Beneficence is the act of doing good through charitable kindness or gifts. It is a central component of medical practice and critical to caring for others. However, the practice of beneficence is not enough. We owe ourselves a broader way of connecting with others.
Miguel (not his real name) is an incredibly talented cyclist. He is always the ride leader for the Girasoles Sanos Team. Miguel is brilliant, kind, and blessed with a balance of keen intellect and profound emotional intelligence. He is an amazing young man with unlimited potential. He dreams of one day becoming an engineer and working in the agricultural businesses.
Miguel comes from a biological family of origin marked by violence, neglect, and substance abuse. He came to live at the Casa Girasoles after spending time in a state-run orphanage and living on the streets. Miguel has had contact with his family in the child welfare system. The pain of knowing his family could not take care of him – and having frequent contact with them has been very hard on him.
At 18, Miguel is ready to leave the Casa Girasoles Program. His family has been contacting him more and more. They want him to come and live at their home in Lima. They want him to work and support their aging mother. This is a typical scenario. At the time of emancipation from child-welfare services, families like Miguel’s seek to reunite with their sons – often not to heal wounds or build new relationships. Still, it is more important to have a young, healthy member of the family who can work and gain income. Time and time again, the family promises to help the adolescents finish their schooling or pursue a career. Time and time again, the young men who exit orphanages, state-run homes, or care facilities find themselves living as indentured servants . . . caught in a dysfunctional web as their futures become hostage to the same trauma that trapped them in their childhood.
Perú is going through a tremendous time of challenge. The social and political unrest quickly pushes the country into an economic spiral. The events that led to the current situation are not unprecedented. The struggles of Perú are deep-seated and multifactorial. One thing is, however, ever-present – people living in the experience of extreme poverty are disproportionately impacted in times of economic, political, and social upheaval. Families like Miguel’s, who were previously teetering on the edge – are now falling into the abyss.
Miguel has gained so much from his time at Casa Girasoles. Yet he faces many challenges and limited opportunities in a world of tremendous inequalities. The future of this bright, capable young man is now uncertain.
Our commitment to helping him build the resilience and connection that will support his future has led him to a place where he is ready to push the boundaries of what is possible. But is this enough? What will happen to Miguel if his family falls further and further into extreme poverty? Will kindness and beneficence help Miguel overcome his new challenges and find the life he deserves?
We must be pushing beyond simple acts of charity and kindness. There needs to be more than just providing food, shelter, education, and access to healthcare. We must push for structural changes, allowing the young adults transitioning from care homes to build on support and compassion and manifest their desired futures. Only when we can say there are pathways to success for all the children in the Casa Girasoles and child welfare in Perú – is our work finished.
Now, more than ever, your support is helping us build futures. Thank you.
We Are the Bridge: Embracing Our Role as Changemakers – wayne centrone
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneFor over 20 years, we’ve been sustained by the power of collective action and the unwavering generosity of individuals, foundations, and groups who believe in our mission. Now, more than ever, we must embrace our role as the change the world needs.
We are the bridge, connecting communities, fostering understanding, and building a better future. In times of division, we are the force for good that unites, not fractures. Our work transcends the immediate concerns of next week, next month, or even next year. We are holding a space, creating a place where the next generation can access the lives they deserve. This is our commitment, our calling, and our unwavering purpose.
Let’s move beyond simply acknowledging the challenges and, instead, materialize the solutions. Let’s harness the power of our collective spirit and continue building a world where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. But we can’t do it alone.
Join us in building this bridge to a brighter future. Here are a few ways you can get involved:
Together, we can be the change the world needs. Let’s build that bridge: one act of kindness, one donation, one volunteer hour at a time.
2025: Advancing Child Welfare in Peru for a Brighter Future
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneA pizza party with the staff and boys at the Aldea in Arequipa. Our new home for formerly abandoned children.
Our first NRTP training of the year at San Marcos University in Lima.
As we enter the new year, Health Bridges International (HBI) is excited to unveil our refined plan with ambitious goals to advance best practices in child welfare across Peru. Our mission is clear: to ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive in an environment built on health, hope, home, and purpose.
Our collaboration with the Peruvian College of Nurses is a cornerstone of our new initiatives. Together, we are set to enhance our newborn resuscitation training program. Our approach will focus on training more trainers and establishing a master trainer who will lead efforts on the ground. This collaborative partnership is vital for equipping healthcare professionals with critical skills to save newborn lives and improve maternal health outcomes in Peru.
In addition to our training initiatives, we are thrilled to announce that the Community of Excellence (CoE) research is entering Phase III of its impactful study. This next phase will develop a new curriculum around Awareness, Connection, and Empowerment (ACE) core elements. By incorporating these elements, we aim to fortify the foundations of child welfare programs throughout the region.
The CoE model also introduces trained ambassadors who will serve as local facilitators, bridging the gap between communities and child welfare resources. These ambassadors will play a pivotal role in implementing best practices and ensuring that support reaches those most in need.
As we set our sights on 2025, we recognize the importance of collecting and analyzing outcome data. Our goal is to enhance our understanding of the impact of our programs and share our successes with the stakeholders who have generously supported our efforts. By tracking objective measures, we can continue to improve our initiatives and demonstrate the real change we are making in the lives of children and families.
2025 is poised to be transformative for HBI, and we are ready to embrace its challenges. With our refined strategies and collaborative partnerships, we are committed to advancing a world where every child can access the resources and support they need to flourish. A world where every child can build a life based on health, hope, home, and purpose.
Together, let’s build a brighter future for the children of Peru.
New Year, Same Goals
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneDelivering Christmas food baskets to underserved communities
The Girasoles on a Holiday outreach project
It is hard to believe we are already into the second week of 2025. Time seems to fly by.
Although every new year marks a milestone of change, our focus has remained the same for nearly thirty years. We are bridge builders and plan to build even more collaborative partnerships in 2025.
Our emphasis on building “centers of excellence” means our work must focus on dual roles—serving and sustaining. On the serving side of our focus, we are wholly committed to providing the most comprehensive and healing environments for every child we are privileged to care for in our Casa Girasoles and Aldea homes for formerly abandoned boys. We continuously refine our efforts by listening to our supporters and the people we serve. We know our work is predicated on a healthy team of caring professionals – and we invest in the growth and development of all our staff.
We know feedback and monitoring of our efforts are required. To this end, our efforts in 2025 will be spent reviewing and analyzing program outcomes. Our organization receives a vast amount of its funding from private support. We are responsible to our donors to use every dollar they generously invest in HBI to maximize the impact of our mission. This responsibility is something we take very seriously.
Our focus remains unchanged as we chart a path into this new year. We are committed to championing children, families, and the communities that care for them. With your support, we are building a world where every child can access a life built on health, hope, home, and purpose.
It’s a new year, and our goals remain the same.
2024 Holiday Bazaar
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneCan you please help? wayne centrone
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneOn most days, the Post Office is empty, except for the occasional courier who arrives first thing to pick up mail to distribute to the downtown office buildings. The other day, when I entered the post office, I was greeted by “Good morning, how are you?” I was caught a bit off guard. I quickly assessed the situation and noted a young man standing behind a column, sorting through what appeared to be a bunch of letters.
As I approached the HBI post box, I saw the young man sorting through a government agency letter—the pages he had strewn around a counter surface. “Sorry, I know this is going to sound really strange . . . ” I heard him say, “But I have a learning problem, and I can’t read all that well.” Turning to approach him, I realized he was upset. I asked him how I could help. He told me that he was uncertain what the letter (held in his hand) requested from him. He said he was worried he might be in trouble and even be summoned to court.
As it turns out, the letter was a notification from Medicare informing my young friend that he had been enrolled in the Medicare Part B prescription plan. The letter informed him that nothing further was needed on his part but that his new benefit would kick in starting the first of the new year. I explained to him that the letter was good news and was a notification that he had been provided expanded benefits for his healthcare insurance. The relief that suddenly stretched across his face was profound. He told me that he was so worried he was “in trouble” and didn’t know what he was going to do. I assured him there is nothing further needed on his end and that he should save the letter in his records.
As I started to leave the post office, I returned to him and said, “Please remember, we are all in this experience together. Ask for help anytime you need it.”
We are all in this together. Life can feel overwhelming in the best of times. It can be incredibly challenging to remember that we are not alone, and it can be intimidating to reach out to one another and ask for help. When we push aside any perceived differences we may have from one another, we quickly realize we all want the same things: to be seen and known, to be connected.
Change – wayne centrone
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneAs an organization we know change. We witness the changes that happen in the children we work with as they grow and mature toward emancipation. We see the bureaucratic shifts that occur within our parter organizations as they move toward new elected leadership. We embrace the dynamic learning we witness as healthcare professionals encounter new knowledge and gain new skills. We watch the ebb and flow of time as it etches a new reality in all our lives.
There is a lot of change happening. All this change brings a sense of uncertainty. Change is not, however, a shift toward doom or gloom. It is not a resignation of hope. It is simply change – like the sun and the moon, the leaves on the trees or the hair on our head.
Knowing that change is inevitably, we embrace change. We invite the opportunities – and the challenges – that come with newness. We look forward to chance to grow with the changes around us.
We are not naive to the fact that change is hard. We know that change will force us to move out of what is comfortable and known, and into a space of new experiences. More than anything, we know that are big part of the way we embrace change is through our grounding in the collaborations, the communities, that we are a part of.
Now, perhaps more than ever, we need bridges. We need collaboration. We need community. As change unfolds, we know that bridges of safety and support will allow us to remain focused on our mission as we transition through the phases and stages of what will unfold.
As a dear friend told me just the other day, “change is the only thing we can be certain will not change.”
It’s always the little things – wayne centrone
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneGoing Beyond Charity – wayne centrone
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneMiguel (not his real name) is an incredibly talented cyclist. He is always the ride leader for the Girasoles Sanos Team. Miguel is brilliant, kind, and blessed with a balance of keen intellect and profound emotional intelligence. He is an amazing young man with unlimited potential. He dreams of one day becoming an engineer and working in the agricultural businesses.
Miguel comes from a biological family of origin marked by violence, neglect, and substance abuse. He came to live at the Casa Girasoles after spending time in a state-run orphanage and living on the streets. Miguel has had contact with his family in the child welfare system. The pain of knowing his family could not take care of him – and having frequent contact with them has been very hard on him.
At 18, Miguel is ready to leave the Casa Girasoles Program. His family has been contacting him more and more. They want him to come and live at their home in Lima. They want him to work and support their aging mother. This is a typical scenario. At the time of emancipation from child-welfare services, families like Miguel’s seek to reunite with their sons – often not to heal wounds or build new relationships. Still, it is more important to have a young, healthy member of the family who can work and gain income. Time and time again, the family promises to help the adolescents finish their schooling or pursue a career. Time and time again, the young men who exit orphanages, state-run homes, or care facilities find themselves living as indentured servants . . . caught in a dysfunctional web as their futures become hostage to the same trauma that trapped them in their childhood.
Perú is going through a tremendous time of challenge. The social and political unrest quickly pushes the country into an economic spiral. The events that led to the current situation are not unprecedented. The struggles of Perú are deep-seated and multifactorial. One thing is, however, ever-present – people living in the experience of extreme poverty are disproportionately impacted in times of economic, political, and social upheaval. Families like Miguel’s, who were previously teetering on the edge – are now falling into the abyss.
Miguel has gained so much from his time at Casa Girasoles. Yet he faces many challenges and limited opportunities in a world of tremendous inequalities. The future of this bright, capable young man is now uncertain.
Our commitment to helping him build the resilience and connection that will support his future has led him to a place where he is ready to push the boundaries of what is possible. But is this enough? What will happen to Miguel if his family falls further and further into extreme poverty? Will kindness and beneficence help Miguel overcome his new challenges and find the life he deserves?
We must be pushing beyond simple acts of charity and kindness. There needs to be more than just providing food, shelter, education, and access to healthcare. We must push for structural changes, allowing the young adults transitioning from care homes to build on support and compassion and manifest their desired futures. Only when we can say there are pathways to success for all the children in the Casa Girasoles and child welfare in Perú – is our work finished.
Now, more than ever, your support is helping us build futures. Thank you.
We did it!
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneThanks to the tremendous generosity, we raised over $125,000. This money will directly impact the lives of women and children in Perú through our newborn resuscitation training, Girasoles Sanos program, and our efforts to advance mental health services to underserved populations.
We sincerely thank everyone who attended. If you did not make the event this year, we hope you can join us in 2025!
Even if you did not join us last night, you can still help. Please donate to our work today and watch and share the Our Promise video.
Thank you.
Can we really change the world? wayne centrone
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneI don’t wake up with an unbridled sense of pure optimism every morning—although I wish I did—instead, most mornings, I wake up feeling a bit stressed and overwhelmed. The one thing I don’t do is allow these feelings to paralyze me. Instead of letting this overwhelm consume me, I start each day with a simple reminder to myself—a reminder of what is most important to me. I remember what an incredible privilege it is to be in the work of empowering people to the futures they deserve. I am reminded that the greatest gift I can offer is myself. This reminder galvanizes me to take action. It keeps me going.
The key to all of this optimistic wishing is the reminder that we – the collective, the power of our combined efforts, are what will change the world. In my own efforts, I can change myself, but the impact will rarely cascade beyond my immediate efforts. But I know I am not alone. I know that when we work together and see the others in our lives as just people trying to do the best they can on this wild ride we call life, that is when anything and everything is possible.
It requires that we come together, share—of ourselves, our resources, our time, and our energies—and connect with one another. It is only in relationship with others that we can truly heal. So I guess that is it . . . This all starts with knowing we can change the world . . . with each other. So, let’s keep coming together. Let’s keep building bridges. Let’s not forget that a world where every child can access a life built on health, hope, home, and purpose is not only possible, it is entirely attainable . . . when we work together.
Can we really change the world? You bet we can. We already are.