similar situations is what inspires him.

Perry and Contreras had a vision of a creating a nurturing environment where underprivileged children could thrive. Based on their past experiences, they recognized a need for a children’s home that provides a family-like atmosphere—not just food and shelter. And so began Los Angelitos.

The development of Los Angelitos happened rather quickly. At the time, there were many local girls in need of immediate shelter, food, and assistance. And when the Department of Social Services was notified, it was quick to accept and register the facility. Perry and Contreras then built a children’s home that fosters education and promotes self-confidence and self-respect.

Winfield said he’s moved by the success of some of the older residents at Los Angelitos. As an example, four girls that landed in the orphanage as small children are now attending the University of Baja, California, studying law and accounting. Winfield expressed his own humbleness in respect to the achievements of these girls, especially when considering the hardship they’ve faced throughout their lives.

"Being a college student, I know how hard it is to attend school," he said. "These girls were taken out of a hostile environment and are now excelling at school— this is something worth supporting."

Winfield says the FIMRC group visits the orphanage two times every quarter to provide fun activities and education. They play soccer, have bonfires and give one-on-one attention to the children. They also teach the importance of hygiene, providing dental floss and toothpaste. According to Winfield, the children are very grateful for the time they spend with the FIMRC group:

"They’re always very excited to see us, and very sad when we leave."

Winfield explained how seeing children with such limited resources is "striking" in comparison to the lifestyle just over the border in the United States. He points out that Los Angelitos does not receive government assistance and that all school expenses, including college tuition, are paid for by Perry’s own Social Security check, in addition to various donations. Funding, therefore, is quite limited and unable to support the increasing number of children in need.

It costs around $250 per month to provide each child with food, shelter, education, medical and dental care and other basic living-needs. The orphanage houses just 20 children—mostly girls. But the founders have already built a second dormitory for girls and are just waiting on funding to move them in. Once that’s achieved, their next step is to build a kitchen. All of this will enable them to house and feed an additional 30 children.

That’s why Los Angelitos invites and encourages others to help with the cause. There are countless children in the area in need of shelter, food, security, and vital resources, but they’re unable to move into the orphanage due to lack of space and funding.

If you’d like to help Los Angelitos get these children into a nurturing, home-like environment and give them a chance at success, visit their website at www.losangelitos.org. If you’d like to know more about FIMRC, or to make a donation, go to www. fimrc.org. And to inquire about donating directly to the FIMRC UC San Diego chapter or to get involved in their fundraising efforts, email them at fimrcucsd@gmail.com. Their goal is to raise $20,000 by the end of spring.