Helping Honduras Kids was founded as a benevolent non-profit  501(c)3 tax exempt organization in February 2006 by a diverse group of people dedicated to the well being of the children of Honduras. We believe that opportunity, education, hope and love are what children need to break the cycle of poverty and abuse. A loved, educated and happy child in Honduras has a real chance to succeed!  

Board of Directors: Our Board of Directors is comprised of people who have the vision and determination to make a difference for the children of Honduras. 

David Ashby worked for Dole Fresh Fruit as a Senior Research Scientist for more than 30 years, carrying out research projects on bananas and pineapples. Most of this time was spent in La Ceiba, Honduras, but David also did research for 1 year in the Philippines and for 6 years in Costa Rica. David is now retired from Dole but still lives in the La Ceiba area and has been active for many years in helping the needy, especially children. For the past 12 years, he has been involved as a volunteer with projects that help orphaned, abandoned and abused children of the north coast area of Honduras. In February 2006, he incorporated Helping Honduras Kids in the State of California and is dedicated to providing a brighter future for disadvantaged children in Honduras. David is currently serving as the President and Chairman of Helping Honduras Kids.

Dave Riley spent two years in Central America many years ago and came away with a special love for Honduras and its people. He founded Amigos of Honduras in January of 2005 (www.amigosofhonduras.org) and is the current president. Its emphasis is on helping to make a permanent difference in the lives of Hondurans. Dave met David Ashby of Helping Honduras Kids in May of 2005 and they have been working closely together ever since. Dave shares David's vision of Helping Honduras Kids and joined the organization as a Director in February 2006. He travels quarterly to Honduras and spends time with David exploring areas where they can work together. Dave is currently president and CEO of Pro Image Franchise, L.C. a franchisor of sports fan gift shops. Pro Image has 100 locations around the U.S. Dave graduated from Brigham Young University with a major in Accounting and a minor in Spanish. He and his wife Leona live in Centerville, Utah where they have three children, Jake, Stephanie and Andrea who are all active in the efforts to help Hondurans. Dave is currently serving as Vice President of Helping Honduras Kids.

Eve Horowitz was introduced to Helping Honduras Kids and David Ashby while traveling to La Ceiba and Guanaja. Having visited Honduras numerous times, she initially considered sponsoring a child as a learning experience for her own two kids. It soon became a much larger mission as she realized how her actions and support could create immediate, tangible improvement in the lives of orphaned Honduran children. Eve brings to HHK a blend of creative and operational strengths. With 20+ years of management & leadership experience, she is an accomplished commercial writer and specializes in the area of training and development. Eve also has volunteered her energy toward a community based literacy program and fundraising for a non-profit, cooperative school. She has a B.A. in elementary education from Goddard College in Plainfield, VT and has recently completed a certificate in fundraising as part of an organizational development masters-degree program at the University of Pennsylvania. Along with her husband Jon and their two children, Eve travels to Honduras several times each year with the dream of one day building a home on the Honduran Bay Island of Guanaja. They currently live near Philadelphia, PA. Eve is serving as Treasurer of Helping Honduras Kids and coordinates our volunteers. She views her involvement as, "a wish come true."

Ron Lopes is the Executive Director of the Lisa Lopes Foundation and one of the founders of Youth United for Change http://yuc.home.mindspring.com/.   Ron is also the brother of Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes who had the original inspiration to purchase land in Agua Caliente and build a children's home.  Through the generosity of Ron, the Lisa Lopes Foundation and the Lopes family, 20 of our HHK children currently live at their lovely Hogar de Amor building in Agua Caliente.  Ron's goal is to expand the resources of the Hogar de Amor and provide the best possible care for the children living there.  Ron holds a Bachelor's Degree in Information Technology and recently opened a recording studio.  He works and lives in the Atlanta, Georgia area with his wife Mindy, a native Honduran, and their two children.

Stewart McClure is the president and owner of Apache Asphalt & Seal Corp. and president of Clear Water Solutions, Inc. With a degree in marketing from San Diego State University, Stewart brings a powerful marketing and sales background to the operations of Helping Honduras Kids. Stewart has also managed a large mining operation in Alaska, became a stockbroker, and owned and operated several other businesses including an advertising agency, computer software company and a surf wax company. He resides in San Diego, California with his wife and four children. Stewart has been involved in a variety of projects to help families and children in Mexico, Central America, and South America. He has made several trips to Honduras during the past 18 years and believes that each of us can make a real difference in another’s life if we only try.

Maria R. Ashby grew up in Honduras and Costa Rica, where she witnessed first hand the cycle of poverty that traps many Central American families and their children.  She continues to have deep roots in Honduras through her parents and extended family that live there.  For years, Rocio has sponsored orphaned children through an international orphanage operating in Honduras.  She currently resides with her family in Southern California, where she practices law, and travels to Honduras whenever she can.  Rocio recently joined Helping Honduras Kids and is currently serving as Secretary.

Tanya Ranchigoda is a licensed, clinical pediatric social worker who currently works at Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, WA.  Her professional strengths lie in adjustment work and grief and loss therapy.  She fulfilled her life long dream of being able to provide psychosocial services internationally, at HHK’s Hogar de Amor from November 2007-February 2008.  During that time she developed a love for the children, culture, and natural beauty of Honduras, not to mention that she significantly improved her Spanish skills!  She hopes to continue contributing to the growth and development of HHK with a particular focus in mental health care services.  Tanya’s parents are both natives of Sri Lanka who gave her a passion for world exploration and advocating for those who are unable advocate for themselves.  Tanya and her husband Jasen are avid world travelers, always wanting to view life from different perspectives.  Tanya finds that Gandhi said it best, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”

Our friends & volunteers:

Karl Ralian has spent most of his working life in the food distribution industry, currently as President and CEO of Waukesha All-Temp Storage, LLC., a multi temperature food storage and distribution facility in Wisconsin. As a result of numerous trips to Mexico and Costa Rica, Karl developed a special fondness for the people of Central America, and was looking for a way to help the people of the region to overcome the distressing poverty that is so prevalent in these countries. Karl is HHK's "container guru" and has sent six containers of supplies to Honduras in the past two years. In addition to supplies for HHK, Karl also sends medical equipment and supplies to several hospitals in La Ceiba and also on the island of Roatan. In the U.S., Karl is a board member of Castaway Computers, Inc., a 501(c)3 charity that collects and refurbishes used computers and then donates them to other charities. Through his computer connections, Karl plans to insure that all the children that HHK cares for will receive computer training, which is vital for their future success. When not running his business pursuits or working on charity activities, Karl and his wife Carol spend their time doting on their four grandchildren.

Charlie & Amalia Kirkhum live locally in El Porvenir and have provided invaluable support for the Grandma's Kids and other local children. Charlie & Amalia have opened their home as a “kindergarten” to about 20 local children and are teaching them basic skills. Since many children have never attended school, some of these kindergarten students are in their teens. Amalia and Charlie also provide these kids with a daily nutritious meal and a safe place to play and "hang out." Charlie and Amalia are currently supervising construction of our nutrition and daycare center. Amalia is from La Ceiba, Honduras but has been living in the states for the past 35 years. In the past, she was employed as a certified nurse’s assistant at nursing homes in Texas. She enjoys working with children and doing community development. Amalia has been a driving force in making sure the Grandma's Kids register for and attend school! In his “other” life Charlie lived in Texas and worked for 15 years as a utilities maintenance man for M&M Mars. “We made Snickers, Skittles and Starbursts!” He is also a photographer and loves to do wood working. (Check out the tables and beds at the Hogar De Amor and thank Charlie!) Charlie says that except for his work with Honduran children, he's now retired and plans to stay that way!

A native Honduran, Dr. Blanca Murillo, HHK’s “in-house” dentist, first became involved with Helping Honduras Kids, by volunteering in our dental clinic at a children’s village in El Pino. Blanca now treats patients at our Monday clinic in El Naranjo and on Tuesdays at the Hogar De Amor in Agua Caliente. Blanca is quite active in coordinating the work of HHK’s sister non-profit, Ayudando Ninos Hondurenos and performs a myriad of other essential tasks. Blanca has helped HHK work through mountains of necessary paperwork and government requirements and has traveled to Tegucigalpa on our behalf several times to expedite Helping Honduras Kid’s IHNFA approval. She gets us good discounts and freebies when we need supplies. With muchos contacts in the community, she even arranges PR from the local TV stations!

Blanca and her daughter Gynelle live near the D'Antoni Hospital in La Ceiba, Honduras.

In May of 2006, Dr. Marny Hohl and her husband Chris visited Honduras and witnessed first hand the outstanding effort and contribution that Helping Honduras Kids makes to orphaned and at risk youth and children. Motivated by their compassion, dedication and kindness, she began to volunteer her time developing training programs for the Tias and staff. With an educational background in children's mental health and theology, Marny strives to create relevant training manuals that focus on the current issues facing Honduran children. Marny says that the children of Helping Honduras Kids continually motivate her to continue her education in new areas, and she has successfully completed the Global Terrorism (hons.), Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Reducing Maternal Deaths in Developing Countries programs through the United Nations. Currently she is completing the Diplomacy, Diplomatic and Consular Law Licentiate through the Diplomatic Council of Oxford, England. Marny lives in Manitoba, Canada and considers working with Helping Honduras Kids and serving the children of Honduras, “an amazing opportunity and an honor for which I am very grateful.”

Laura Ashby is the Sponsor Representative for HHK. She connects potential sponsor's with the children they wish to support and keeps track of their information. She is also responsible for emailing donation receipts. Laura is married to David Ashby's son Dale and they live in a small town in upstate NY, where Dale is the pastor for two small Methodist churches. Laura currently works part time at a large chain drug store and has worked much of her life in sales and accounting positions. Laura's husband Dale grew up living in several Central American countries, including Honduras, and he and Laura have made several trips to Honduras for visits. Laura and Dale have been long time sponsors of children in Honduras and Laura is glad for the opportunity to volunteer with HHK as the Sponsor Representative. In 1990, they adopted their son Philip from Honduras and thus Laura, Dale and Philip continue to have a special connection with the Honduran people.

Karen Barto is the Sponsor/Child Liaison for HHK. She organizes correspondence projects for the children in our programs and is responsible for sending updates, current pictures, and communication from the children to our sponsors. She will also be assisting in matching new sponsors with the children they wish to support. Karen found HHK due to an interest in helping orphaned, disadvantaged children. After an exhaustive search for an organization with a philosophy similar to her own, she met Dave Ashby online and that was the beginning of her relationship with HHK. She saw a need to help, not just monetarily, but also by giving of her time. She is very happy to be a part of our team. In addition to her volunteer work for us, Karen also sponsors one of our children since her desire from the beginning was to have a one-on-one connection in hopes of making a difference in the life of a child. Karen and her husband live in Virginia with their four-legged “children.” Her hobbies include reading, photography, and dog training/showing.

Working with other Organizations

Helping Honduras Kids welcomes collaboration with other organizations to bring the most benefit to the children. We currently work in conjunction with  Amigos of Honduras,   The Lisa Lopes Foundation, Project Honduras, Special Missions, Un Mundo and NGO Abroad.