The History of Casa Hogar Ave Fénix

Ever since Lina Monroy Salazar, the founder and director of Ave Fénix, was a young girl, she had the dream of helping children who were suffering. 

In late 2013, after working in a children's home for a number of years,  Lina decided it was time to do something on her own. With basically no financial resources, but with lots of determination and very hard work, she opened Casa Hogar Ave Fénix, a legal IAP (a Mexican non-profit organization),  as a lunch program where hungry children from impoverished homes could come for a nutritious meal, much love and respect, maybe a bath, some clean clothes, some fun activities. 

Then, after a lot more determination and very hard work, in August of 2019, she opened Casa Hogar Ave Fénix as a full-time home for children. The children come from poverty stricken dysfunctional families. Each one has suffered some sort of abuse: physical, emotional, sexual, and has led a very scary life. Lina's story was much the same, though, according to her, most of these children's stories are far worse! 

Lina lives and works in the home. Every cent she earns from her part-time real estate business goes into the house. She has never received a Phoenix salary. With the help of several generous donors (like you) and a very small staff, Lina feeds, educates, manages, does paperwork, supervises staff, and, above all, loves each and every child. Lina says that she loves each of them as much as she loves her own children, which is very, very much.

Lina hopes in the future, if she is able to repair and enlarge the house where they are, to be able to have more children with her. There are many children in Pátzcuaro and nearby that need what Casa Hogar Ave Fénix has to offer.  Lina teaches children to respect others and themselves, to take responsibility, and is very, very patient, yet kindly firm when necessary. If you visit Ave Fénix (and Lina receives visitors at any time) you will see the love that radiates from her eyes to the eyes of the children, and that is reflected back.

Sometimes Lina is exhausted, but she enjoys the work she does, seeing how the children's lives change, now smiling, clean, well fed, happy and prosperous. Luckily for these children, Lina's dream has come true.