Mission Santa Maria

Mission Santa Maria is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that enables Ecuadorian children - most of whom come from extreme poverty or have survived abuse - to receive shelter and high quality education. Through the support of Mission Santa Maria these children are provided a “sanctuary” and a chance for a better future.

It’s not easy to convey the urgency and simplicity of Mission Santa Maria’s mission. To a 12-year-old girl dropped on our doorstep by the Ecuadorian government with her four younger siblings, we may appear as just another empty promise. Having had to give up her own education for years while caring for her siblings in a house plagued by abuse and neglect, going back to school is the last thing on her mind. But at Esperanza Home for Children, she and her siblings will be loved, and at Santa Maria del Fiat School, she’ll be restored. Patiently, persistently, she will be surrounded with care and security, encouraged when she’s ready to learn more about the world, about her own dignity, and that people can be good and kind.

One day she may even become a teacher, counselor, or nurse, or…who knows? Every day, the Mission Santa Maria in and around Olon, Ecuador sees tragedies and miraculous signs of hope. With nearly 100 children in Esperanza Home, hundreds more in Santa Maria del Fiat school, and dozens more moving on to lives of hope and purpose beyond high school, we see plenty of both. For us, alleviating poverty begins with love, and continues through education, and a challenge to support into professional and family life. Learn more and contribute at MissionSantaMaria.com or contact us directly at grace@missionsantamaria.com.