Hogar Salem

Expressing the Christian Faith Through Acts of Compassion!

Deeds of Love

Building Repairs for the Orphanage Hogar Salem,

Arecibo, Puerto Rico

The purpose of this Deed Project is to effect critical repairs to the building that serves as Hogar Salem. Hogar Salem is a girls’ home that currently provides a safe haven to 14 girls ranging from ages nine to 18. These girls are either orphaned or have been abused or neglected.

Hogar Salem has been in existence for 18 years. However, it operates solely on government grants and donations, and in recent years, the grants have been very limited. As of this writing, the grant that pays for the employees’ salaries has not been received in six months.

Hogar Salem is threaten of being closed down due to its disrepair. Government inspectors have given Hogar Salem 60 days to repair all deficiencies. They have also given Hogar Salem six months to relocate to a different location or their operating license would not be renewed. The short term goal is to correct the pending discrepancies to ensure Hogar Salem can continue to operate. The Lord will dictate what the longer implications of this project will be.

Although Hogar Salem’s building is in need of repair, the staff of this home are very loving people who work hard protecting the girls that call Hogar Salem their home. The estimated cost of this project is $800.

The short terms repairs include:

· Repair of leaking wooden porch roof

· Replacing the lights of the wooden porch

· Painting sleeping room ceiling

· Replace sleeping room door

· Install missing doors to toilet stalls

· Paint windows, security bars, and gate

· Repair or replace clothes chest

· Replace worn out tables

· Repair the one air conditioner available

Deed Project Summary — Fall 2007

Proverbs 11:25

²⁵A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.

Hogar Salem is on the second floor of this warehouse. At right, Leaking wooden porch.

Sleeping room ceiling in need of repair.

Broken door and Worn out clothes chest.

Lights that must be replaced and toilet stalls in need of privacy doors.

Tables that must be replaced and rusted windows.

Deed Project Proposal — Fall 2007

This project centered around the immediate building repair needs of the orphanage Hogar Salem in Arecibo, PR. During a building inspection in August, the Department of Family Services in Puerto Rico determined that many repairs needed to be completed immediately to this home or it could face closure. Deeds of Love and its friends immediately answered the call for help and completed the following:

· Repaired a leaking wooden porch roof by installing steel posts to eliminate water accumulation on it

· Installed two lamps under the wooden porch

· Painted sleeping room ceiling

· Replaced and stained a sleeping room door

· Installed missing doors to toilet stalls

· Painted six windows, security bars, and two large gates

· Assisted with the replacement of two clothes chest

· Replaced worn out tables

· Repaired two air conditioning units

· Repaired four leaking toilets and a broken bathroom faucet

· Installed shower heads

· Repaired electrical wiring on front porch and inside the house

· Replaced broken pedestal fan

· Installed privacy curtain on closet space

· Repaired broken dinning room chairs

This project was possible due to the continued support and many hours of dedicated work of members from Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen in Puerto Rico (they dedicated over 200 man-hours to this project). Several friends of Deeds of Love, the Bedford Christian Church, Kentucky, the Tercera Iglesia Presbiteriana in Aguadilla, PR, and the Chapel Team from Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen made the financial contributions needed to make this project a reality. Thank You!

Although the purpose of this particular project was achieved, Hogar Salem is still facing many significant challenges with their building. The orphanage must relocate to an adequate facility by next Spring or the operating license will not be renewed. Let us continue to pray for Hogar Salem and for the 14 girls that call Hogar Salem “home.”