Charitable Works > Buenos Aires: A City of Contrasts > In the Borough of Chacarita

San José Obrero Home

The Head, Sister Olivia, with 'her' children

FEATURES:

At the very heart of the borough of Chacarita, in the City of Buenos Aires, a huge plot of land that belonged to the former state-owned power company Segba was transferred to Felices los Niños Foundation in 1995. There, a few meters from Federico Lacroze Ave. is the location of the San José Obrero Home.

The Home was named after this saint because it was opened on May 1, 1997. Since then, it provides overall assistance to 6-12 year-old kids.

Children at San Jose Obrero are normally referred to the Home by Juvenile Courts of the City of Buenos Aires and the Province of Buenos Aires. This is a coeducational home. Boys live at Ceferino Namuncurá Building and girls at Virgen Niña Building. Three missionary sisters of the Order of Martha and Mary live there, entirely at chidren's service. Sister Olivia is Mother Superior and Sister María Luz and Sister Olga collaborate with her.

The Baking School

Also, there is the Mamá Margarita Baking School. The Home has bedrooms and facilities fitted with everything necessary to assist children and infants.

A trait in common to all children arriving at a home like this is that they have hardly any or no habits and rules. At the Home, they acquire a discipline of work and behavior.

Children at San Jose Obrero attend Workshops on Rabbit Breeding and Poultry Farming, Vegetable Gardening, Art and Cooking. The premises also have green spaces and a vegetable garden and farm that they look after and allow them to learn about these activities. There is also time for recreation, gym and educational outings.

The Home library

These children's psychological profile is characterized by family abandonment, a problem that demands special care. Generally, they come from large families without a decent house, and their parents are unemployed and have a history of violence and drug abuse. Judges understand that these families cannot take care of and raise their children and therefore decide to refer them to different homes, such as San Jose Obrero, where the conditions are laid down to exercise an educational function.

The Home's buildings house:

• Laundry and clothes mending room - Clothes storage room- Pantry
• 5 rooms for the kids, one of them for maternal care.
• Donation reception center
• Video room
• 2 mess halls
• 2 study rooms
• Conference room
• Chapel (small Oratorium)
• Completely equiped infirmary
• Library
• 3 children's care offices (Head, Psychologist, Social Worker)
• Indoor gym (basketball course and theater)
• 2 yards

The Home personnel counts 7 people.

CONTACT:

Tel / Fax: (011) 4554-3433   From abroad: + 54 (11) 4554-3433
E-mail: chacarita@feliceslosninos.org
Address: Charlone 753 - (C1427BXO) Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires - Argentina.

I wish to sponsor the Foundation's work!