Empowering Foster Girls and Teens in Puerto Rico

Dear Supporters,

As we embrace the warmth of the holiday season, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support of Hogares Teresa Toda. Your generous contributions have profoundly impacted the lives of our girls. With your help, we are fostering a nurturing environment where healing and growth can truly flourish.

This past quarter has been a joyous journey filled with community spirit and togetherness. We are deeply grateful to the First Bank volunteers who generously donated their time and effort to paint the girls' residence, transforming it into a clean, calm, and welcoming environment that truly reflects the care and compassion we strive to provide.

We held our first "Al Son de mi Cultura" celebration, welcoming friends, major donors, alumnae, and members of our Board of Directors. Board President Arturo Ortiz opened the evening with remarks and introduced our newly appointed director, Sister Josefina Acevedo. The celebration brought together our community to share meaningful stories of how their experiences and contributions have enriched both the organization and our current residents. The evening featured authentic cuisine, cultural music, festivities, and beautiful artwork created by our girls. A powerful moment was Kiara's personal account—a graduate who spoke eloquently about how her time with us became a turning point in her life, illustrating the transformative work of our organization. You can view her inspiring story here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/DCD45Ht0EbU

We celebrated Thanksgiving with a special dinner where our community came together to give thanks. Our girls participated in the Turkey Trot at their schools, and four of them proudly took first place. Each received a turkey as their prize, which became the centerpiece of our Thanksgiving feast. Their participation highlights their remarkable resilience and their ability to belong and thrive among their peers, despite the challenges they have faced.

As December arrived, our girls received a very special visit from the Reyes Magos de Juana Díaz, a cherished Puerto Rican tradition that represents faith, hope, and solidarity. These Three Kings are volunteers from the parish of San Ramón Nonato in Juana Díaz who dedicate themselves to keeping this Christian tradition alive. Over the years, they have traveled throughout Puerto Rico and beyond—visiting Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, Spain, the United States, and even the Vatican—bringing their message of hope to communities, churches, hospitals, and schools. Their visit brought joy and magic to our home, reinforcing the values that our girls need to experience: generosity, unity, and faith.

We also celebrated a Misa de Aguinaldo at our facilities, a Catholic Eucharistic celebration that is part of a novena of masses honoring the preparation for the birth of Christ and is a treasured Puerto Rican spiritual tradition. Our community came together in this meaningful religious service, sharing this profound tradition with us and strengthening the bonds that unite us all.

The holiday season continued to bring additional celebrations and shared joy with our girls. The Liberty Foundation generously provided gifts for our girls, spreading joy and cheer throughout the season. Additionally, many of our girls participated in nativity scenes and other Christmas celebrations organized by their schools, where they became part of these cherished traditions, embodying the true meaning of the season and creating lasting memories with their school communities.

We are excited to share some significant milestones from this quarter. Our recreational leader has been actively engaging the girls in fitness activities, collaborating with our nutritionist to promote healthy lifestyles. The positive changes we're witnessing in their well-being are truly heartwarming. Academically, all our girls finished the semester with averages above 80%, maintaining our proud record of zero academic failures. Their dedication and hard work inspire us every day.

Moreover, our efforts have been recognized by a family court judge, who highlighted the positive contributions we make in the lives of our residents. This acknowledgment fuels our passion and commitment to our mission. Additionally, one of our social workers became certified in play therapy, enhancing the support we can offer to our girls. We also achieved a significant milestone by digitizing all medical records, simplifying the tracking of appointments and treatments.

While we celebrate these successes, we also faced challenges. Operating at maximum capacity, we encountered a minor outbreak of influenza and mycoplasma. Fortunately, our proactive measures kept everyone safe and avoided hospitalizations.

Looking ahead, we are focused on three essential initiatives that will strengthen our capacity to serve our girls: acquiring a reliable vehicle to support transportation for school and medical appointments, transitioning to comprehensive electronic health records to optimize our clinical operations, and pursuing CARF accreditation in 2027 to ensure we meet the highest standards of care. Each of these priorities demands significant financial investment in infrastructure, technology, and compliance. We recognize that achieving these goals requires partnership and support beyond our current resources. Your continued generosity and investment in these strategic initiatives will directly enhance the quality of life for our residents and position Hogares Teresa Toda as a leader in trauma-informed care. We invite you to consider partnering with us as we make these transformative improvements to better serve our girls' futures.

In closing, as we gather with loved ones this holiday season, we send our warmest wishes to you and your families. Thank you for being an essential part of our mission. Together, we are creating a brighter future for our girls, empowering them to become independent and strong women.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Hogares Teresa Toda