Our Cause
Friends of the Orphans
For more than 50 years, Friends of the Orphans has worked to end the vicious cycle of poverty by giving safe, loving homes, and brighter futures to children in Latin America and the Caribbean. They do so through fundraising and volunteer efforts that support nine Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH,Spanish for "Our Little Brothers and Sisters") homes and their outreach programs. NPH transforms the lives of orphaned, abandoned and disadvantaged children by creating families for life, through values of unconditional love, shared responsibility, and education. This enables children to grow into caring and productive members of their communities. Currently, over 3,500 children live in the NPH homes.
NPH is unique in the approach they take to raising children. Instead, of coming and going or receiving care from a distance, the children receive direct physical, emotional, and spiritual support on a long-term basis. Children at NPH homes are not available for adoption but rather welcomed with their brothers and sisters into the larger NPH family. This gives the children a sense of belonging and security in knowing they have a place to live, and will always have a home and family. Children are required to share their possessions with others, be responsible for their actions, and work hard in school. All children are given a quality education and have the opportunity to pursue a trade or a university degree. Each day, every child is given a chore such as dusting, mopping, cooking or farming, teaching them responsibility and encouraging them to find pride in helping their family. When children leave NPH, they are prepared to be productive, self-sufficient and caring members of their own communities.
Friends of the Orphans also supports those in the community during the end stages of life. Many of the homes offer transitional programs where parents afflicted with illness can settle within the facility with their children. Parents can find peace knowing their children have a large caring family to provide support to their children in their absence. Similar programs exist within NPH homes for geriatric individuals whom are no longer able to receive the care they need from the community or family.
Please visit the Friends of the Orphans' website for more information, to donate, or to sponsor a child.
The Chippewa Valley Free Clinic
Located at 1030 Oak Ridge Dr. in Eau Claire, the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic has been serving western Wisconsin for 21 years. Since opening in 1997, over 46,162 lives have been saved by providing health care to those who are under-insured or uninsured. Each year, CVFC dispenses over 3,000 prescriptions with an estimated wholesale value of $1 million. In 2018, an average clinic cost is about $204 per visit, with an average annual clinic cost of $860 per patient. In 2018, average annual operation of the clinic expense per week is $8,244.
Over the years, the cost of health care has increased dramatically. At the same time, the number of under-insured and uninsured Americans has skyrocketed, greatly increasing the demand for the services provided by the CVFC.
Since 1994, community volunteers and donors have made the operation of the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic possible. Currently, there are close to 200 volunteers and 8 paid staff members who work at the Clinic. There is no doubt that the CVFC provides a much needed service to the Chippewa Valley, and the Eau Claire Triathlon is excited to support such a worthy organization!
Please visit the Chippewa Valley Free Clinic's website for more information, to donate, or to volunteer.
