General Information:
•    Founded in 1972
•    Co-founder and President: Father Joe Maier, C.Ss.R.
•    Co-founder and Director: Sister Maria Chantavoradom
•    Geographic reach: Over 35 poor communities in Bangkok, one island in Ranong Province.

Our Mercy Centre:


 

• Our home and family, including 150 abandoned, orphaned, and trafficked children
• The largest of our 22 slum preschools
• Janusz Korczak School of S.E. Asia - a non-formal school for street children and children with special needs
• Legal Aid Centre for poor children
• Administrative center for all HDF programs
• A community drop-in center for the elderly, the handicapped, adults living with HIV, children in trouble or afraid, anyone in need

HDF Programs:

I.    Children in Need

Orphanages and Shelters


 

• Five shelters for abandoned, abused and orphaned children, including over 40 children born with HIV
• Total care provided, including education and skills training

Street Children Outreach and Legal Aid

• Protection, defense, counsel, and support for street children
• Securing legal birth and identity certificates for migrant and poor urban children

II. Education

• 22 Mercy preschools throughout Bangkok’s poorest communities and one preschool in Koh Lao, Ranong Province, for Mokan children. Approximately 2,000 poor children, ages 2 to 7, enrolled. National curriculum: reading, writing, Thai culture, history, dance, song, sports, and the arts.
• The Janusz Korzcak School for Street Children – a non-formal school providing literacy and trade skills for older street children
• School Sponsorships. Over 200 primary and secondary school sponsorships for the poorest neighborhood children in Bangkok
• Preparation for International Colleges and Universities for our Mercy chldren and those enrolled in our education sponsorship program

III. HIV/AIDS Programs
 

The Bridge of Hope Caring Centre - a palliative care unit for adults and children living with AIDS
(We operated the first and largest free AIDS hospice in Bangkok. Closed in 2012: Why We Closed Our Hospice - a triumph in home-based care.)

AIDS Homecare for the poor - Helping the poor living with HIV/AIDS maintain their strength and remain productive members of their family and community.

HIV Education, Outreach and Advocacy:

• Targeting over 10,000 high risk individuals/year
• Schools, community centers, factories
• Advocating for the rights of the poor living with HIV/AIDS and free access to medicine

IV. Community Services

• Housing – Repair, renovation, and construction for elderly and indigent and slum communities devastated by fires – over 10,000 homes in Bangkok slums to date.
• Community Organizing – Consultation, leadership, and education initiatives with the poor; coordination with government ministries including the National Housing Authority, Port Authority of Thailand, and various welfare organizations.
• Klong Toey Women’s Group and Credit Union – Empowering poor women to take control of their personal and family finances.
• Disabled Poor – Providing employment, securing legal benefits for physically disabled.
• Emergencies – Slum fires; families in crises.

Coordination with Thai Government and Local Non-Government Organizations
To strengthen our partnership with the poor, we coordinate our efforts and pool resources with several Thai government ministries in education, welfare, and justice, the local police departments, government hospitals, and various local community-based organizations. The assistance we give and receive from these organizations and government institutions is a great part of our own strength as a community-based field organization. A partial listing of our partners in these cooperative activities:

Child Protection and Shelters:

• Ministry of Child Welfare
• The Confederation of Street Children Organizations: pooling resources, communications, and advocacy experience.
• Local Police Stations – Over 80 stations work directly with our child protection and legal aid teams, and call HDF for assistance.
• National Police Academy – HDF provides annual training in Street Children Outreach to police cadets.
• Ministry of Education – HDF mans the national child abuse hotline weekly.
• Thai Armed Services and Rural Development Program – providing training programs and camping expeditions for our children.
• Wat Saphan Buddhist Temple. Our children work for and receive Buddhist teachings from Monks at our local Temple.
• Holy Redeemer Church and local Catholic institutions tutor our children after school and teach our children about prayer and ethics at home and in the community.

Education

• Ministry of Education – Formal and informal school coordination of various activities and certifications.
• Bangkok Metropolitan Authority - Coordinates activities and curriculum with our 22 Mercy Preschools, provides milk for our 2,500 school children, and subsidizes a portion of our teachers’ salaries.
• Community Leaders – We help organize and advise community leaders representing the neighborhoods surrounding our preschools.
• International High Schools – Academic scholarships for our children; volunteering opportunities for teachers in these schools and their most gifted graduates.

HIV/AIDS

• Ministry of Health
• Government Hospitals – HDF assists large groups of the poor living with AIDS through local government hospitals.
• Local Children’s Hospitals – provide medicine and testing for our children living with HIV; in-patient care when they are ill.
• Wat Saphan Buddhist Temple – Monks meet and advise our patients about life and healing, and provide funeral services when they die.
• AIDS Coalitions – Advocating for patients’ rights.
• Children’s Network – A federation of orphanages and children’s HIV/AIDS organizations, initiated by HDF, to coordinate communications, advocacy, and programs for children.

Community Services

• National Housing Authority
• Port Authority of Thailand