Ruidoso, NM & Juarez, Mexico — January 27, 2026
When police bring children to Bethel Orphanage in Juarez, Mexico, they arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs—survivors of abuse, neglect, and situations no child should endure. Some have never experienced three regular meals a day.
What they find at Bethel is a family spanning three generations of women who have dedicated their lives to breaking cycles of trauma. And for the past three decades, the Rotary Club of Ruidoso has been an essential partner in that work—paying monthly gas bills, donating heaters, sending supplies, and providing the operational support that transforms crisis response into sustainable care.
It Begins With Your Neighbor
Over four decades ago, Josefina Valencia saw children struggling in her Juarez neighborhood and started feeding and clothing them. What began as one woman's compassion blossomed into Bethel Orphanage, now serving more than 50 children.
Valencia's daughter Sandra Flatow joined the mission. Now Valencia's granddaughter Anna Franklin serves as director—three generations of women building infrastructure for children who had none.
"My grandmother always said, 'It begins with your neighbor,'" Franklin told Ruidoso Rotarians at their January meeting. "For me, it's about touching these kids, breaking the cycle."
More Than Shelter
Bethel doesn't just provide beds and meals. The facility creates what Franklin calls "home"—a place where children know they're safe, loved, and have a future.
Staff instill character, self-respect, and the importance of giving back to community. Education is central: older students attend college, and some return to work at Bethel, helping children who were once in their same situation.
This full-circle impact—former residents becoming staff members—demonstrates sustainable transformation. These aren't children being "saved" and sent away. They're being equipped to become the next generation of caregivers, teachers, and community builders.
When Police Bring Kids
Franklin's description of arrivals is stark: "When police bring these kids, they have nothing, just the clothes on their backs. I want them to feel like this is their home, not just an orphanage or foster home they're just passing through. They're safe, they know they're loved, and have a future. We get to speak life into these kids."
"Speaking life" into children who have experienced profound trauma requires more than good intentions. It requires operational capacity: heat in winter, consistent meals, educational resources, emotional support, and the stability that comes from knowing adults will show up reliably.
Three Decades of Showing Up
The Rotary Club of Ruidoso discovered Valencia's work over thirty years ago and decided to help. Not with a one-time donation, but with sustained partnership:
- Monthly gas bill payments (ensuring heat and hot water year-round)
- Heater donations (addressing infrastructure gaps)
- Ongoing supplies (clothing, educational materials, household needs)
- Recently: $1,000 cash donation plus bags of new clothing
- Planning: Club trip to visit the facility and identify additional support opportunities
This consistency matters enormously. Bethel's staff can count on Rotary support when emergencies arise, when budgets fall short, when unexpected needs emerge.
You'll Meet Them in Heaven
Franklin's message to Rotarians was deeply personal: "I have a special place in my heart for you guys. I know when we need help, you have provided for us. You may not know or even meet the kids, but I really do believe one day when we're all in heaven, you're going to have some kids come up to you and say thank you."
Most Ruidoso Rotarians will never meet the children their gas bill payments keep warm in winter. They won't know the names of students whose college education was made possible because operational costs were covered. They won't see the moment a former resident returns as a staff member, completing the cycle.
But Franklin sees it. The three generations of Valencia women see it. And the children arriving with nothing but trauma and the clothes on their backs—who leave with education, character, and hope—will carry that impact forward.
Breaking Cycles
Bethel's success isn't measured just in children served, but in cycles broken. Children who experienced abuse don't become abusers. Children who knew neglect become caregivers. Children who arrived traumatized leave equipped to build healthy families and contribute to their communities.
This generational transformation happens because Josefina Valencia saw her neighbors' children and acted. Because Sandra Flatow and Anna Franklin continued that mission across decades. And because Ruidoso Rotarians committed to partnership that outlasts individual club presidents, survives leadership transitions, and persists through three decades of change.
The Visit Ahead
The Rotary Club is now organizing a trip to Bethel—thirty years into partnership, creating opportunity for Rotarians to finally meet the children and see the infrastructure their decades of support have built.
This visit represents more than tourism or validation. It's deepening relationship, identifying new needs, and ensuring the next thirty years of partnership are even more effective than the last.
Sustained Partnership as Infrastructure
Three decades. Three generations. Hundreds of children whose lives changed because a grandmother in Juarez said "it begins with your neighbor" and a Rotary club in Ruidoso said "yes, we'll help."
Not for a year. Not until it got hard. Not until leadership changed.
For thirty years. And counting.
Avenue of Service: International Service
Area of Focus: Maternal and child health, Basic education and literacy
To learn more about the Rotary Club of Ruidoso's partnership with Bethel Orphanage, contact Sean Chaffin at seanchaffin@sbcglobal.net