Our History

AJC Children's Foundation operates in conjunction with the international community.  At present, they work with Accion Humana in Germany, the Fiset family in Canada and Peter Bueth in Honduras. 

From right to left: Peter Beuth, Eleanor Fiset, Alexander Valentin and Martin Lopez, AHLE Director.

 

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1993 Alexander Valentin creates Acción Humana in Hamburg, Germany, to insure that 100% of his donations would go directly to caring for children in poor countries. He forms a partnership with a local church in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to create an orphanage called Hogares Manantial. Initially, Acción Humana gave $300,000 for the construction.
1993-1995  Hogares Memorial is built and becomes home for approximately 30 children with a woodworking shop, metal shop and a sewing shop.  
1996  Dr. Bob Walsh donates a yellow school bus, sends first 40-foot container, and visits San Pedro Sula for the first time. He shares his experience with friends and returns a second time in November. Peter Beuth, a German living in Honduras, becomes involved as a board member of Hogares Manantial.  
1997  A second dormitory was built and the total number of children increased to 50+. AJC Everlasting Light Foundation is created in Florida and obtains a 501 (c) 3 from the IRS. Eleanor and Russell Fiset from Montreal, Canada become involved. They obtain $25,000 to build a school for 200 children on the grounds of Hogares Manantial that will also serve the surrounding neighborhood children. AJC furnishes the school completely for $2,500.  
1998  Hurricane Mitch hits Honduras in October. Acción Humana and the AJC Everlasting Light Foundation sends financial aid and four 40-foot containers of survival material.  
1999  Hogares Manantial and Acción Humana decide to terminate their partnership. Acción Humana, AJC Everlasting Light Foundation and Peter Beuth decide to work together and continue the work with abandoned, abused and disadvantaged children of Honduras. A transitional home is opened to allow the older children from the orphanage to live more independently before going out into the world on their own.  
2000  All paper work to form AHLE = Acción Humana de la Luz Eterna is begin in Honduras. It is the combination of Acción Humana and AJC Everlasting Light (Luz Eterna) Foundations.

A scholarship program is begun that allows 25 girls to continue their schooling beyond the 5th or 6th grade. The city of San Francisco de Yojoa (one hour ride from San Pedro Sula) donates 2½ acres of land to AHLE to build a new home for children. AJC sends $25,000 to AHLE.  
2001 AHLE recognized by the Honduran government. Tax exempt status granted. Ground breaking ceremony takes place and the construction is begun. Transitional house for the boys and the scholarship program for girls are maintained. AJC sends $37,000 to AHLE. We have our first high school student graduate from the program.  
2002 Construction continues. The project includes a dormitory to sleep between 60 and 80 children with 4 rooms for adult caretakers, a computer school (for graphic design), the cafeteria, an international volunteer house for professionals to visit and share their skills and 2 sport fields, one for soccer and one for basketball. The administration building is not built because of lack of funds. Above programs of transitional house and scholarships maintained. AJC sends $17,500 to AHLE and sends a 40-foot container which contains all the kitchen equipment, hot water heater, paint, floor and wall tiles, office equipment including computers and large copier, sports equipment including basketball backboards, among all the other items. Three more students graduate from high school with honors and are gainfully employed immediately.  
2003 The computer school, cafeteria, dormitory and volunteer house are completed by November. Opening ceremony and admission begins. AJC sends $22,000 to AHLE. The enrollment in the middle and high school increases from 150 students to 300 because of the possibilities AHLE presents to the area. AJC sends two containers (40-foot hi-top), which supplies the school with the desks for the increased enrollment, the cafeteria furniture, volunteer house furniture, desks for the computer school and much more. AJC receives tax exempt status for sales tax in state of Florida. Two more students graduate from high school, one with a specialty in hospitality and the other in engineering.  
2004 AJC Everlasting Light Foundation changes its name to the AJC CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION to better describe what we do. The children are admitted to the new orphanage. AHLE and the scholarship programs are maintained. AJC has its first fundraiser event, which is the FIRST ANNUAL AJC GOLF TOURNAMENT on May 22nd.
2005 2nd Annual Golf tournament raised $18,000. Carlos Zapata again organizes the backpack program here in South Florida as well as in Honduras with 250 backpacks collected and distributed. We increased the number of boys in the orphanage to 25 and gave out 15 scholarships to girls living in poverty who would be unable to attend school.
2006 3rd Annual Golf tournament raised $22,000. AJC distributed 300 backpacks to the children in the area. AJC sent $45,000 for the maintenance of the orphanage. The number of boys in the orphanage increased to 36 with an increase in the staff and volunteers to handle the workload. The computer school has 250 students per week from the local high school which brought the internet to this area and is also used as an internet café at night and the weekends. This allows the area residents to learn about computers and opens a whole new world for them, as well as bringing in revenue for the project. The project itself is responsible for raising of 10% of the annual budget.
2007 4th Annual Golf Tournament raised $28,000. The building was completed that houses our welding school and auto mechanic school. Backpack program distributed 400 filled backpacks in January. AJC sent $60,000 to maintain the 40 children that are entrusted to us and call the orphanage their home. We hire a new director who is an attorney, Aida Cerrato and a clinical social worker.
2008 5th Annual Golf Tournament raised $22,000 under the direct leadership of Board director Sharon Reeves. Carlos Zapata collected 500 backpacks and distributed them to the poor children in the area. The office building was completed which has offices for the director, sub-director, accountant, study hall, bathroom and secure file room. Built in memory of John and Ceil Walsh with their quote over the door “Children are a gift from God”. $80,000 is sent to support the orphanage (AHLE = Acción Humana de la Luz Eterna) after we improved the quality of the nutrition program as well as hired a more professional and experienced staff. We hire a psychologist for the training of the staff and the evaluation of the children as well as an full time accountant. We have retained Marcos Maradiaga to be the director of the workshops to open in early 2009.
2009 Goals
  • Open the welding and auto mechanic school
  • Backpack program to include 700 children
  • Have 50+ boys in the home
  • Have 30+ girls on scholarships
  • AJC sends $80,000+ to maintain the project
    • 2009 Welding and Auto Mechanics schools completed and opened for 20 students.
    2010 AJC and Accion Humana in Germany raise funds for the project.
  • 65 boys and 50 girls
  • Three schools: computer, welding and auto mechanics
  • Backpack program distributes 1,200 backpacks to poor kids in four towns so they can attend school
  • Teams of volunteers share their love, time and special skills with the children in Honduras
  • A transitional house is secured for graduates to make the change to independent living