 Pan y Amor was founded in 1991 by Monsignor Bernard Sandheinrich, former Director of the Mission Office and the Latin America Apostolate. Monsignor Sandheinrich learned from our Saint Louis priest missionaries in Bolivia of the plight of hundreds of children who were abandoned by their families and were living on the streets of Cochabamba and La Paz, Bolivia. During a trip to Cochabamba and La Paz, he visited various orphanages and saw firsthand the ways in which the Sisters were struggling to break down the walls of poverty, hunger, disease, and illiteracy that surrounded so many of these children. He saw children sleeping on floors, Sisters scrubbing clothes by hand, and the lack of adequate food and clothes. He realized how much more the Sisters would be able to do for these children with more financial help. Monsignor Sandheinrich returned to Saint Louis and immediately founded Pan y Amor, working hard to recruit sponsors and supporters.
 Sister Stephanie Murray The first efforts of Pan y Amor were directed at five orphanages located in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Because the Archdiocese of Saint Louis had connections with the missionary priests working in Bolivia, it seemed to be a perfect fit. These orphanages were part of a network called Amanecer. Amanecer, meaning “to dawn” in Spanish, was founded in 1981 by Sister Stephanie Murray, a Daughter of Charity from Philadelphia who was working in Bolivia. Sister Stephanie assumed responsibility for these orphanages that had long been under the care of the state, going above and beyond the call of duty to care for the children and to bring hope and new life to their worlds. Pan y Amor continues to support the Amanecer network of orphanages in Cochabamba, which has grown to 10, and also assists one orphanage in La Paz.
Because of our sponsors and supporters, children now have beds to sleep on, nutritious food to eat, and educational tools and resources. A bus was purchased to transport the older boys to trade schools, so that they might have the necessary skills to earn a living. The Sisters now have a large commercial washing machine and are able to spend more time with the children, rather than doing laundry.
The most recent projects supported by Pan y Amor are the Eastlands Youth Project in Nairobi, Kenya and Asociación Talita Cum in Boyacá, Colombia.
The Eastlands Youth Project is an educational enrichment program, and is aimed at providing basic study opportunities, personal tutoring, and techniques promoting the academic and character development of individuals. It was formed by Andrew Olea in 2002 and has been assisted by Pan y Amor since 2005.
Asociación Talita Cum, named after the scripture verse, “Little girl, arise” in Mark 5:41, is a home for girls at high risk. The home is supported by the Messengers of Peace religious order in Colombia, which was founded by Archbishop Robert Carlson in 2006.
Thanks to Pan y Amor sponsors and supporters, children in Bolivia, Colombia, and Kenya are now thriving and are blessed to be able to live and grow in moral, nurturing, and loving environments.
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