In 1987, while celebrating her college graduation on an Acapulco holiday, Lori Santoro came upon a little Mexican girl standing barefoot on a broiling beach filled with tourists. She wore a simple dress and all the markings of poverty. She was only 3 years old and had been left by her family to peddle trinkets from a large plastic bag, which she tugged across the hot sand.

Her name was Sara, Lori learned, and in one heartbreaking close-up glance she saw the overwhelming hunger in her beautiful dark eyes. The hunger was not just of the stomach, Lori knew, but of the mind and heart and spirit. And no one seemed to care or even notice.

Lori had to leave Sara that day and return home to Tennessee, but walking back to her hotel she made a vow to someday do something to help the Saras of the world.

She has kept that promise. She is now the founder and executive director of Casa de Sara, a non-profit organization named for little Sara and dedicated to helping children like her.

In 2000, Lori and her husband adopted a baby from Bolivia. It was that experience that exposed them to the many helpless children living moment-to-moment in the countless orphanages in Bolivia.

This was the time and opportunity, Lori realized, to fulfill her promise to Sara. Before taking her new daughter home to Tennessee, she quickly solicited funds from the United States and with $1,000 she somehow bought food, medicine, showers, toilets, towels, toothbrushes, soap, shoes, clothes, toys, construction material, a stove, a refrigerator, and persuaded a Santa Cruz doctor to volunteer medical aid. She also staged a party for children from two orphanages, featuring a free concert by a Santa Cruz symphony orchestra.

That was the beginning of Casa de Sara, now a tax-exempt charity organization designed to help children throughout Central and South America. The goal is to provide education, healthcare, and special projects which include shelter, food, and other immediate needs.

Casa de Sara helps children so that someday they will help themselves and future generations. Virtually every donated penny goes directly to the children. On behalf of the children, thank you for helping.

Tax-deductible donations may be made to Casa de Sara, P.O. Box 30306, Knoxville, TN, 37930.

Or e-mail Lori Santoro, Founder and CEO: lsantoro@casadesara.org

Gracias!

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