Every girl at Our Little Roses has a past, and more importantly, a future. This Is Our Story

Every girl at Our Little Roses has a past, and more importantly, a future. This Is Our Story

The seeds for what became Our Little Roses were planted in 1986 when founder Diana Dillenberger Frade visited El Hogar, a boys’ home in Tegucigalpa. Abused, abandoned, and orphaned boys were living in a loving home, being fed, clothed, and educated. The goal: Break the cycle of poverty in a country, the poorest in the Americas, where the majority of people live in abject poverty, without access to three of the five conditions necessary to sustain life: adequate housing, potable water, nutritional diet, access to medicine, and medical care

There are 5 Conditions Necessary to Sustain Life.

Imagine Surviving With Only 2 or 3

 

Adequate Housing

Potable Water

Nutritional Diet

Medical Care

Education

All of the girls supported by Our Little Roses come from abject poverty.

 

But one question drove Diana: Who was doing this for the little girls of Honduras who are abused, abandoned, or severely neglected if there are no homes for girls to protect them and love them?

The answer: No one.

Girls, she was told, were too complicated. They have hormones. They have babies. They can work in the factories for pennies a day. The reality: They were sent to the women’s penitentiary so the inmates could care for them.

Yet, as Diana walked around the city, it wasn’t just boys living on the streets. Many of the children whom she thought were boys with their close-cropped hair and baggy clothes, were actually girls. She was taken aback. Their roof was a cardboard box; their food came from the kindness of strangers or worse, the city dump.

So Diana decided to do something about it. She reached out to friends, family, and churches in the United States. She confided in the Honduran bishop at the time, the Rt. Rev. Leo Frade, who shared her passion for these forgotten children and with whom she would eventually share her life as husband and wife.

And that's where the story of Our Little Roses begins

OLR Grand Opening

Jan. 25, 1988

On this date, Diana’s dream came to life and Ministerios Nuestras Pequenas Rosas (Our Little Roses Ministries) was founded in San Pedro Sula in a small rented house

First Building Opens

Apr. 1992

The first building which houses our residential girls was completed.

Ginger Buice house

Dec. 1996

First transition house opens in honor of Ginger Buice who was hit and killed by a drunk driver just after her college graduation

Construction of Pre-School and Nursery

1996

Finished 1st and 2nd floors before being hit by Hurricane Mitch

Hurricane Mitch

Oct. 1998

2nd deadliest Atlantic hurricane in history. Helped spread awareness of the urgent need to assist Honduran citizens

Holy Family Bilingual School

1998

We were able to provide a quality education for children in the community without discrimination or marginalization

Additional Transition Space for Graduates

2001

In 2001 we constructed a 10 bedroom efficiency apartment building for girls entering the transition process

Holy Family Medical Clinic

2002

We built to satisfy the medical needs of the home, the community and all those who don’t have access to quality healthcare

Dental Clinic

2008

One of the Our Little Roses alumni opened up her own dental clinic where she’s able to provide care to members and others in the local community

Retreat Center and Chapel

2011

We opened our center that focuses on refreshing the soul through peace, relaxation, prayer and education.

Renovations

2013

We made significant construction renovations to our structures

REST Program

2016

A program designed to assist the girls and provide them the best opportunity to excel in their academic and career pursuits

30th Anniversary

2018

In 2018, Our Little Roses is celebrating 30 years of service dedicated to helping the children of San Pedro Sula

To learn more about the story of Our Little Roses, watch this

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