- Angels Among Us -

Yolanda Duarte is a 80-year-old woman who along with a handful of other volunteers has practically adopted 58 mentally handicapped teenagers. They live in a house in Petropolis, which is located a couple hours drive outside of the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Many of them are bedridden, some are blind and for those who do have motor skills she has developed the technique called “work habits” where they learn through daily life activities, emphasizing positive reinforcement.
Not only does Yolanda have to raise the support for the institution herself at 80, but she also has to pay for the very expensive drugs needed each month for the children. Two very large institutions for the mentally handicapped which have been operating nearby have closed due to lack of support from sponsors or the government, resulting in all the children being sent back to parents who live in the slums or basically out on the streets.
Large companies have not been keen on sponsoring handicapped institutions, as the image of the mentally handicapped is not a very pretty one for marketing campaigns.
In the meantime, unseen saints like Yolanda continue day after day doing what little she can to make the lives of these children a better place.
If you would like to help with a donation of material goods, medicine, or cash, please contacts them at the address below.

Assistência Social do Instituto Yolanda Duarte
Rua Homogêneo Silva, 608 - Bairro Retiro - Petrópolis - tel: (24) 2231-8675
Deposits in cash:   Banco do Brasil , Agencia: 0080-9,  Conta Corrente: 17664-8

Please note that they do not speak English so if you would like your letter translated please send it to me first. Any questions, translations, or further information needed in English please contact:
Tracy Alexander  Email: contemporaryangels@gmail.com