THURSDAY’S CHILD’S RECENT DONATION RECIPIENTSIn December of 2006 our board of directors voted to have our agency contribute to two worthy projects . This is something we strive to do as much as possible, though we are a small agency with a very modest budget. The donations were made early in 2007. One recipient was a program we have assisted in the past. Last year we contributed towards a multi-sensory therapy room for children in Taiwan and this year we helped provide funds to use for psychotherapy older children in Taiwan. A particularly rewarding use of funds donated by our families and supporters (and for which Noah, spotlighted above, raised money through his birthday celebration) was a very nice donation made in February 07 to Associación Benedición de Dios. This is a small private school in the village of Alotenango, Guatemala, about 14 km from Antigua. The village is 1388 meters above sea level and is surrounded by mountains and volcanoes. This is a very poor, mainly agricultural area. Most people feed families of 6 to 8 people on an average daily income of about 4 US dollars per day. The school was founded by Sr. Jose Garcia, a Guatemalan teacher who was determined to help the children break their cycle of poverty and lack of education, and who started the school in 2002. The children at the school receive nutritious food and beverages and their families receive a monthly ration of powdered milk, which is a luxury. A Dutch organization also provides them with some assistance. |
PHOTOS FROM GUATEMALA Click here to view a photo gallery of our agency donation letter and check being presented (including the money raised by Noah Morris through is friends and relatives) and of children at the school.
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Thursday’s Child made contact with Rebecca Center, a bi-lingual teacher in Framingham, MA. Rebecca is an adoptive mother of a toddler son from Guatemala who wanted to give something back. Last summer she began a relationship with Associación Benedición de Dios and began to think of ways to raise money to help them, and a group of indigenous artisans who live in Santiago Atitlan and who make beaded jewelry, ornaments and fabric items. The Director of Thursday’s Child was excited to purchase some of these items as Christmas gifts for friends and relatives. Rebecca began to offer some of the handicrafts for sale and with the proceeds, has been donating back 70% to assist with the needs of Associación Benedición de Dios, and to provide cooking stoves to the families of the school children. These stoves will replace the open cooking fires in their homes with energy efficient, safe ventilated stoves. Rebecca is being aided by HELPS International, and when Thursday’s Child heard about her efforts, we also decided to assist. Rebecca has volunteered as a teacher at the school and has also provided some professional development. In February of 2007 she made another trip there with her little son and, at that time, was kind enough to present Sr. Garcia with our agency’s contribution. Our agency requested that two stoves be purchased at that time, and that the rest of the money be used for needs at the school. Thank you, Rebecca and Sr. Garcia, for allowing Thursday’s Child the opportunity to assist. If anyone would like to help, tax-deductible contributions can be made to Thursday’s Child to our overseas and orphanage assistance fund and can be designated to this school in Guatemala. We will guarantee that all money donated to us and designated will get there. |
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