In trying and uncertain times like these, it is always great to hear about people who are doing amazing things.

Local resident Susette Goff, as well as others who have become involved in the effort through Yorktown Rotary Club and St. Mark Lutheran Church, are heavily involved in the Refugio de los Sueños near Quito, Ecuador. Its name translated to “A Place Where Dreams Come True.”

As a Spanish teacher, Goff took a course in Ecuador. Someone took her to the place that eventually became the Refugio, and she has visited about twice a year for the past 20 years. Two years ago, she took over management of the facility.

The facility has been a great blessing to children who are less fortunate in Ecuador. There, children can take refuge from bad family situations or other misfortunes. They learn life skills — for some, even sleeping in a bed is a foreign concept, and they must learn how — and vocational skills like baking and carpentry. The children have a place to play and to get basic health care.

“The Refugio truly is that for the children,” Goff says. “When you see them come through the gates, it’s an unbelievable transformation; they’re so happy there.”

So many in the York County community have thrown their support behind the Refugio, and many have even made the journey to Ecuador to see it for themselves. Nobody leaves the country unchanged, Goff said.

“The many, many, many people I have taken down there all said it was a life-altering experience,” she said.

We hope you’ll click here and learn more about this fantastic outreach that spans across two continents.