News & Updates
EIN#: 26-2501642
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February 4, 2021 | Issue 102 |
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How Did Nuestros Niños Serve in 2020?
This past year, as for so many, it has been an especially difficult year for those in Guatemala, especially in the Highlands where we serve. We know so many we serve have suffered through COVID-19, economically and with the illness/death itself. With the economic difficulties, food scarcity has been a major struggle as families didn't have a pantry full of food to eat from when job losses occurred back in March & April 2020. Food scarcity continues still today...
Nuestros Niños has worked in conjunction with Action Alliance International and FundaMaya (our host organization in Guatemala) to provide:
- Emergency Food Funds ($16,836) which contributed to 53,090 meals being provided in 2020 (based on 700kcal meal)
- School Supplies for 3 Preschool & Nutrition Centers - prior to COVID-19 ($2,000)
- Construction Repairs to the San Jorge la Laguna Elderly Care Center - fixing roof, creating "a false roof" for insulation, and correcting drainage issues in building -prior to COVID-19 ($2,366)
- Organized, Inventoried, Packed, & Shipped 32 (12 cubic foot) Boxes with Medical, Clothing, Sewing, Solar Powered Systems, Sponsored Student Packages, Toys for Christmas, Computers for Students to Study, & Much More to Guatemala
- Medical Aid ($1,625) for Medical Supplies & Medical Care
- Organized PPE & Medical Supply Donation Drive for (masks, pulse oximeters, thermometers, face shields, gloves, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizers, etc.)
- Facilited Shipment of 125+ Student Packages, 66 Solar Light Systems, 96 small Solar Lights, & 4 Computers for Sponsored Students
- Volunteers associated with Nuestros Niños have continued to sponsor over 30 students' education
Nuestros Niños had planned to have two teams serve in Guatemala this year which would have been our 19th and 20th trips. Instead, we focused our donations that would have been utilized during the trips for ONIL stoves, water filters, building projects, food, etc. into the needs listed above.
As we have not been able to hold fundraisers this year, individual contributions have been vital in allowing us to do this work and keep money in reserve for when we may continue safely with our service trips in either 2021 or 2022.
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How YOU CAN Help - We NEED YOU! |
Instead of utilizing money for the service work we would have completed on our two 2020 trips, we focused our donations into the needs listed above.
As we were not able to hold fundraisers in 2020 (and currently still in 2021), individual contributions have been vital in allowing us to do this work and keep money in reserve for when we may continue safely with our service trips in 2022 (hopefully).
We chose not to send out newsletters and requests for donations in 2020 as the Nuestros Niños Board understood that times were difficult for so many here in the United States too. Life is still different in so many ways here - and too many are still affected economically, as well as their health.
Nuestros Niños does rely on donations (tax deductible as allowed by law) - and we would greatly appreciate any donation you could make in 2021!
We have never had any paid staff over the past 14 years and our administrative costs over this time have been 3.1% We take the responsibility of utilizing donations and fundraised monies very seriously with the hope to serve in the most needed and helpful ways as possible.
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Nuestros Niños knows there will continue to be a need for food and other care in Guatemala over the next year. We are in continuous talks with our partner organizations (FundaMaya & Action Alliance International) in regards to the situation in Guatemala, the current needs of the people and community, and specific situations.
As we are not taking a trip this year, we would like to be able to help with the equivalent of a service trip's service funds. However, with the lack of fundraisers during 2020 - and potentially in most of 2021 - we NEED YOU!
Can you make a one time or monthly recurring donation to help us "do some good in this world?"
We would appreciate it if you would share this newsletter and donation request with any family, friends, coworkers, places of worship, or communities you feel might be interested.
Thank You!
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HOW:
Please go to
www.nuestrosninoscharity.org to make an on-line donation using your credit card or PayPal account. (Top left corner of each page of the website.) It can be a one time or monthly recurring donation of any amount.
In the top right corner of each page, there are a few other options on donation amounts or specific items to donate toward through PayPal.
Or a check may be mailed to:
Nuestros Niños Charity
P.O. Box 30656
Knoxville, TN 37930
(You will receive a receipt which may be used for tax purposes and your personal files.)
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2022 Service Trips
Trip 1: May 28 - June 5, 2022
(TENTATIVE)
Trip 2: July 2 - July 10, 2022
(TENTATIVE)
Trip 3: November 19 - 27, 2022
(TENTATIVE)
So many tough decisions have had to be made in the past year, including canceling the 2020 & 2021 trips.
As we remain active in continuing to service children, families, and the elderly in Guatemala - we also very much look forward to returning to Guatemala!!
We hope there are many others that are ready to return to serve or to take that leap of faith with us to go for their first time in 2022!
We need to start thinking about booking hotels at least 12 months, if not 18 months prior to travel. It sounds crazy, but the places we stay are very small and have limited rooms (i.e., about 10-20). Our previous hotel had a greater number of rooms and we could "maneuver" a bit more with changes. Room configuration changes will be much more difficult on future trips most likely.
So...if you are thinking about a Service Trip to Guatemala with Nuestros Niños in 2022 - it is time to start planning!
The trips are an amazing service experience while bonding with others that travel with you and those we interact with in Guatemala!
Trip participants normally fly down on a Saturday and return on the following Sunday. Monday through Friday will be filled with a variety of service activities which may including building Fuel Efficient Stoves, packing and distributing baskets and bags of food, activities with preschoolers, building & maintenance projects, and a variety of other volunteer opportunities. We will have at least one and a half days of sightseeing and cultural activities – including visiting several indigenous villages, cooking opportunities, backstrap loom and beading demonstrations, and shopping.
If you are interested in a birth family or foster family visit, we can assist with connecting you to resources to facilitate visits. If you are interested in adding on time to your trip for additional sightseeing opportunities – hiking Volcan Pacaya, traveling to ruins of Tikal, or seeing other areas – we are happy to help you navigate the travel arrangements.
A $250 deposit (per person) is needed to secure your spot for the 2022 trips (refundable if Nuestros Niños cancels a trip).
We limit the trips to 15 participants to keep things manageable for our team and the support staff at FundaMaya. (The first 15 people for each trip that submit deposits (by check) will be accepted, with others put on a wait list or offered the option of another trip date if available.) We recommend trip participants be at least 9-10 years old and able to walk about a mile. Many times the terrain is rougher, and we are at a higher altitude. We do work with the participants as much as possible to accommodate special talents, specific needs, and dietary restraints.
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Interested?
The trip cost will hopefully stay at $800 (pays for the in-country food, transportation, and hotel cost), plus airfare (in the past around $650-850 to date, unknown going forward). We anticipate participants will have very little expense once in country, other than snacks and souvenir shopping.
We do ask that each trip member be responsible for helping to raise an additional $250 prior to the trip to go towards our service projects while in Guatemala. This is just a portion of the estimated cost of the service work. We normally spend $1,000-$1,500 towards the service work (ONIL stoves, water filters, building projects, food baskets, blankets, shipping costs, preschool activities, etc.) per volunteer! We work with trip members to come up with the best possible way for them to raise the service portion of the fee, and provide multiple opportunities on a group level.
We can provide contact information for references if desired. We are happy to answer any questions you might have!
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It is not too early to start thinking about 2022! If you are interested in a 2022 Nuestros Niños Service Trip, please let us know. It is essential for planning purposes...and trying to figure out how many rooms, trips, etc. to plan on. |
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10th Annual
Play It Forward
Golf Tournament
& Silent Auction
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Rescheduled...
We plan on hosting the Nuestros Niños Play It Forward Golf Tournament & Silent Auction on Saturday, September 18, 2021 at Egwani Farms Golf Course.
We do hope the pandemic will be coming under control by this summer, allowing us enough time to organize the event.
Stay tuned for more info!
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Quick update on craft shows & festival...
We can't wait until we can be out in the community talking about the wonderful items made in Guatemala, seeing so many of our repeat customers, and raising funds for our continued service work.
We hope that will be at some point in 2021, but we also want to be sure it is safe for our volunteers and our shoppers - as we often do not have the opportunity to have all shoppers (and volunteers) at least 6' apart.
We will be sure to let you know (here) and on Facebook when we begin to attend craft shows and festivals again.
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April Shipment to Guatemala |
Send a Package to Your Sponsored Student
If you are interested in sending items to your sponsored student in the April Shipment, please let us know. We can send you the information related to specific, designated shipments. In general, the cost to ship items to sponsored students is $20 per cubic foot. All items for shipment must be received by April 15, 2021. For directions please contact angela@nuestrosninoscharity.org.
General Donations
If you have general donations (in good condition) - toys, cardigans, jackets, school supplies, sewing machines, blenders, computers, medical supplies, etc. please contact angela@nuestrosninoscharity.org.
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To Ponder...
“Hope is important because
it can make the present moment less difficult to bear.
If we believe that tomorrow will be better,
we can bear a hardship today.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh
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(Photo from: https://www.facebook.com/skyscrapercitycentroamerica/posts/622580621735455/ By@shummajer)
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This is a time for collective empathy as we work together to curb the COVID-19 infection. We like to say "Do Some Good In This World!" There is no better time for each of us to be kind to ourselves and others. I saw this phrase and really liked it - "Embrace our collective humanity." We may be 6' apart, but we can reach out to others with a kind word or action even now.
We are keeping our Nuestros Niños Family close to our hearts through this difficult time.
Please be well!
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If you shop at Amazon.com, please consider setting Nuestros Ninos up as your charity to support. It really does help!!
As of November 2020, we have received $568.85 - just from people like you setting Nuestros Niños as their charity and then shopping at http://smile.amazon.com (instead of amazon.com). For each qualifying purchase Nuestros Ninos will receive .5% of the purchase!
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Contact: Angela Grussing
865-599-4347
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Nuestros Niños Charity
P.O. Box 30656, Knoxville, TN 37930
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