Christel House International

Christel House helps children around the world break the cycle of poverty, realize their hopes and dreams, and become self-sufficient, contributing members of society.

When businesswoman and philanthropist Christel DeHaan sold Resort Condominiums International (RCI) in 1996, she decided to devote the next phase of her life to helping impoverished children. Her motto, "to care, to share, to make a difference", embodies the philosophical underpinnings of the organization.

After an impactful visit to two children’s shelters in Mexico in January 1998, DeHaan realized that simply providing food or clothing would make life easier only temporarily. To make a lasting difference would require giving children of poverty the opportunity for transformational change. Creating systemic change needed a holistic approach, quality staff, rigorous curriculum, measurement of results, and accountability on all fronts. This thinking led to the development of Christel House, and the first learning center opened its doors in late 1998.