In January 2014, Outreach for Nazareth Orphanage (OFNO) was officially recognized as a 501(c)(3). All the financing and legal requirements to establish OFNO as a nonprofit, both at the federal and state levels, was accomplished through the generous donation of a benefactor.
Father Kelly, OFNO’s President/Spiritual Moderator, has been taking volunteers to the orphanage since September, 1996. Since the establishment of the nonprofit, Father Kelly and many other donors and volunteers have continued to support the orphanage much more effectively.
OFNO is headquartered at:
6797 Encelia Place
Carlsbad, CA 92011
Phone: 760-448-5462
Yes, currently there are five members who voluntarily serve on the Board. Their personal
biographies and areas of responsibility can be found on the OFNO website.
You can make a donation by credit card on our website, or mail a check to the following address:
Outreach For Nazareth Orphanage
6797 Encelia Place
Carlsbad, CA 92011
The short answer is “no” because the volunteers go to the orphanage four times a year and bring their own supplies to support each trip. OFNO has no place to store donations prior to a trip nor can it guarantee it will have space available to take your donations.
Absolutely. Go to OFNO’s website and sign up for the next trip, and bring your donations along. Be forewarned that you may be stopped at the border by Mexican custom officials to pay a tariff on your gifts.
Nazareth Orphanage is located in Tecate, Mexico approximately 6.2 miles from the U.S. border.
Nazareth Orphanage is 7 hectares complete with a security wall and one entrance gate. Each hectare has 10,000 square meters. There are 4,000 square meters to an acre.
The Sisters have seven orphanages throughout Mexico and one in Peru. Four currently house both boys and girls. There are two orphanages which have approximately one hundred boys and girls; they are located in Morelia and Uruapan, Mexico. Nazareth Orphanage hopes to become the third orphanage with one hundred boys and girls.
Currently, the number of children at Nazareth Orphanage fluctuates but, on average, the orphanage houses 50 young boys between the ages of 4 and 12 years old and a limited number of girls in temporary housing. There are eight Sisters from the order of the Sacred Heart and of the Poor who live onsite, tending to the children. With the help of the current fundraising campaign, Girls Everywhere Matter, Nazareth Orphanage will be able to welcome up to 50 young girls, too.
Yes, the orphanage has a Board of Directors which draws its membership from the local business community of Tecate. The Catholic priest of Tecate and Father Brian F. Kelly Ph.D., who is President and Spiritual Moderator of Outreach for Nazareth Orphanage, are also members of the board. The Tecate Board oversaw the surveying of the walled compound and the deeding of the property to the Sisters of the Sacred Heart and of the Poor. They also undertake other large maintenance projects.
The Tecate Board of Directors gives broad leeway for the Director of Nazareth Orphanage to handle the general operations and day-to-day activities.
The monthly budget is approximately $3,000 US dollars. The Director of the orphanage receives this funding from various sources:
a. Financial donations
b. Selling used clothing and furniture
c. Twice a year charity bazaars/fairs and quarterly rental of buildings for spiritual retreats
The Nazareth Orphanage receives no direct financial support from the Mexican government. Nazareth Orphanage does receive subsides for food, but the Director of the orphanage must drive to Tijuana once a month to receive this food. The children do receive free medical, dental and academic education from the local community.
The sisters are not sure how they are going to support more children at the orphanage. Support will include increasing donations to the orphanage itself, support from OFNO’s on-line donation website and the potential to rent portions of the new community center to local church and civic organizations in the Tecate area for additional income.
No, not in the traditional understanding of a child who has no father or mother to care for them. Some children do fall into this category, but others are placed at the orphanage because families are unable to properly care for their children both financially, educationally, emotionally and spiritually. The Mexican people try to choose not to allow a child to live on the street. Therefore, families will place their son(s) and daughter(s) at an orphanage until they have the means and opportunity to properly care for them. Many of the orphan boys have been raised at Nazareth Orphanage while being separated from their sister siblings.
In 2017, realizing the ever-present danger of human trafficking of at-risk young girls, Outreach for Nazareth Orphanage initiated a fundraising campaign “Girls Everywhere Matter” (GEM) to raise $750,000 for the development of additional campus facilities beginning with a dormitory and dining facility (Phase 1) designed to accommodate up to 50 young orphaned girls for the first time at the Nazareth Orphanage. These facilities will provide the girls with the same safety and life-sustaining necessities as the orphaned boys.
During the school year, OFNO organizes four Saturday volunteer trips to Nazareth Orphanage in Tecate, Mexico. Volunteers leave San Diego in the early morning, caravan 6 miles across the U.S.-Mexico border, and return home in the early evening. Trips typically take place in the months of September, November, January, and March. Register now to volunteer for our next trip!
January’s Saturday volunteer trip coincides with OFNO’s annual Angel Project, which celebrates the Epiphany with the children and Sisters at Nazareth Orphanage. This is a Christmas celebration, where volunteers can sponsor a child and/or travel with OFNO to Nazareth Orphanage to deliver Christmas gifts. To sponsor the Angel Project or to learn more contact us.
Adults (18 & over) need a passport to re-enter the US on the return trip. Children (17 & under) will need birth certificates to re-enter the US. Please be aware that you are required to have additional auto insurance to drive in Mexico.
Outreach for Nazareth Orphanage also requires that each person on the trip sign a Waiver of Liability which can be found on our Website. There is a Waiver for both adults and minors. A family Waiver of Liability is also available.
If you choose to participate in our trips but prefer to travel to the orphanage from your own home, we encourage you to be sure to fill out the volunteer registration form and sign the Waiver of Liability before the trip.
For important trip information and driving directions please download: + VOLUNTEER INFORMATION
Nazareth Orphanage is located in Tecate, Mexico, just about 6.2 miles across the border. For important trip information and driving directions please download: + VOLUNTEER INFORMATION
For St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church Volunteers:
Volunteers meet at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church, 11451 Blue Cypress Drive, San Diego, in the parking lot near the covered area (solar panels) at 7:30 AM where we arrange carpools and caravan to the orphanage. We depart by no later than 7:45 AM. Driving directions from St. Gregory to the orphanage are included under Important Tecate Trip Information on this Website.
For St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church Volunteers:
Volunteers meet at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church, 6628 Santa Isabel Street, Carlsbad, in the lower parking lot at 7:15 AM where we arrange carpools and caravan to the orphanage together. We depart by no later than 7:30 AM. Driving directions from St. Elizabeth Seton to the orphanage are included under Important Tecate Trip Information on this Website.
View all current volunteer opportunities.
ATTIRE:
• The weather can be fickle so it is a good idea to dress in layers.
• Please wear appropriate clothing that can get dirty - nothing too short or revealing; no inappropriate logos/phrases. It is dusty and can be hot/cold depending on the time of year. • Volunteers should dress in work or paint clothes as most projects involve painting or cleaning projects.
THINGS TO BRING:
• Please bring a small backpack or other bag to carry your personal items. There are no lockers so you will keep your bag with you at all times (or you may lock items in the car).
• It is suggested that you leave all valuables at home and travel lightly.
• If you have signed up for a specific project, it is always helpful to bring any needed tools - gloves are always a good idea!
• If you are volunteering during warm weather, please do not forget your sunglasses and apply/bring sunscreen.
FOOD/BEVERAGE:
• We ask that you bring 1-2 water bottles per person. Water will be available during lunchtime, but it is important to stay hydrated (especially during warmer months).
• It’s a good idea to bring snack(s) for your use, in case you get hungry. Eat a good breakfast beforehand or bring a snack as lunch is not served until approximately 1 pm.
• Please bring your own lunch, if you have any dietary restrictions. There are no stores within walking distance.
Volunteers are always needed and welcomed. You can help us spread the word about OFNO by sharing this Website with friends and family, by following/sharing/liking OFNO’s pages on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn and by sharing your experiences and photographs with us so we can, in turn, share them on our Facebook and other social media pages.
We schedule trips to the orphanage four times a year in September, November, January and March. Our next trip is scheduled for September 19, 2020. However, Covid-19 may impede our ability to go across the border. The outbreak in Mexico may also make it unsafe to travel there. Please check the Website often to get current updates.
Your financial support is always appreciated. Donating to OFNO is easy. Donations can be made online in our secure portal. Donors can even setup re-occurring automatic donations (i.e. monthly donations). If you’d prefer, donations by check should be made out to ‘Outreach for Nazareth Orphanage’ and mailed to OFNO, Father Brian Kelly, 6797 Encelia Place, Carlsbad, CA 92011.
Yes, donations are tax deductible. OFNO is a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. After you donate through the secure online portal, a receipt is automatically generated for your tax
reporting purposes. Check donations will be acknowledged through a written letter sent via US Postal Service.
FED ID#: 32-0431991
Donations made to OFNO can help in one of two ways:
1) Provide funding for necessary facilities (i.e., fully-equipped laundry room), and the upkeep/maintenance of the orphanage. See our Website for ways you can sponsor repair projects during our trips.
2) Contributing to our capital campaign, "Girls Everywhere Matter", to welcome young, at-risk girls to Nazareth Orphanage. Our goal is to raise $750,000 to build the first phase which consists of a dormitory and kitchen/dining room facilities for 50 girls to protect them from human trafficking.
Other phases of construction will include:
Phase 2: Chapel to accommodate 150 people for prayer and worship
Phase 3: Community center that can provide classroom space and an indoor play area
Yes, it takes many generous hands and wallets to keep this orphanage operating. OFNO can help facilitate a special group’s vision on how they can contribute to the mission of the orphanage. Please contact fundraising@ofno.org to explore how you can help.
