TAMIKA CATCHINGS SUPPORTS CHRISTEL HOUSE’S RISING STARS
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A KALEIDOSCOPE OF COLOR AT ‘AN EVENING CELEBRATING CHRISTEL HOUSE INDIA’
Spring 2014
JOIN US IN ‘DRIVING OUT POVERTY’ AT THE RCI CHRISTEL HOUSE OPEN Planning for the 2014 RCI Christel House Open is in full ‘swing’ on three continents. For 12 years now, more than 1,500 golfers annually help raise funds to benefit the children of Christel House.
Danish Punjabi Artist Anita Lerche with Christel DeHaan She is taking the Punjabi music industry by storm! Despite blustering snow and below freezing temperatures, Anita Lerche brought a bit of India to Indianapolis last December. The Indian-American community turned out in force to hear this fair, Danish singer with a mastery of the Punjabi language. Anita’s diverse background in the performing arts includes training in London at the Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and being the voice of Barbie in the Danish Toy Story 2 and 3. She is the first non-Asian woman from the West to release albums in Punjabi. Performing pro-bono to honor the work of Christel House India, Anita brought people to their feet, time and time again, at ‘An Evening Celebrating Christel House India.’ Repeatedly, she invited guests to join her on stage and dance, creating a kaleidoscope of color and movement, joy and exuberance. After the concert, Anita mingled with guests, signing autographs, posing for photographs and helping raise funds for Christel House India. The crowd lingered for more than an hour, their hearts and imaginations captured by the stunning blue-eyed blonde. Thanks to the generosity of our guests, almost $25,000 was raised for the children of Christel House India. These funds will help provide education, nutrition, health care, character development, community outreach and work-study to over 1,000 of Bangalore’s most destitute children. On September 20th, 2014, Anita will be giving an encore performance. If you’d like to watch the December concert in full, please visit: bit.ly/AnitaLercheConcert
In the U.S., tournament sites include: Vista, CA; Eagle, CO; Boca Raton, FL; Daytona Beach, FL; Kissimmee, FL; Indianapolis, IN; Branson, MO; Boonville, NY; Myrtle Beach, SC; and Williamsburg, VA. Most are held in June. If you’d like to see a full list of sites, please visit: christelhouse.org/event/ christel-house-open/ Each event is unique, but all boast a festive atmosphere and excellent prizes. Each year, golfers leave smiling after a great day on the greens, knowing they’ve helped impoverished kids break the cycle of poverty. To sponsor a tournament or participate as a golfer, contact Becky Arnett at barnett@christelhouse.org or 317-464-2009. Help us ‘Drive Out Poverty’ at Christel House’s flagship event!
Below: Students, Archana from Christel House India-Bangalore, and Jason from Christel House South Africa
Our thanks again go out to Anita for donating her time and many talents, and to all of our co-hosts, including the Hyderabad Sister City Committee, for making the event possible.
Hot off the presses!
2013 ANNUAL REPO RT
A FUTURE REIMAGINED
| U N I T E D S TAT E S | SOUTH AFRICA INDIA | MEXICO
Our 2013 Annual Report, including a full list of donors, can be found at bit.ly/2013CHAnnualReport. Inside you will find stories and photos of our students at school and at home, information about our newest school, Christel House Academy West, and financial data.
SAME MISSION – NEW LOOK! Drum roll please… We’ve completely revamped our website: www.christelhouse.org New features include: • Mobile and tablet friendly • Frequent updates of student stories • Ability to share stories through your own social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) Navigation and interactivity are improved, and you will find many more videos and photos throughout. We’d appreciate your feedback on the new website; please contact us at children@christelhouse.org.
Christel House Mexico student in class
Christel House Mexico awarded A+ by Filantrofilia A+ . . .3.56 out of 4.0. . . Grades tell the story of hard work, preparation, and determination. And, these are the ratings recently awarded to Christel House Mexico by the charity watchdog, Filantrofilia. The scores are the highest ever awarded to an NGO in its first evaluation. “Filantrofilia believes that Christel House Mexico is providing a substantial and important impact to its beneficiaries,” said Nohemí Paredes Hernández, Filantrofilia Senior Evaluator. Filantrofilia’s mission is to maximize the impact of philanthropy in Mexico
via the rating, professionalization, promotion and channeling of resources to nonprofit organizations. “Out of 48 organizations evaluated, we were one of only five who made it into the category of ‘achieving optimal results.’ That is an extraordinary accomplishment, and we are very proud of our Mexican colleagues,” said Founder and CEO, Christel DeHaan. Congratulations to Christel House Mexico on this outstanding achievement and their continued dedication to helping our students reimagine their futures.
“I don’t remember the first time I came to Christel House. I was only five. But now school is my favorite place. It has given me this opportunity.” - Ajith, 8th Grade, Christel House India - Bangalore
will discuss financial literacy, dealing with peer pressure and becoming positive mentors. They will try to differentiate between dreams and goals. They’ll put into place the lessons they are learning. Tamika makes it her personal mission to attend sessions whenever possible. Sometimes she helps kids learn practical skills like how to write a check. Other times, she offers basketball and fitness tips. Jerome and Christian have some ambitious career goals. Jerome wants to be an architect because he loves drawing and math. Christian wants to become a lawyer. They both admire Tamika’s positive attitude. “She shows up at every meeting,” says Jerome, “and she really teaches us how to be strong leaders and mentors.” Christian adds, “She never lets us down. She is always positive.” We agree, and know our students will benefit from her guidance. Role models are important for our kids, and we are enormously grateful to Tamika—she’s an All-Star through and through.
Ajith practicing in the school’s field
Newsletter
Jerome H. and Christian L., both Christel House Academy 8th graders, are creating road maps to reach their goals with the help of Olympic gold medalist and eighttime WNBA All-Star, Tamika Catchings. Through Tamika’s Catch the Stars Foundation, the basketball legend is promoting goal-setting, literacy, fitness and mentoring with CHA students through two pilot programs—one for boys, and one for girls, ages WNBA All-Star, Tamika Catchings, 12-16. mentoring Christel House Academy Over the next six weeks, students students
MEET AJITH, 8TH GRADE RUNNING PHENOM Ajith is racing onto India’s national stage. Since winning top prize in the state of Karnataka in the 100m at age 13, Ajith has been in specialized training. He has learned to run on a synthetic track and has been coached by a noted Indian trainer, VR Beedu. “He looks a bright prospect as he has got good speed. Most importantly he is ready to work hard,” says his coach.
Ajith lives with six family members in a 10 x 12 foot two-room home. His father is a cobbler, his mother a homemaker, and his older brothers, construction day laborers. Now an 8th grader at Christel House India-Bangalore, Ajith has more education than his parents and older brothers, combined. The press has also picked up on this young star’s unexpected success. In a recent interview with the Times of India, Ajith said, “I
don’t remember the first time I came to Christel House. I was only five. But now school is my favorite place. It has given me this opportunity.”
But, Jaya George, Head of Schools at Christel House India, explains, “Ajith’s entry into sports was really an accident. We sent our students to sports meets and he began to win medals. We then encouraged him to continue competing, and look what he has accomplished. He also does well in his studies and is a good, well-rounded young man.” He finished as a semi-finalist at the national competition in Ranchi, Jkarkhand. “I wanted to do well for my school at the national meet,” he says. We send our heartfelt congratulations to Ajith for this major accomplishment and will be cheering him on from across the globe as he goes on to future competitions.
YOUR MORNING CUP OF JAVA CAN BENEFIT CHRISTEL HOUSE KIDS
Your morning cup of coffee can help change lives! We have partnered with Copper Moon World Coffees to create Christel House coffee. Imagine freshly roasted coffee delivered to your door and with each delicious cup, you are helping transform the lives of Christel House students worldwide. To order, visit the links below: To purchase visit: bit.ly/ChristelHouseCoffee or for Decaf: bit.ly/ChristelHouseDecafCoffee With each order, Christel House receives a royalty from Copper Moon. If you would like a sample packet, please send your name, email and mailing address to: children@christelhouse.org
DESPITE SEVERE WEATHER, NEW SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION ON SCHEDULE Many inner-city children from the Indianapolis west side will become part of the Christel House family when our new school opens this August. Although this winter has been brutal, construction on Christel House Academy West, located at 55 N Tibbs Ave., has progressed smoothly. Since October, Head of Elementary, Rick Hunt, has been working hard to develop relationships with neighborhood community partners. He and his staff visit community centers, churches, libraries and local functions to enroll students and spread the word about what Christel House has to offer. Teacher hiring will begin in mid-May. If you’re interested in visiting the new school, or learning about giving opportunities, please contact Bobbi Bosch at bbosch@christelhouse.org or 317-464-2086.