Our Story

Some facts on Honduras:

• Honduras is a mountainous country of 5.5 million people.
• 50% of the population is under 15 years old.
• 40% are unemployed or underemployed.
• 10% hold full-time jobs Unskilled labor pays $2 a day.
• 70% of the people live in poverty.
• 75% of the population suffers from malnutrition.
• There is little access to clean water.
• 12,000 children EACH year, 36 EACH day, die of preventable disease.
• Since hurricane "Mitch" there has been a 20% increase in street children.
• 95% of the street children take drugs to dull their appetites.

There are no statistics on the number of children who live on the streets, but they number in the hundreds in the small town of El Progreso, and in the thousands in the nearby city of San Pedro Sula. The young boys learn to steal to survive and the best career they can hope for is a job shining shoes. For a young girl, the situation is even bleaker. Early pregnancies rob them of any choices at all.

Perhaps saddest of all for these children is the lack of love in their lives. These homeless children are an invisible population in their own country. There are no government agencies to help them; no school will accept them, and they themselves feel worthless. They have no hope.

There is a growing desire on the part of many Hondurans to find a solution to the plight of homeless children. In El Progreso, concerned citizens are working to support the House of Friendship, a private shelter currently housing 160 children and assisting 30 more children whose families are trying to stay together under the most desperate circumstances. During its more than 10 years of operation, the House of Friendship has provided a loving and supportive environment for children, while educating parents on their roles and responsibilities. It has made a difference in the lives of these children and their families, offering both hope and opportunity across the generations.

House of Friendship runs on private donations. We continue to receive the support of many kind people around the world, as well as the Knights of Malta. Our founder and director, Sister Tere Gonzales, of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, is assisted by a staff of local Honduran educators. She heads a local Board of Directors, comprised of businessmen, doctors, and government workers. The U.S. Board is headed by our founders, Patricia and Henry King of New Jersey. All are committed and caring people who have seen firsthand the debilitating effect this situation has had on the economy and national well-being of Honduras.

We seek support for our efforts to provide hope and opportunity to those who seek to help themselves.