Meet Anastasia, Everyone’s Favorite Aunt

Let's be honest, we all had a favorite aunt or uncle growing up. We knew that if we ever needed a place to go, we could go to them, and they would treat us like their own.

Meet Anastasia. She is the favorite aunt of her 15-year-old nephew.

Unfortunately, her sister has struggled with addiction for most of her adult life, and recently when things got out of control, she ultimately chose to abandon her family. A neighbor called the child welfare office. They quickly picked up Carlos (his real name changed for his privacy).

Carlos immediately requested that he be taken to his favorite aunt's home to live instead of an orphanage, but because she didn't have a phone, the welfare office couldn't contact her. When he finally reached her, she immediately traveled an hour and a half to the city welfare office to request custody of her nephew.

We went with the welfare office workers to find the family, and we found one of the kindest and most loving families we have ever had the joy of meeting.

They were honest in telling us before getting to their house that they are poor, but even though they don't have a lot of luxuries, their family always eats together, and they never lack food or love. 

Their home doesn't have electricity or running water, and the roof to their one-room home has holes in it, but they are the sweetest people and the most united family. Anastasia and her husband have six kids, her mom lives with them, and they are eager to add their nephew to the family.

This situation is not unique to this family. Honduran families are, for the most part, united and full of love and support, but financial resources are often limited.

And before our reintegration program existed, the welfare office would have had to tell the family that although they had the desire and love to give to their nephew, the physical conditions of their home didn't meet the standards for them to be able to approve the reintegration. They would have left the family's home discouraged and the family broken-hearted.

Instead of having that difficult conversation with families, they now introduce us to the family and tell them that Embraced will be working with them to help prepare them for the return of their nephew!

The week after meeting Anastasia, we returned with the supplies to install electricity and water into their home. Local volunteers helped with the installation in just two days!

Our next steps are replacing the roof on their current home, building an additional room to provide more sleeping divisions with the appropriate number of beds, and building a bathroom. The family will also be receiving training as they prepare for their nephew to join their family!

Thanks to your support of Embraced, we can invest in this family and change what would have been a no into a yes for this family and this teenage boy.

*This family has given permission to share their pictures and story.