2024 News & Updates

October 2024

October 16th update - Fundraiser update....FOH is getting closer to having sufficient funds to provide Christmas food hampers again this year for 400 families of the students at the two schools that FOH supports in Retiro & Macuelizo.  Thanks to some generous donations over the past few days the donation total (funds designated specifically for textbooks, for school supplies, for food hampers and also to the "general" fund) is now just under $24,000!  The goal is to raise $35,000 and it's almost within reach!  Thanks so much to all the generous folks who continue to support this work!

October 4th update - Fundraiser update....monetary donations are continuing to arrive and the donation total has now reached $20,000!

September 2024

September 27th update - Fundraiser update.... more donations have come in over the past week that have pushed the amount received so far to over $17,000....which is just about half way to the target of $35,000!!  Some of the funds have been donated toward the food hampers and some toward the textbooks but the majority of funds have been donated to the "general use fund".  Funds that are donated to a specific project will be used for that project and funds donated to the "general use fund" will be used to "top up" those specific projects to help reach those specific fundraising goals.  Once again, thanks to everyone who has donated so far and we look forward as donation deadlines approach (Nov 15th for Food Hamper donations & Jan 15, 2025 for Textbook and School Supplies donations) to moving closer to that fundraising goal of $35,000.  If you are interested in making a donation and would like information on how to do that then please click on the "Donate Now" button on the main page of this website.  Donations of $20 or more from Canadian sources are eligible for a charitable donation receipt for tax purposes. 

September 19th update - Fundraiser update.....Donations are continuing to come in as we work toward reaching our fundraising goal of $35,000…..$18K for Christmas Food Hampers for the 400 families represented at the two schools (donation deadline Nov 15th), $11K for new textbooks for each of the classes for the start of the new school year in Feb 2025 (donation deadline Jan 15th) & $6K for basic school supply starter paks for each student for the start of the new school year in Feb 2025 (donation deadline Jan 15th).  To date over $10,000 has been donated which means we are almost a third of the way toward our goal!  You can look at photos of the food hamper distribution in 2021 and some new textbooks in 2023 by clicking on the Photos/Video tab on the main page of this website.  We are so thankful for the people who so generously and faithfully support this project.  If you would like to know more about Friends of Honduras and ways that you can help then please view the other pages on this website and click on the "Donate Now" button on the main page.  And stay tuned for further updates J

September 7th update - Fundraiser update.....approximately $2800(CAN$) in donations has been received so far toward the purchase of new textbooks for the start of the next school year in February 2025!  We are so thankful for the support of our faithful donors.  This year is the 25th Anniversary of the beginnings of Friends of Honduras (FOH) and in celebration of that milestone FOH is planning some other opportunities for you to get involved in this work as a donor.  We are once again going to try to raise sufficient funds to provide the family of each of the students at the two schools we support with a food hamper at Christmas (each hamper will have enough food for a family of 4 for a week).  Each hamper will cost approximately $45(CAN$), so with approximately 400 families represented at the two schools a total of $18,000(CAN$) will be required.  And we are also looking to purchase "starter paks" of school supplies for each student for the start of the school year (ie. pens, pencils, colored pencils, erasers, rulers, notebooks, glue sticks, etc).  Cost estimates are still being obtained for these items (likely in the $15 range) and updates will be posted here as soon as we have that information.  There is also a plan being formulated for a group from Canada to go to Honduras in February to work on some projects at the schools and medical clinic...more info to follow as the plans get finalized!  For information on how you can donate to any of these projects please click on the "Donate Now" button at the lower right side of the main page of this website.   

August 2024

August 16th update - Things have been going well at the school in Retiro and the students are working hard each day in class.  This current school year will end in another couple of months (the school "year" is February thru November) and in looking ahead we are trying to budget to buy some new textbooks for each class for the start of the new school year in February/March 2025.  The textbooks needed for each grade are for Spanish, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and Mathematics.  Our partners in Honduras have obtained quotes for the cost of the textbooks and it looks like the cost will be approximately $10,300(CAN$).  We have started fundraising for this project and if this is something that interests you and you would like to make a tax deductible donation toward this project then please click on the "Donate Now" button at the bottom right of the main page of this website for information on how you can do that.  We are also looking into getting school year "starter paks" for each student (notebook, paper, pens/pencils, eraser, glue, etc) and information on that will be posted on this page as the details become available.

June 2024

June 21st update - A new photocopier at the school in Retiro has caused a bit of excitement among the students & teachers! With new textbooks hard to come by this new photocopier will allow the teachers to print worksheets and assignments for the students to work on. Thanks for everyone who continues to support this work.....it is making a meaningful difference in a lot of children's lives! You can see pictures of the new photocopier and some of the students on the "Photos & Videos" page of this website.

March 2024

March 15th update - as a result of some very generous monetary donations from our supporters in Canada, FOH has been able to supply new backpacks ("mochilas") to the students at the school in Retiro.  If you click on the "Photos & Videos" tab at the top of the main page of this website and then click on the "March 2024 New Backpacks" tab you will see some great photos (many thanks to our volunteers at the school for taking the pictures!) of some of the students receiving their new backpacks....pretty exciting stuff....the students are very happy to have a way to carry their school supplies & notebooks to and from school each day!!  FOH has also been able to supply some teaching supplies (ie. craft paper, white glue, cardboard, ribbon, colored paper, acrylic markers, whiteboard erasers, staples, paper clips, scissors, permanent markers, etc) so the teachers have something to work with as they are doing lessons and projects with the students.  FOH is also working on getting prices/quotes on supplying new school uniforms and shoes for the students....if this is something that you would like more information on and/or would like to donate to then please check back here on a regular basis for updates.

February 2024

February 8th update - it took a little while longer than expected but the Christmas Food Bags have at last been delivered to the school in Macuelizo.  Supply chain delays, lack of inventory and other extenuating circumstances caused a delay in getting the Christmas food bags to Macuelizo but this past Tuesday morning a great group of FOH volunteers were able to deliver the food bags to 200 families at the school in Macuelizo.  Everyone was very excited to finally be able to make this happen and the students and their families were so appreciative of the food items that were distributed to them.  To view photos of the food delivery and the happy recipients please "click" on the "Photos & Videos" tab at the top right of the main page of this website, then on the "Albums" button and then on the "February 2024 Food Bags at Macuelizo" photo at the top left.  Thanks to everyone in Canada and in Honduras who contributed to this project, we could not have done it without you!

January 2024

January 13th update - Notice of the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Friends of Honduras Society: Friends of Honduras Society - 2024 Annual General Meeting will be held at #202-3795 Carey Road, Victoria, B.C. (head office of DFH Real Estate Ltd.) on Monday, January 29, 2024 at 7 PM. All Welcome!  Access to the building will be provided until 7 PM.