Founded more than 35 years ago by Olga Diaz as the Hogar Domingo Savio, Mi Club Domingo Savio began as a residential orphanage for a small number of Chilean youth. The goal of the hogar was to create a family-style atmosphere for its children, as opposed to the huge state-run orphanages. This goal is inherent in Hogar Domingo Savio’s name, as the word “hogar” means home in Spanish. Steve spent two years living and working in the hogar, and his experiences during these two years serve as the premise for Santiago’s Children.
In 2003, the hogar reoriented its goals and its mission and reinvented itself as a community center. Now known as Mi Club Domingo Savio, the foundation continues to operate from the same building as it did in the 1980s. In its new form, Mi Club serves 50 children ages 6 to 18 and provides them with artistic activities, sporting events, and educational help. In addition to the services Mi Club provides for the children, the club has recently begun a program to help young mothers in the community.