Testimonials

My 6 year old son and I had an amazing ritual experience with Marla. We were both anxious about welcoming a new baby girl into the family and having to be separated for a few days while I’m in the hospital. Marla set up a special and personalized ritual box for my son and he was excited and happy to go through it with her. Through this ritual we both were able to talk about our emotions and feelings and connect at a deeper level. It was very special and meaningful and my son is now excited to be a big brother and knows what he needs to do to feel close to Mom and Dad! Marla also provided fun and meaningful crafts to do with Grandma while Mom and Dad are in the hospital. Marla was able to help my son and I feel less anxious about this new upcoming chapter in our lives. I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome or experience!

  • Mari O’Brien


Dear Marla. I have a memory with you that I always remember and cherish forever. You gave me a chance to come along on your film project. I remember being loved and included by everyone around on the trip we took down south. I wanted to be a filmmaker since I was a child. You were and still are to this day a GOD sent good individual in this world. You gave me love and took me with you on that trip so that I can keep dreaming. You gave me hope. It did not matter that I was from what some might call underdeveloped community but I had a dream and You were a GOD sent individual who showed me what was beyond my hope and dream. I am forever thankful because i have you in my life. YOU resemble what LOVE  should look like. I approach you with a clear and open mind because I know all I'll receive is love.  Thank you so much for being a good person. Love, Tesh.

  • Tesh Yana, Ethiopia

Marla is a soul with a heart of gold. I met her in 2020 shortly after the pandemic hit. We were introduced in a Zoom meeting that neither of us knew why we were asked to attend. As we waited for the organizer, who never made it, we introduced ourselves and she mentioned she lived in Laguna Beach, California – a place, I shared, where my brother Drewsy had lived for some time. We got to talking and I began to share with the group about my nonprofit CHARM’s upcoming Camp Druzy (named after my brother "Drewsy" and as a nod to the crystal) for grieving families and how we had to pivot to a virtual format to keep everyone safe. Marla, whose son Dean had crossed over unexpectedly a few years prior, immediately offered to help - and wow, she had a lot to offer!  Each morning, Marla led families over Zoom in a fun and meaningful yoga session. She was definitely one of the highlights of Camp Druzy 2020 for everyone. Her love and energy was infectious!

In 2021, we were planning to go virtual again when, at the last moment, we decided to pivot once more - this time to an in-person format. We had a lot of families to serve this year and parents were eager to connect to provide opportunities for healing to their children. With Santa Cruz County, AZ boasting one of the country’s highest vaccination rates, and nearly all of our vaccine-eligible participants and volunteers vaccinated, we decided to make it work - safely. While I was grateful to have this opportunity, part of me was concerned - would Marla be able to join us again this year? It wouldn’t be the same without her. I should have known better. The moment I told Marla that camp would now be offered in-person, she offered to make the trip from Laguna Beach to Tubac so she could lead our morning yoga sessions and serve as a camp counselor. Marla’s heart of gold shined again and once again she and her yoga sessions were a highlight for all of the campers.

I feel so lucky to call Marla a friend and all of our camp families have been so grateful to have gleaned from her time, passion, and generosity at our camp! Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Marla!

  • Dr. Heidi Pottinger, Founder and Executive Director of Child Health & Resilience Mastery (CHARM) and Assistant Research Professor at the School of Social Work at Arizona State University

My name is Kaleab, working for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (AJJDC) and Dr. Rick in Ethiopia. I am writing this letter in regards to Mrs. Marla Hodes. I have had the honor of working with Marla in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia over the past 9 Years. One beautiful experience I had with Marla is when she was interviewing the families of children who were going to India to receive life-saving surgeries. She spent time with the children comforting them and helping them to understand. She loves the children and they love her. I have also seen her do activities with the children such as ritual work and it is magical. Marla is also a kind person a delight to spend time with.

  • Kaleab, Ethiopia

Marla came to The Cross Border House last summer bearing the great gift of talent and enthusiasm.  She arrived with her daughter, Carly, with cases of material, costumes, musical instruments, hand painted masks and the life experience to bring it all together in the form of an outdoor summer event.  Her contribution to our foundation will be remembered in her generosity to the children and the ease with which she was able to coordinate this team throughout a week of play, music, dance and performance.  It can be challenging to work in an unfamiliar language, but this didn't stop Marla or the children from bonding together their efforts for a most impressive week long, fun filled, summer program.  

  • Amber Poole Kieniewicz, Team Member, The Cross Border House

On behalf of CcSa, I feel a great honour to write this testimonial letter to Marla. First of all, my name is Addisu Yilhal. I am the founder and executive director of a small local NGO called “Coalition to Child Support Association (CcSa) that works with women and children in the thematic areas of education, economic empowerment, health and HIV/AIDS and emergency response in Ethiopia. 

I feel like words are incapable of describing the works of Marla Ann Hodes and the love she gives to our women who live with HIV/AIDS and children. 

I have had the honour of working with Marla in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia over the past eight years. The passion and joy she brings to her work is a sight to be seen. She cares with all of her heart and works with our women, who are HIV positive and feel hopeless and stigmatized, helping them to set new life goals and build sustainable businesses for self-reliance. Moreover, the love she gives to children, and the love children give to her in return is more than words can express. She led small rituals, puppetry adventures, role-playing and storytelling that best entertain and teach children. Her support has positively impacted the lives of hundreds and thousands who are in a desperate need for survival. More importantly, the positive image she creates on children, who are the next generations, through rituals and puppetry is massive. I can witness this better than anyone else as I have been closely working with beneficiary women and children.  At last, both her generosity and her ability to make children entertained with puppets make Marla the most likeable person. The children are so excited each year when she returns. We are blessed to have her in our lives.  

  • Addisu Yilhal, CcSa Executive Director

I first met Marla when she came to Ethiopia to explore humanitarian opportunities, and had the opportunity to witness her sincere passion to assist Ethiopians. Her work extended from helping children thru education, to projects working with, and altering the lives of women with HIV.  I was drawn to her due to her infectious desire and passion to be involved in the lives of children that are in need. On the onset, though we were entertaining various thoughts, Marla directed our attention to focus on young disadvantaged girls with potential, to assist them excel in their endeavors. We first addressed how this prospect can be realized thru community… and consequently devised a program where young girls from one of the slums of Addis Ababa were selected, and given the opportunity. The program is an all-inclusive sponsorship program covering private school education, meals and other livelihood expenses, which Marla made sure it was readily available,without fail. She is a woman of her words.

Currently, after 12+ years of tenacious effort working with sponsors in the US, filling the gaps when there was default, Marla has register success!  Two students from the program have graduated from the University, and 4 are currently in universities enrolled in various disciplines with the hopes of graduating in the next few years.  And the rest of the students, who we dearly call “Roman’s Girls” are attending high school.

Marla made this happen! With her love, kind compassionate heart, and stanch dedication and passion, she has enriched the lives of these children from the slums.  A few that graduated are currently employed taking care of themselves, their family, with the hopes of becoming future leaders in Ethiopia.  Marla’s aspiration from the day I met her is to enrich the lives of the most marginalized….to alleviate them from poverty, thru sustainable projects.

I hold utmost respect and admiration for my dear friend Marla, and her humane qualities… kind loving heart, unwavering commitment to her cause, and unyielding effort to be fully involved in her projects, and never pulling back when times are hard. That she has proved, times and times again, thru the years transforming the lives of so many children in our project, and the vast work she does for communities all over.  

  • Roman Kifle, PhD, Ass Professor, St. Mary’s University,Addis Ababa, Ethiopia