Illinois Students Volunteer Trip to Puerto Vallarta Orphanage Journal Online
go to original July 17, 2014

West Leyden High School students Jocelyn Lopez (front) and Idaly Holguin (background) play ball with several children at the Casa de Hogar Maximo Cornejo Quiroz orphanage in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, as part of the school's June 3-9 Service Club trip. More than 40 students and about 10 staff traveled to the orphanage to volunteer.

Several West Leyden High School Dist. 212 Service Club students and school staff returned from their June 3-9 volunteer trip to help an orphanage in Puerto Vallarta pleased with the experience.

This was the first Service Club trip for the school and the 46 students who made the journey.

Students raised funds for the trip in many ways including selling Chicago Cubs baseball tickets.

According to Leyden High School Dist. 212 spokesperson Maryann Mills, students and staff who volunteered their time and expertise to the orphanage learned much about working with children in need. She noted the learning experience was invaluable for students.

West Leyden Assistant Dean Byron Benion noted when the club was first organized last year, close to 70 students showed up for the initial meeting illustrating their interest in helping others.

The service trip came about after Benion told West Leyden Principal Wil Wagner he had visited an orphanage in Mexico last summer to help. Wagner asked him about the possibility of students doing a service trip to an orphanage in Mexico.

Students helped the Casa de Hogar Maximo Cornejo Quiroz orphanage, which serves 45 children ranging in age from one to 14, according to school officials.

Read related: High School in Illinois Raising Funds for Puerto Vallarta Orphanage

  Learn about Casa Hogar Childrens Shelter