“Here, the personal interaction with professors is enriching and you find friendship with them.”
Giving Back: Making a Difference for Honduran Orphans
Service and leadership have always been a part of Tricia Daly’s ‘10 life, giving her the inspiration to found a branch of Friends of the Orphans (FOTO) for the Saint Mary’s College and University of Notre Dame communities with her brother Michael (ND ’11). For years Tricia, Michael, and their family have been true friends to orphans as volunteers with the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) orphanage in Honduras. Their mother Florence “Lulu” Romano Daly ’82, a registered nurse, and Dr. Peter Daly ND ’82, an orthopedic surgeon, conduct medical-surgical missions there, among other efforts.
“For as long as I can remember my parents have been involved with the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos International in various ways”, said Tricia. “They worked hard to make this a family effort always encouraging us to do our own part at school and on our own time.”
FOTO is closely linked to NPH. FOTO’s main purpose is to raise funds to support and educate children living at NPH homes. In addition to that the club also raises money for the Holy Family Surgery Center, a surgical facility on the NPH property that was founded by the Dalys and handles any surgical procedures that the orphans or members of the community may need.
The SMC/ND club consists of nine core council members who meet weekly and lead the sub-council committees. The sub-council meets on an as needed basis and has four sections: networking, public relations, events, and finances.
As the vice-president of FOTO and leader of the networking council, Tricia’s job is to contact people and raise awareness for the club and its need for support. The club is in its first year and has already experienced an abundance of interest from students. “We have a big vision but must be patient for it to unfold,” said Tricia. “With dedicated and enthusiastic members and support from the community, I know we will make a big difference.”
This week FOTO held a Charity Denim event at Notre Dame. Charity Denim is a California-based company that sells discounted jeans to raise money for causes. Tuesday’s event raised $2,250. “That’s exactly enough money to pay for fifteen orphaned children to have surgery, because each surgery costs one hundred and fifty dollars,” Tricia said. “We had an amazing turnout, awesome help and we’re more than pleased with the outcome.”
On Friday, Dr. Peter Daly will be speaking on healthcare in Honduras on both campuses. He will speak at 12:15p.m. in the Warner Conference Room in the Student Center at Saint Mary’s and at 3:00 p.m. at Geddes Hall Auditorium at Notre Dame. There will be more events in December and the spring semester.
To read a Face to Face story on Tricia, click here. You can also learn more about the SMC/ND FOTO club by searching “Friends of the Orphans at Notre Dame” on Facebook. To learn more about the surgery center, click here.
-Caroline Baumgartner ’11