Hogar de Vida is an orphanage right down our street, but it's more than that. It's a place of hope and growth for everyone involved.
It doesn't matter whether you are a director, accountant, teacher, or student at NSA... you all share a common goal of spreading 'love' and 'joy.'
We asked some of our students and staff, "What makes Hogar de Vida so special?" ...and this is what some of them said.
"It's not about material possession, it’s not about who’s cool or not, it’s about connecting one-on-one with another human being who wants to be loved and accepted. Both our students and the little kids get that feeling from their interaction." - NSA Staff
"One big community working together towards a better cause - that's the beauty of Hogar de Vida!" - NSA Staff
"It makes me feel like a parent for a day. It's really cool to see their faces light up when they see us, and it's the same both ways, my face also lights up. I'm very happy when I go there." - NSA Student
"It was my first time going to an orphanage, people made it seem a lot harder than it was, I’m somewhat good with kids, but especially with my Hogar de Vida ‘son.’ A previous student had him before me, and no one really ‘wanted him’ - he would spit on me or climb up from behind, mess around... But it takes time. If you show them that you care and you want to be around them, even just the vibe of that, they will pick up on it. And he just became a whole new person - he comes up and grabs my hand; I'm now his best friend and he's mine." - NSA Student
"The experience as a whole - it not only helps me as a person but also them. They get to interact with people that are older and a positive influence on their life, which they might’ve not had in the past." - NSA Student
"They don’t think anyone besides the ‘tias’ would care for them. As some of us are young men, or getting to be there, it’s very positive for them to get and see positive 'male' examples, and we as students get to build our identity in a way too." - NSA Student
"For someone who struggles with comfortability around little kids, it’s honestly still pretty fun to see everyone having a fantastic time, and even if you aren’t a great fan of little kids, you can still help out. I still enjoy seeing them have fun." - NSA Student
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