LAS HERMANAS

DE TRONCONES

Providing Opportunities for Women and Children

Through Education

April 6, 2025

¡Bienvenidas y Gracias!

Welcome to our new member, Julie Maddison. We look forward to getting to know you!

Are you interested in joining Las Hermanas? We would love to have you! Dues begin at $125 USD, or 2,500 pesos. Click here to join. Remember that your dues and donations are tax-deductible!

(Supporters are welcome to join wherever they reside, worldwide. Receive our newsletters, become a member, and join us!)

Thank you to Meta Mari Carmen Hernandez and Tobi Wilson for their donations.

Thank you to Kate MacFarland and Lon Johnson for donating to our School Transportation Program. Want to help with this? Click here!

Thank you to Wendy and Paul Owen for donating art supplies to our Learning Center and Library.

Thank you to Debi O'Brien for donating books to our Library.

Thank you to those who donated jewelry for our Boutique this month:

Salal Huber-McGee, Francine Smith,Jeanette Dwyer, Blair Calderhead, Faith Echtermeyer, Missy Hill, Renee Israel, Cirkine Sherry

*In thanking our auction item donors last month, we inadvertently omitted Tim and Jackie Reuling, who donated a wine country vacation. We are very grateful for their support, and we regret the omission.

Donate Now!

Our University Scholarship Program

Photo of last year's scholarship recipients and their families

For the past two years in April, we have accepted applications to our university scholarship program, and then met with interested parents and students in their homes to discuss their dreams for the future. We would love to give every qualified student the opportunity to fulfill these dreams, and the only limit is the amount of money we have available for this program.

We currently have ten students attending college with our help. They are earning degrees in: software engineering, dentistry, psychology, international commercial operations, criminology and criminalistics, international logistics, business administration, nursing, and gastronomy. Think of what these degrees and subsequent careers will mean for them, their families for generations to come, and for this community that we love.

Our goal is to continue supporting these ten students, while also extending help to new applicants. We really don't want to turn away a deserving candidate. Please help pave the way to success for talented, hard-working students by donating today to our Scholarship Fund. Your donation will change lives in a major way.

There are many donation options to choose from. Click here to donate now so we can plan for the fall. Prefer to donate by check? Make it payable to Friends of Las Hermanas, and mail it care of:

Nancy Carr

924 Hermosa Dr. NE

Albuquerque, NM 87110

Thank you!

March Student of the Month

Kristel Estephany Abarca Márquez is a 13-year-old currently in her second year at Telesecundaria Nicolás Bravo in the community of Troncones, where she is from.

She is polite, fun, and respectful of everyone around her. She is well-liked by her friends in Wednesday class.

At this time, she has been selected as Student of the Month due to the effort she puts into each of the English activities each week. The progress she has made is beginning to be noticed in her participation and in her mastery of some of the spelling rules of this new language.

She is a student who always attends on time and listens attentively to class. She is very organized and always takes notes to study at home and learn more new words. She also always asks her teacher whenever she has any questions. Kristel is definitely working hard to understand a new language.

When she first joined this class, she was very shy about expressing herself in English, but now that's a thing of the past. She's managed to overcome her nerves and speaks fluently.

She's always one of the first to finish her work and has embraced this new challenge, dedicating her time and effort.

Congratulations, Kristel!

Photos from our Recent Gala

We had a professional photographer take photos for us, and they recently shared the link. You can click on this link and enter your email address to gain access to all the photos taken at this memorable event.

Here are a few for you to enjoy. You can see our wonderful hosts, Richie Siegler and Nancy Winarick, as well as guest of honor Barbara Lindlan, founder of the first library in Troncones 25 years ago, with some of her family.

Our Gala All-Stars

Las Hermanas is an all-volunteer organization, and we have many hard-working people to thank for making our 2025 Gala and Auction a success:

Mariana Salas, Wendy Renner, Denise Hodges, Kim Shaffer, Annie Remmers, Lynn Frohmader, Cay DeValle, Marcie Spahi, Deborah Rome, Jami Fernette, Lois Keeth, Nancy Carr, Ann Hatfield Merritt, Meta MariCarmen Hernandez, Mary-Beth Whyte, teachers Benjamin and Ulises, all the student volunteers, Ross Shibler, Bill Hodges, Jason Claridge.

Recent Sunset Club Successes

Photo by Jason Claridge

¡Ay Caramba!

Everyone was enchanted by the home and gardens of Don and Christina Volkmann.There may be a run on carambola trees at the local nursery, as we all want to create the shots made from this exotic-looking fruit, also known as star fruit.

The food by Sergio of La Mahahual was divine, with servers offering tostadas topped with guacamole and shrimp cocktail or machaca. (Be sure to visit his restaurant in Majahua for more great dining).

We love seeing our friends and meeting new ones at these gatherings. Thank you to the Volkmanns for hosting a great party!

Casa St. George

The stunning new hotel in Troncones, Casa St. George, opened its doors to Las Hermanas and supporters for the last Sunset Club of the season on April 4. Owner Peter Maxmuller showed us around his magnificent property, making us feel at home in the new space. As host of the evening’s fundraiser, he provided excellent appetizers and snacks, while granting us full access to his bar and the services of mixmaster Rodrigo and staff. The evening was a great wrap-up for a season of fun, friendship, and camaraderie as we raised money for our important educational initiatives. Thanks to everyone who attended any of these events during the year.

These Sunset Clubs have grown in popularity as everyone wants in on the fun and socializing that these events offer. We owe a giant thank-you to talented organizer Denise Victoria Hodges, (pictured at right with the season's first host, Teri Lebow), for the huge amount of effort and planning she puts into these events, recruiting and supporting our hosts while making sure all details are covered.

We also thank all of our generous hosts who opened their homes and venues to us, and provided top-notch food and beverages to share. Our hosts this season were: Teri and Ken Lebow, Meta MariCarmen Hernandez, Christine and Don Volkmann, and Peter Maxmuller of Casa St. George.

Sunset Clubs provide an important part of the funding needed to support our work, from providing school transportation to tutoring local students in reading, math, and English. If you would like to host a Sunset Club next season, please contact Denise at dhodgesboise@aol.com.

New Location for the Las Hermanas Jewelry Boutique

Welcome to the new Las Hermanas Jewelry Boutique! We have moved across the street to the entrance of Hotel Tres Santos, and we are thrilled with our new location.. Thanks to Pedro Palacios for hours of work painting the shop as well as the furniture, to Meta MariCarmen Hernandez for allowing us to display her painting, to Jules Muck, aka muckrock, for decorating the exterior wall with our logo, and to all the volunteers who helped move and display the jewelry. You will find a bright and modern space with a curated collection of lovely jewelry, perfect for gifts or as a treat to yourself. And big thanks to all our generous donors who pass on their jewelry to Las Hermanas to generate funds for our initiatives. You are all gems!