About Us

Mission

COTS exists as an advocate for Salvadoran children, to release them from their economic, social, and physical poverty, and to enable them to become responsible and fulfilled human beings. The goal of COTS is to establish the infrastructure to support over 500 Salvadoran children with food, shelter, health care, clothing, and education.

COTS is a volunteer organization formed by professionals that work on a volunteer basis to deliver 100% of your donations straight into the hand that need the most, the children of El Salvador. We claim no salaries and have no overhead. Your donation really makes a huge difference, we make sure your money works hard for these innocent children.

Our Approach

Changed circumstances rarely lead to change in people’s lives, while changed people inevitably change their circumstances. Toward this end, our primary focus is individual child development, an approach that recognizes the value and potential of each individual child we rescue from the street. Our vision is long-term, not short-term like most other organizations. Very often, these children grow up to become positive influences in their own communities, closing the cycle of our efforts.

COTS is not affiliated with any religious organization, our only affiliations is with our delivery organization Fundacion Hogares Providencia (FHP).

Our History

COTS spent over three years (2001-2003) analyzing the problems of the children in El Salvador. During this time, members of COTS met with different organizations to do a full needs assessment. COTS met with different charitable, governmental, religious, and private organizations that are solving parts of the problem. Most of their focus is short-term, however.

From all organizations studied by COTS, only the non-profit Fundacion Hogares Providencia (FHP) had a true comprehensive and long-term vision of how to solve the children of the street problem. COTS and Hogares Providencia worked together in the development of a plan and a collaborative agreement that ensures a synergetic relationship between the two organizations.

COTS is responsible for the fundraising efforts to support the needs of Fundacion Hogares Providencia by providing them with the infrastructure they need to fulfill their mission. Hogares Providencia has the experience and the manpower in El Salvador to manage a forward looking non-profit operation.

The control of how the money is spent is driven by the board of COTS so that we can ensure transparency and auditable records in all transactions.

Fundacion Hogares Providencia (FHP)

Fundacion Hogares Providencia currently manages several homes where children of the street find some hope from their current streetbound situation.

One social worker, one psychologists, one teachers, one cook, and one nurses are there to attend the needs of only ten children. COTS Homes are located in the good neighborhoods of San Salvador, neighborhoods that are free of crime. Children in these home receive professional attention constantly, and they are challenged to learn.

Hogares Providencia recognizes the importance of integrating the family. The teams of Hogares Providencia work with the children and their familiess, trying to fortify the emotional bonds among them and to resolve any resentment, common in this type of situations. Many times it is not safe for these children to return to their parents.

This is difficult to understand for many of us, but according to the Salvadoran Institute for the Protection of Minors, more than 28% of Salvadoran street children reported being abused by authorities with 51% of the injuries reported being beatings, and 20% cuts. Even with these injuries and threats, 78% of these children reported feeling safer on the streets than in their own homes.

If family re-integration efforts fail, COTS Homes welcomes these children into a family environment. As time elapses these homes have been filled by orphaned children.

Click on this link to visit Fundacion Hogares Providencia's site

Overhead

We are professionals that understand that running a healthy project requires thorough planning, budgeting, analysis, coordination, supervision, and auditing. Many of these functions have costs that fall in the category of "overhead", all those expenses that are not directly related to the benefit of a child.

COTS operates as a pass-through organization, 100% of money donated makes it to the hands of children. The cost of overhead is covered by Fundacion Hogares Providencia, they secure the funds necessary to cover the overhead costs. This forces Fundacion Hogares Providencia to do fundraising in El Salvador and to also take some stake into the success of the project.

COTS volunteers are responsible for the analysis of proposals coming from Fundacion Hogares Providencia. The board of COTS analyses proposals and upon approval of a proposal the board determines the level of overhead necessary to accomplish the objectives set forth by the project. These overhead funds are to be secured by Fundacion Hogares Providencia, prior to project initiation. The board of COTS is also responsible for the elaboration of agreements and contracts that protect the interests of our donors.

Principles

• Funding will be primarily directed at activities which reverse or mitigate, or improve the condition and management of, the problem El Salvador faces with the children of the street;
• Funding will be applied in such a way as to maximize cross linkages between projects and, where necessary, to derive the most beneficial synergistic outcomes;
• Funding will be applied in the context of cost effectiveness and always keeping the wellbeing of the children in mind;
• Priority will be given to activities which are derived from strategies to address the fundamental causes, rather than symptoms, of the children of the street. Priority will be given to activities which bring long-term social benefits, unless primary needs must be covered and are short-term in nature;
• Decision making and delivery frameworks will aim to be flexible, transparent, equitable and accessible. The intention is to have funding and decision making at the most appropriate level consistent with effective, accountable and practicable delivery, while maintaining sound outcomes;
• COTS and Fundacion Hogares Providencia agree that their cooperation under this Agreement will be focused on achieving outcomes at the project level, recognizing that partners may seek additional information at the project level for assessment, monitoring, reporting and evaluation purposes. COTS and Fundacion Hogares Providencia agree that the level of project documentation will be reviewed every quarter—until projects are completed.
• Project Plans
The following principles will apply:
• there needs to be agreed objectives, outcomes, outputs, performance indicators, and milestones for projects;
• objectives should be measurable, outcome-oriented statements as to what the project aims to achieve;
• performance indicators should be linked to objectives, and data collection requirements should be outlined at the project plan level;
• reporting, monitoring, review, and acquittal/auditing requirements should be explicitly outlined, and resources agreed upon, in order to ensure that the use of money can be assessed over time; and
• progress payments should be linked to the achievement of agreed milestones.
• COTS and Fundacion Hogares Providencia agree to comply promptly with any reasonable request from the other partners to supply information relating to the management or administration of projects

Our Leadership

Andres Calderon

Andres has an MBA from Tulane University, where he graduated with honors. He has a Graduate Certificate in Applied Mathematics from Heidelberg University in the area of optimization of non-linear systems, a Masters in Computer Engineering in the area of optimization of network traffic from Louisiana State University (LSU), a Masters in Information Systems with a concentration in Decision Sciences from LSU and a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from LSU. Andres was not a professional student since he worked professionally on a full-time basis while pursuing all of his degrees. Andres is a member of the Sunrise Rotary Club of Baton Rouge, a Board Member of the International Hospitality Foundation, and the founder of Children of the Street. Andres was born and raised in El Salvador and experienced the country’s civil war and problems the country faces first hand.

Wendi Loup

Wendi Loup is an associate attorney in the Baton Rouge office of Breazeale, Sachse & Wilson, L.L.P. Wendi’s principal areas of practice include business and corporate law, as well as securities and taxation law. Her primary practice areas include private securities offerings, corporate governance and business transactions. Wendi was admitted to practice in Louisiana in 1999. She graduated with a J. D. from Louisiana State University (LSU), an MBA from LSU and Bachelors in Business Administration from LSU. Wendi is a Certified Fraud Examiner and a Certified Internal Auditor. Wendi is a Forum 35 Board Member, an LSU MBA Alumni Association Board Member and officer, an officer of the Institute of Internal Auditors, an advisor to the board of the Association of Henri Capitant, and the Chairperson of the Santa Maria Civic Association.

Aaron Thomas

Aaron has spent nearly 15 years in the oilfield service industry. Aaron began his career with Schlumberger Ltd. in Houston, Texas. Aaron spent two years in the international financial consolidation group located in Paris, France, and a year as division controller of Alaska and Canada operations based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Following Schlumberger, Aaron joined Fugro N.V. as Financial Manager and Controller of Fugro Chance Inc., based in Lafayette, Louisiana, where he has played various roles in acquisition projects and growth initiatives. Aaron earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and an MBA from Tulane University. He is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed to practice in Louisiana and Texas. Aaron also holds the credentials of Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified in Financial Management (CFM), and currently holds a Certification of Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) from the APICS organization.