SEATTLE, Washington — Marc Anthony is a singer, actor, songwriter, producer and philanthropist. For years, Marc Anthony has shown his devotion to improving underprivileged communities’ quality of life. He is the Maestro Cares Foundation co-founder and is actively involved in raising and donating funds to the children orphanages in Latin America and the U.S.
Maestro Cares Foundation
The Maestro Cares Foundation addresses education, health care and housing issues specific to children orphanages in Latin Countries. In January 2012, Anthony co-founded the organization with Henry Cardenas, a respected leader in Latin America’s live entertainment industry. The foundation focuses on aiding children in need, providing essential resources and innovative educational programs so that disadvantaged children can have promising futures. The organization’s mission statement expresses how this provision of resources helps “support their growth and development. Through [the Maestro Cares Foundation’s]efforts, we’re strengthening communities and helping children become tomorrow’s leaders.”
The foundation also offers an educational scholarship for teens who want to continue their studies. Thus far, the organization has helped more than 10,000 children and teenagers across 12 countries in Latin America. The Maestro Cares Foundation’s projects are active in Peru, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Puerto Rico.
About the Maestro Cares Foundation, Marc Anthony told The Weekly Journal, “One of the most beautiful aspects of this endeavor is being able to see how their attitude changes when their surroundings are improved; how they grow in order to fulfill their dreams.”
The foundation continues to grow and is working to include the different aspects that are necessary for child development. “Sports, like art, are an important part of childhood development,” said Anthony to The Weekly Journal. “It’s important to have these spaces within communities, especially in low-income areas, because they really do make a big difference in children’s lives.”
La Romana, Dominican Republic Orphanage
Through his Maestro Cares Foundation, Marc Anthony has also been passionate about providing essential resources for children orphanages. In the Dominican Republic, orphaned children face health issues, such as malnutrition and iron deficiency, and limited access to education. Anthony’s first project with the Maestro Cares Foundation was in La Romana, Dominican Republic. There the foundation sought to improve the lives of the children living in the orphanage, Orfanato Niños de Cristo.
In 2012, the foundation raised more than $200,000 to expand the orphanage, including a residence hall, additional classrooms and a baseball field. Besides the funding raised by the Maestro Cares Foundation, the foundation’s partners, GOYA Foods and Tecnoglass, donated land and windows and door parts that aided the expansion plan. Today, Orfanato Niños de Cristo has the capacity to house 50 children, who had been previously homeless, abused or abandoned by their family. Additionally, the foundation continues to assist the orphanage through educational programs, therapists and recreational programs, among other essential support.
Toluca, Mexico Orphanage
All of the orphanages opened through the Maestro Cares Foundation make a difference in dozens of children’s lives. The Casa Hogar Alegría Cacalomacán orphanage, located in Toluca, Mexico, opened its second home for “abused, neglected and abandoned girls” in March 2016. The orphanage provides shelter and resources to more than 100 young girls.
Anthony, along with the Maestro Cares Foundation, believes in actively supporting young girls and providing them with the tools to lead successful lives. While the orphanage offers essential resources for young girls, it also promotes education, self-confidence and personal development to prepare them for adulthood. According to SOS Children’s Villages International, more than one million children in Mexico are abandoned due to “intrafamily and gender village, malnutrition, poverty, commercial sexual exploitation, drug trafficking, drug use and migration, among other factors.” As such, in partnership with Fundacion Telmex Telcel, the Maestro Cares Foundation raised funds for the construction of a second home for the increasing number of young girls in need of shelter and basic necessities.
Marc Anthony continues to provide underprivileged children in Latin American and the U.S. with essential resources and opportunities for education and growth development. His philanthropic efforts have helped many disadvantaged communities rise out of poverty and prosper, positively impacting Latin American youths’ futures.
—Amanda Cruz
Photo: Commons Wikimedia