Brenda Howley, 62, of South Burlington founded The Howley Foundation to build homes for orphaned children in India. For more information visit www.TheHowleyFoundation.org. (LYNN MONTY, Free Press)
Almost three decades ago Brenda Howley, 62, of South Burlington met her daughter Tanuja for the first time at JFK International Airport. She was three months old, weighed about three pounds, and arrived in a basket with five other babies from Calcutta, India.
“She was all skin and bones, a little shell of a baby,” Howley said.
Tanuja has since grown to be a vibrant, intelligent, beautiful woman. She has yet to journey back to her homeland, but her mother went alone for the first time in 2010. Soon after, she developed The Howley Foundation to build homes for orphaned children in India.
“My mission is to take in children from hopeless situations and give them housing, healthcare, education, and love,” Howley said. “I was moved by what I saw. There are 15 million people in Calcutta. All you have to do is stand and watch.”
Poverty forces parents to abandon their children in India, Howley said.
Howley often thought of adopting more children from India. “My passion comes from seeing her grow into this lovely, loving individual,” she said of her daughter. “I wanted to help more children, but with adoption, that’s me and a few children. I have always wanted to do more. If I can help 20 or 30 at a time that’s a lot better.”
Single-parent Howley, a legal coordinator at VHFA, also adopted a child from Vermont, Tia, a year prior to adopting Tanuja.
Howley is on a mission to fundraise for The Howley Foundation, and has applied for grants. She hopes to raise $370,000 for two homes that will house 40 children.
The Howley Foundation will be collaborating with other non-profit organizations that are already making a difference in the lives of the children of Calcutta, specifically Maher in Pune, India, run by Sister Lucy Kurien. The non-profit, Maher, has housed 650 children over the past 15 years with Kurien’s help.
Howley spent time in India with Kurien this past January, and is planning her next trip. For more information call Brenda Howley at 318-1771 or email Brenda@TheHowleyFoundation.org or visit www.TheHowleyFoundation.org.
WHAT: Casino Royale Fundraiser for The Howley Foundation
WHERE: Splash at the Boathouse in Burlington
WHEN: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Oct. 19
CONTACT: For tickets call – Elisabeth At 658-5800
Brenda Howley, 62, of South Burlington in a village near Pune, India in January 2012. She founded The Howley Foundation to build homes for orphaned children in India. For more information visit www.TheHowleyFoundation.org.