Volunteers and local Xela AID staff enjoy a respite at Lake Atitlan.

Volunteers completed Xela AID's new street-side marketplace for weavers to sell their fine wares. Special thanks to the Logan family for making this wonderful building possible!

Volunteers Claudia Nocke, Xela AID Medical Director Dr. Frank Long, Janet Taylor, Jeremy Reineck and Justin Flint restocked Xela AID's medical storage room.

Xela AID Advisor Karen Yoshino made having your blood pressure taken fun!

Volunteer Kevin Macpherson commits model Catarina to canvas.

Volunteers and village friends relax at Lake Atitlan - a good time was had by all!

 

Xela AID 2011 trip directors Carlos de la Rosa, Frank Long, Mel Dinkel and Leslie Baer thank this year's team members for their great work! Included were Xela AID advisors Cliff Hague, Colleen Dodds and Karen Yoshino; and Amy Logan, Claudia Nocke, Don Logan, Dove Benari, Janet Taylor, Jeremy Reineck, Jessica Sonnenfeld, Jill Onken, John Douglass, Justin Flint, Kathy Logan, Kevin Macpherson, Meaghan Yolles, Paul Hubbard, Sherry Robins and Wanda Macpherson.

To see more photos from this year's trip, visit our Facebook page and photo albums HERE. 

To see our dates for next year's confirmed trip and to preliminarily reserve space, continue reading!

Karen's work to empower women and their families is continuing  

 

Karen E. Edwards, one of Xela AID's founding Directors and Board members, died in late April from cancer. Karen passed away peacefully at home in Toronto, Canada. She was 61. She is survived by life partner and current Xela AID Advisor and Director Emeritus Colleen Dodds.  

 

A social worker for more than three decades, Karen served on Xela AID's Board of Directors from 1993 to 2006. She was also founder of Toronto-based Cinnamon Toast Dignified Housing where she provided a safe and respectful environment for recovery for women suffering with addictions.  

 

At an evening of remembrance, clients talked about how Karen had changed their lives for the better, and in many cases, had saved their lives. 

 

After retiring from her post on Xela AID's Board, Karen continued as an advisor on the overall growth and development Xela AID, and continued to travel with the project and co-lead optometry projects. A generous donation she made secured the land upon which Xela AID's Clinic was built. 

Colleen Dodds (center) with Adelberto and his sister Rosa, summer, 2011. Colleen and Karen Edwards began Xela AID's educational sponsorship program when they sponsored these two children who went on to become a school headmaster and teacher (Adelberto, and Rosa, respectively). The two stayed in their village of Santa Cruz de Laguna.

 

During this year's summer Xela AID trip to Guatemala, participants gathered in Xela AID's June Russell-Glennon Clinic to remember her. Colleen eulogized Karen in both English and Spanish, which was then translated to Mám. A number of people who knew Karen spoke, including local residents who remembered her kindness and dedication to the poor of San Martín Chiquito and surrounding areas. 

 

"Karen was a source of strength and vision for Xela AID," said Leslie Baer Dinkel, Xela AID's president. "She was a 'can-do' kind of person and dear friend who always had an encouraging word and some good advice for the project. Her presence will be sorely missed."

 

Karen's work will continue through Xela AID's  Karen E. Edwards Women's Empowerment Project. 

 

Those wishing to contribute in Karen's name may use the donate button, top right of Xela AID's Home Page, then send a follow-up email specifying the donation to the Karen E. Edwards Women's Empowerment Project to xela_aid@earthlink.net. 

Scout Troops came together to make gift packs for children in Xela AID programs. Pictured: Junior Scout Troop 50611.

Xela AID volunteer Sherry Robin engaged Girl Scouts to prepare hundreds of gift packs for some of Guatemala's most needy and appreciative children   

Ten Girl Scout troops from Santa Barbara and Goleta made more than 100 gift bags to be brought to Guatemala this past summer for children sponsored through Xela AID's Educational Sponsorship Program (PEX), those using Xela AID's Study Center, and those attending the San Martín Tots Preschool, a joint project between Xela AID and the Guatemalan government. 

Volunteer Sherry Robin engaged Daisy, Brownie, Junior, Cadette, and Senior Girl Scouts to participate in the project, which filled half a dozen large, rolling suitcases with gift bags! "The troops used their troop funds that they made from cookie sales to buy school and art supplies, books, toys, etc to fill one-gallon zip-lock bags for each child," Sherry described.

In Guatemala, excited children lined up to receive the colorful bags which Sherry and her crew of volunteers handed out to each of the excited children. 

"Thank you to all of you girls, your leaders, and parents for your generosity," said Sherry.

The Directors of Xela AID add their thanks to Sherry's for each and every Scout and parent who participated in this project, and thank Sherry for her dedicated service!

Picture yourself here! (Xela AID Advisor Cliff Hague second from left on a recent Volunteer Vacation.)

Xela AID Partnerships for Self Reliance 

Attn: 20th Anniversary July/August

 3571 Windspun Dr.

Huntington Beach, CA 92649 

You Can Help, Too...   

Sherry Robin at Lake Atitlan along side of Juana, teacher at Xela AID's Study Center.

"Thriller" Benefit for Xela AID October 29th

Santa Barbara's World Dancers will benefit Xela AID as they participate in a world-wide performance of Michael Jackson's "Thriller." And there's still time to sign up by contacting the group's director, Janet Reineck, who notes that "no dance experience is necessary!"

"The World Dance community in Santa Barbara is committed to assisting grassroots international projects through the class fees and fundraising activities," says Janet. In the past year, the Santa Barbara World Dancers have raised money to support women survivors of war; a village in Kenya; and most recently, raised the funds to send a young Kenyan women to nursing school.

Xela AID came to the attention of the group through Sherry Robin and her daughter Meagan Yolles who have become regulars on Xela AID Volunteer Vacations. "In July, my son Jeremy and our friend Justin Flint joined the expedition to Guatemala," says Janet. "The trip was life-changing for both young men. They made friends they will treasure always, and are both clear on their paths ahead-assisting communities in need. We will be forever grateful to Xela AID for making it possible for Jeremy and Justin to join the group."

Janet says the dance group will kick off efforts to support the people of San Martín through Xela AID's programs at a local restaurant on October 1st, and that dance class fees during October and November will be donated to Xela AID. The "big fundraising event" on October 29th aims to feature more than 100 Santa Barbarans performing "Thriller" as part of the international "Thrill the World" event, when "people all over the planet dance the iconic choreography at exactly the same moment as a global experience while raising awareness about the charity of their choice," Janet describes.

"Our dancers will ask friends and family to sponsor them to be part of this, and all proceeds will go toward the work in San Martin," says Janet. "Our goal is to raise $3,000 for the village."