The El Buen Pastor Fund is an IRS approved, tax-deductible, non-profit, U.S. corporation. It is run according to corporate legal requirements and has been formally organized as a Washington State non-profit corporation since June, 2002, providing on-going funding for the Casa Hogar El Buen Pastor.

The policy of the Fund is that every cent raised goes directly to meet needs of the children. There are no overhead, fundraising or travel expenses and no administrative salaries. Before its formal non-profit incorporation, the Fund existed in a non-formal status since 1989.

Guardian Angels from Washington State

In 1989, Pamela Foster-Smith first heard about an orphanage in Morelia that was facing a severe financial crisis. A United States citizen from Blaine, Washington, Pam decided to visit. She met the then-director Miss Paulsen, who at 88 years of age, was struggling to keep the Casa Hogar El Buen Pastor in operation. Pam offered much needed support.

Using proceeds from tournaments at the golf course she developed and operates, Foster-Smith began to augment the meager budget of the Casa Hogar. Another Blaine resident, Hazel Sibillia, was independently raising funds for the children and visiting the Casa Hogar annually. Their efforts and the efforts of many others help to keep the Casa running.

In 1997, Washington state resident Donna Zimmerman moved part-time to Morelia, where she learned about the orphanage and began volunteering. She and her husband saw a tremendous need and chose to lend support and provide for the children's dental care. Donna now heads up the secretarial/treasurer position of the El Buen Pastor Fund.

A year later in November, Cuquita, the last director, told her excitedly, "Tomorrow Pam is coming, and she's from Washington!" Many people confuse Washington D.C. with Washington state, so Donna didn't think much of the connection. When Pam and Donna met the following day, they found much to their surprise that they live about 80 miles apart and shared a common passion for the children of the orphanage. Since that time, they've worked cooperatively, along with others, to help provide for the needs of the children at the Casa Hogar El Buen Pastor.

Educating the Children

Together, Pam, Donna and others have attempted to fulfill some of the unmet needs for the children. Knowing how strongly Miss Paulsen felt about the importance of the children's education, the Americans wanted to share the burden of providing educational assistance.

The Americans were saddened and frustrated by what they saw, such as the 11-year-old child, clearly eager to learn, who was struggling with first- grade addition. In May of 2002, a three-month pilot education program was begun with a trained Mexican teacher. The benefits to the children were immediately clear-but funding would be needed. To ensure funding for this and other programs on an on-going basis, El Buen Pastor Fund sought and was granted tax-deductible status by the IRS.

As of early 2007 the orphanage operates on slightly more than $2,900.00 US per month, an amount that barely covers food and utilities for the 40-plus children and the three unsalaried workers. This does not include the teacher's salary. The average annual increase of this amount is about 15% due to inflation and program improvements.

The four major goals of the fund are as follows: improved education for the children, enrichment opportunities to provide a creative outlet, an adequate program of medical and dental care and attention to such basic needs as adequate nutrition, sufficient shoes, clothing, medicines, medical care and required school uniforms.