For Gabriella Barretto, the ever present thought of returning to her spiritual home of India, to the place of her birth, her formative years, and, to the very roots of her family soul, has now emerged with a dedicated sense of purpose.

In November 2005, after some 42 years, her dream became real, and the return trip was a powerful and beautiful jolt of childhood memories.

The excitement of India, and the journey to her old schools in Delhi and in the majestic Himalayas, were emotional moments connecting her to her past.  But, it was the visit to a slum that would inhabit her thoughts, prompting a plan of action, a desire to do something that would be of service to those born into deplorable conditions in the shadow of a thriving, throbbing Delhi, and the sweeping snow capped mountains to the North.

Once back in Illinois, Gabriella Barretto shared what she had seen, felt and heard with friends.  What was burning in her heart was what to do to help those who could not help themselves.  The children there had called her "Didi" - big sister - and she realised that she would think of herself as family, and do what family does in India:  look out for one another. 

That thought, shared around a dining room table, brought Ambassadors of Hope International into being.