November 30, 2006

This year we lost a saintly man, the founder of Father Franks Kids. The following excerpts were part of the eulogies given at his funeral: In your sermons you did not compromise the ways of this world You reminded us of how tenuous our material world is against the glare of the depravation you saw in the world. You liked to portray your Italian tough side as the Italian testa dura, but we saw you as a soft melted marshmallow on the inside He held nothing back when he gave his sermons. He would shake his fist, point his finger and pound on the podium while raising his voice. It was these actions that spread like wildfire and caused the attendance at mass to more than double in the six months he was assigned to Our Lady of Lourdes in Andrews, Texas. Father Frank would end his sermons Will you be ready when the Angel of Death comes and taps you on the shoulder? His love for the Blessed Mother and the Eucharist were contagious There was a group of boys who would camp out literally, with pillows and blankets, overnight outside his quarters when he visited the orphanage on the island of Ometepe I am leaving for Nicaragua today to pray at the tomb of Father Frank. I feel I need to be there for many reasons, especially for closure for myself. I had a deep admiration for what he did even though he was not well physically. I first met Father when I was attending a youth group meeting in Andrews, Texas. We were bobbing for apples. I went under to bob for an apple and felt a strong hand behind my back pushing me into the water. I quickly came up looking for the culprit and there he was laughing with his right hand wet with water. I asked Did you do that? Yes, Priests have fun too you know was his reply. Little did I know I had just met the person who would be the most influential person in my life.

Father Frank
Father Frank was born in San Francisco and served in the Navy Medical Corp. When he was discharged, he bought and ran a Retirement Home. Sensing a call to the religious life, he became a Brother in the order of St. John of the Cross and later studied in Rome for the Priesthood. He was ordained in 1979 at the age of 48 in the diocese of San Angelo, Texas. Father Frank served several parishes and often drove many miles on Sundays saying Mass at the different parishes. Due to ill health (heart by-pass and severe diabetes) he retired at age 66 and was welcomed by Father Cardelli to live in residence at St. Isidores. Shortly after arriving at St. Isidores, a parishioner took him to Mexico for an annual NPH (Nuestros Pequeos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters) meeting. There he met Sister Phyllis Kelleher who convinced him to return to St. Isidores and develop support for the orphanages. Father Frank answered the
(Continued on page 4)

Father Frank Colacicco

September 22, 1930February 15, 2006

Our Largest Family

The Hernndez family were found on the streets of San Salvador by the police, soon after their father passed away. Their mother had died a few years prior. The children had been eating only tortillas and coffee to survive. The two youngest sisters looked like skeletons and suffered greatly from malnutrition and diarrhea. Unfortunately the children were separated after the police brought them to the court of minors. Jose was placed into a home for boys and the girls were in a separate location. When our social worker, Patricia,

went to investigate the case of Jose, she then found out that he had five sisters, one being a twin. The children were reunited and brought to NPH on September 17, 2002 and are now enrolled in school. The youngest two girls are in the pre-kinder program in the babies home.

inside...
Honduras New NPH Exec Director Nicaragua El Salvador New Donation Drop Off Page Page Page Page Page 2 3 4 5 6

Page 2

Honduras (536 Children)

One hour from the nation's capital, Rancho Santa Fe is a thriving community. Almost 600 boys and girls reside in this little village nestled among the hills of the Honduras countryside. Sprinkled throughout the lovely pines are the homes of the NPH Honduras community. The youngest residents, boys and girls six years old and under, live in Casa Suyapa. On a hot summer day, a wading pool may be set up in its central courtyard and groups of little ones wait eagerly for their turn to jump in and splash around. Unique to the Honduras family is Casa Pasionista, belonging to the Order of Passionist Priests. Casa Pasionista is a hospice for adults who are living in the final stages of AIDS. Ailing parents can be with their children as their health deteriorates, comforted by the knowledge that after their death, the chilothers, they contribute to their own well being by attending classes in the airy rooms of the on-site kinder, primary and secondary schools. Some of the children's dreams are simpler; they long to walk, to speak, and to feed themselves. Casa de Los ngeles, located in Tegucigalpa, houses the children with multiple, severe disabilities. Here, both temporary and permanent medical care and physical therapy is provided for the disabled children. An open-air auditorium was funded by Father Franks Kids and built entirely by pequeos with the technical assistance of a local craftsman. On days of celebration, the area is filled with folding chairs made by the pequeos in the vocational workshops. All of our homes' fixtures and furniture are made by our youths. Pequeos who receive three years of vocational training and obtain their certification have little difficulty finding jobs.

dren will have a secure home with NPH. Another special home is Casa Eva, where the grandparents live. They are elderly adults who had no family to care for them until they came to NPH. These elders make the large family more complete. The pequeos can often be found chatting or walking with the seniors. In addition to the care the children give to

Guatemala (304 Children)

Washing Department
By Barbara Sigmund Can you imagine washing clothes for 100 children? Now can you imagine doing it by hand? Meet Miriam Martinez! Miriam not only works for her own children, but she also works for many of the NPH children. The woman from Guatemala washes clothes by hand every weekday from 8am to 5pm for the younger ones, in the Pillas in front of the girls dormitory. As a washing machine is a luxury item in Guatemala, it is important for the children to learn how to wash their clothes, as it may be necessary in the future. Also, the majority of the employees of NPH wash their clothes by hand. Miriam cleans items like the school uniforms of the little ones, who are not yet able to do it themselves and for the disabled. Her job also includes caring about the other clothes and sheets washed by machine and then dried. Miriam lives in Chimaltenango, which is the nearest large town to our home. She lives with her family, which consists of her husband and her three children. Since 2003, she has worked for NPH and she is glad to be here. I really appreciate Miriams smiles, which light up her face no matter how tall the pile of dirty clothes next to her. Father Franks Kids will soon be making Miriams job a lot easier. They are receiving cash donations which will enable them to purchase a large capacity commercial washer and dryer to include in the next shipment to Guatemala .

During 2006, Father Franks Kids shipped 6,550 pounds to Honduras which included:
Childrens Clothes Childrens Shoes Toys 1 ping pong table

Haiti (506 Children)

As you read this a shipment is on its way and is scheduled to arrive in Guatemala before Christmas. It contains:
Childrens Clothing Childrens Shoes 140 Bicycles and Repair Parts Commercial Clothes Washer and Dryer

NPH Secondary School in Haiti. Many older children are first enrolled in the primary school because they arrived with no previous education.

During 2006, Father Franks Kids shipped a container to Haiti which included:
50 Bicycles Bicycle Repair Parts Set of Bicycle Repair Tools

Page 3 In Memoriam - Father Bill Wasson, Founder of NPH

The orphaned and abandoned children of Nuestros Pequeos Hermanos came to us after losing their parents. Now they are suffering the loss of the man that has been the Father of our family for the last 52 years. Father William B. Wasson died on August 16, 2006 receiving his heavenly reward at the age of 82. Over these years, more than 15,000 children have benefited from the love and dedication of Father Wasson. Today, NPH continues to care for more than 3,000 children in the nine countries where Father Wasson established homes. We deeply miss his warmth, his kind smile and his vision of giving so many poor and suffering children a second chance in life. On behalf of all of the personnel of NPH, I want to assure you that the work of Father Wasson for the children continues. Father Wasson had the foresight to make plans to guarantee that Nuestros Pequeos Hermanos would continue serving the children as long as there were children needing our help. Fundraising organizations in the United States, Canada, Europe and Mexico have worked tirelessly to support our work during all these years and continue to support our efforts. The majority of our homes are now under the leadership of former pequeos who learned the philosophy of NPH from Father Wasson himself. They also are committed to realizing his dream. Father founded an organization of service and supervision, Nuestros Pequeos Hermanos International (NPHI), to insure that his legacy continues. The work of NPHI is to help the homes provide the best possible care to the children and to insure that the philosophy of Father Wasson remains the most basic guide for all of them. NPHI will continue to supervise administrative and financial systems to make sure that each donation is used for the good of the children, and will establish more NPH homes as the funding permits. NPHI will prepare more leaders that can take on the work in countries where there is urgent need, until the day when, like Father Wasson, we are called home to the Lord.

Father Bill Wasson Father Philip Cleary named Executive Director of NPH
Father Cleary was born on September 5, 1953. He was raised in a middle-class Irish neighborhood on the North side of Chicago where he attended Catholic schools and the seminary. During his years in the seminary, he worked as a counselor for five years at a Chicago orphanage, as a dorm director at a home for delinquent and troubled youth. Father Phil was ordained in 1979, and assigned to a poor inner-city parish in a Mexican-Puerto Rican neighbourhood. A priest friend introduced him to Nuestros Pequeos Hermanos and in 1983 he volunteered to work at the orphanage for a summer. In 1984 Father Phil solicited and received permission from his bishop in Chicago to go and serve at NPH. That three-month term of volunteer work became a life-time commitment to the poor, orphaned and abandoned children of NPH. From 1990-2002 Father Phil served as National Director for the NPH homes in Mexico. He has now replaced the founder, Father Bill Wasson, as Executive Director.

NPH Homes
(Year Founded) Number of Children 12/2005

Father Franks Kids Involvement

Nicaragua: Chapel built and furnished at Casa Asis (for the children under age 6) Nicaragua: Church built at Casa Santiago on Ometepe Island Nicaragua: Covered play area and play structures built at Casa Asis Honduras: Amphitheatre built to add seating for 600 people attending masses and special events. El Salvador: Funds committed to assist with building a new chapel. 30 shipping containers to 5 countries which have included: Clothing for Children of all ages Baby Beds and Supplies Hygiene & Medical Equip. & Supplies Sports Equipment Appliances (laundry, ice making, air conditioning, pop corn making, etc.) Toys and Bicycles of all sizes Computer Equipment Sewing Machines

Mexico (1954) 884 Children Honduras (1986) 536 Children Haiti (1987) 506 Children Nicaragua (1994) 310 Children Guatemala (1996) 304 Children El Salvador (1999) 377 Children Dominican Republic (2003) 120 Children Peru (2004) 36 Children Bolivia (2005) 40 Children

Page 4

Nicaragua (310 Children)

(Continued from page 1)

Father Frank is buried in a prominent place outside the church he built for the children on the island of Ometepe in Nicaragua.

Lords call with gusto. Sister Phyllis ran Casa Asis for children age 6 and under in Nicaragua. The first load was to be for her. Father Frank asked for clothing and donations from the pulpit. The parishioners of St. Isidores, sensing his commitment, responded generously. They have continued to generously support the program. In the next 3 months, Father Franks Kids will be unveiling a website. It will feature the history of Father Frank's Kids, current efforts underway, a calendar of our upcoming shipment dates, special donation requests, and more. Keep an eye out for the new site at: www.fatherfrankskids.org.

Father Cleary, the new Executive Director of NPH is shown as he spends time at the grave of Father Frank

before I came here. Everyday I learn more at NPH. I learn how to be a skilled and educated person. I have found that Our day begins at I have learned most in 4:30 in the morning. my computer class where We rise, bathe and I am learning programs prepare for school. like Word and Excel. I There is a lot of talkam learning many things ing as we eat our that will help me in the breakfast in the dinfuture. ing room. When we We leave school at 1:45 are finished we have pm and arrive at our assigned chores to house at 2:00 pm, about a complete like doing mile walk. We eat our the dishes, cleaning lunch from 2 to 3 and Breakfast Time our rooms, picking also have time to change up the grounds and finish our work from around our house and starting our laundry. We the morning. Our afternoons are divided into 3 have to complete our responsibilities before we time periods. We have time to study and preleave for class at 7 pare our class assignam. Most of us march ments for the next day, 3 in a line to the school, to 4. Work time is from 4 the youngest ones to 5 and we do things like first, accompanied by cut the grass, clean our Tias. around the visitor house I have my first class and the clinic, clean inat 7:20 and it is either side the clinic and collect Spanish Grammar or wood for our kitchen. Mathematics dependPlaytime is the best, it is ing on the day. from 5 to 6, and that is Classes are about 40 when we have music Cati and Scarleth enjoy a card game or 45 minutes long. playing and can play At 10:30 the entire basketball, soccer, volleyschool has a 20-minute recreation period at ball, and other games. After our activities we which time I go to the patio to relax and preeat dinner at 6:30 pm and then take care of our pare for my following class. personal responsibilities in the house. From 7 After the midmorning break many of the older to 8 we also prepare our clothes for school the children attend vocational classes, while the next day and the younger girls go to bed at 8. younger children continue in their regular class From 8 to 9, the older girls can study or write study. Our workshops include a beauty school, letters or just visit with our friends. At 9 pm it sewing class, woodshop and computer class. is time to retire. Good night Pequeos. These are things that I did not know how to do By Sandy Alizza Omier

A Typical Day at NPH Nicaragua

Bikes
You see bikes listed in almost every shipment we send. They are provided by the local reuse/ recycling program and by Danville Bike which is owned by a St. Isidores parishioner. In this picture 25 selected bikes are being brought in from Pacific Rim Recycling in Benicia They will be inventoried to determine the repair parts they need and stored for the next shipment. The parts are purchased from a supplier in Hayward and stored with the bikes awaiting shipping.

During 2006, Father Franks Kids shipped a container to Nicaragua which included:
Childrens Clothing Childrens Shoes Garden tools Video equipment Baby Cribs Tables and Chairs 55 bikes and repair parts Kitchen items

Page 5

El Salvador (377 Children)

In 1999 Father Wasson founded the sixth and have had to live on the streets to surNPH orphanage in Santa Ana, El Salva- vive. dor. As with the other NPH homes, his NPH El Salvador currently takes care of decision was based on the needs of the more than 370 children, and every week many neglected new children arand abandoned rive. In December children. El 2004, the last of Salvador is still the buildings in devastated after Texistepeque their 12-year were completed civil war. The and the family is rate of violence finally living toand crime is gether again in very high and their new home of many children C i u d a d e l a became orphans Sagrada Familia. because of the Children of NPH El Salvador attending class The property inwar. As with cludes a school, many of the clinic, administrachildren in the care of NPH, they have tive offices, dining room and kitchen; been both verbally and physically abused houses for the boys, girls and the babies.

Annual NPH Meeting News

The annual NPH Conference will be held in El Salvador from February 15 19, 2007. Several representatives from Father Franks Kids will be in attendance including Father Gerald Moran, pastor of St. Isidores Church. In addition, members of support groups in Europe, Canada, Mexico and other parts of the United States will attend. The conference will include reports from the directors of the nine countries having homes and schools. One of the highlights will be an all-day visit to the Sagrada Familia home in El Salvador which will provide the attendees with a first-hand opportunity to see the wonderful work that is being done to provide for the children.

Father Ron Hicks presiding at mass with the children

Sixty-nine children were baptized in October. Most arrived at NPH in the last year, some just a few days prior to the Baptism.

Page 6 Continuing His Legacy

Father Frank had the foresight to have a non-profit charitable organization setup that will keep the focus on his children and continue this work long after he is gone. Father Franks Kids, Inc. was established in 2004. We ask for your support as we carry out Fathers wishes so his children will be healthy, educated, spiritually sound and have an opportunity to live a meaningful life.

Our Wish List!

Father Franks Kids is providing a link between families in Northern California and orphanages in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Container shipments are planned at least once a year to each of them. As you can see from these pages, the donations are a tremendous help for the children and the operation of the orphanages. The following is a list of some of the things we are looking for to include in upcoming shipments: Baby items including food, diapers, clothing, hygiene supplies Items for Personal Hygiene like soaps, shampoos, tooth brushes, tooth paste, powdered soap for washing clothes Childrens Clothing including socks, underwear and especially good tennis shoes Sports Equipment: Soccer & basket balls School/Art/Sewing Supplies Kitchen Equipment: Cooking Utensils, Pots pans, dishes, food storage, appliances Financial Assistance for shipping and to purchase needed items.

New Drop Off Location For Donations To Father Franks Kids

Father Franks Kids has moved from the rectory to the old convent located above the parking lot between the church and El Cerro road. If you have items to donate (see the wish list on this page) you can drop them off anytime by the front door. A donation receipt is available. The new location provides more space for sorting and preparing donations for shipment.

Father Franks Kids

PO Box 478 Alamo, California 94507

Contacts:
Mike Hertel (925) 855-9407 ntvsons@sbcglobal.net Ann Ferrante (925) 743-1935 acferrante@comcast.net Grisell Navas (925)735-7733 2grisell@sbcglobal.net Lauren Rettagliata (925) 552-8002 rettagliata@sbcglobal.net Dick Sanders (925) 837-0307 rwsanders@sbcglobal.net Brent Smith (925) 838-7743 brent@onefamily.org