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Mayan Families
| Summer 2012 |
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| Donate via our NEW QR Code
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Little Dreamer of the Month
Maynor, #2519, attends Mayan Families' Tierra Linda Preschool Nutritional Center in Tierra Linda. Click here to sponsor little Maynor today!
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Greetings!
Right now many of you and your families are busy preparing Halloween costumes, decorating your homes with spiderwebs and pumpkins and stocking up on sweets. Here in Guatemala, November 1st marks Day of the Dead, or All Saints Day. During this holiday, families go to the cemetery, bring with them a special meal, and decorate the graves of their loved ones who have passed away. Families place photos around the grave, paint it with bright, vibrant colors, and share memories about the past, and hopes for the future.
The orphan children in Guatemala don't usually get to celebrate this holiday. They often live with their extended family--aunt, uncle, or grandparents. Already struggling to feed their own children, the orphans can be seen as a burden. During a day where families should be able to celebrate the life of a loved one, many orphans, who have experienced loss and death first hand, do not have the opportunity to celebrate this holiday and celebrate the life of their parent/s.
In order to alleviate this struggle and pain, Shannon, a member of Mayan Families Connection who volunteered here this year working on the Orphan Program, suggested that we organize baskets of food for the orphaned children. By providing a basket to these children, they will be able to participate in this holiday and honor their parent/s who have passed away.
We have more than 30 orphaned children who are being raised by grandparents, uncles and aunts, older siblings, and one family who is being cared for by the neighbor who lives next door. It is a hardship on all these caregivers to be raising these children. They simply do not have the funds to cover all the costs to celebrate All Saints Day.
If you would like to help one of these families of orphaned children to be able to go to the cemetery and honor their parent/s, please consider donating a basket of food, which will include a can of oil paint for the grave and a paintbrush, as well as food for the family to eat at the graveside. The cost of the All Saints Day baskets are $52.
To donate an All Saints Day Holiday basket, please go to Donate Now and scroll down. In the Other $ box, insert the amount of your donation ($52). In the Details box, write "All Saints Day basket".
Thank you for all of your support! With your help, we can make this day a little brighter for our 30 families of orphaned children.
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Tierra Linda Library Opens Its Doors to the Public!
Library Honors Memory of Gabby Lewis
Mayan Families is happy to announce that the Gabby Lewis Memorial Library located in Tierra Linda opened its doors on Tuesday, October 22nd. The library was donated by the family of Gabby Lewis after the terrible car accident that took eight-year old Gabby's life a year ago. The Lewis family, who were sponsors before this tragedy, donated the library to honor the memory of sweet Gabby.
As summer vacation has just started in Guatemala, most of the children in Tierra Linda have to work in the fields or help out around the house. At this time especially, the Gabby Lewis Library will give these children a place to escape work and the hardships of life, a place where they can learn and explore. Thanks to the Lewis family's kind donation, this library will serve as a community center to many children in Tierra Linda for years to come!
Click here to see photos of the inauguration of the library!
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Update: Agua Escondida
Community Grows as Seventh House Finishes Construction
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Maribel stands in her new kitchen. This is the first time her family has owned their own piece of land, let alone house.
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After nearly 7 months of working with the community near Agua Escondida, we have completed the construction of the seventh house. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this case, in May of 2012, Mayan Families helped 8 families in their struggle for land security, purchase and become the owners of their very first piece of land ever. Since then, with thanks to our great community, we have raised enough money for all eight of these very basic houses, and have recently just finished the seventh house.
Many of the houses are still in need of stoves, beds, and water filters. If you are able to help in any way, please click here to donate and scroll down to the Other Box, indicating the amount of your donation and the purpose, with the description "Agua Escondida."
Thank you so much for all of your continued support. Together we have helped make an impossible dream a reality for many families.
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Mayan Families Photo Contest
Thank you for sending us all your beautiful photos! We are still accepting submissions that capture the growth of Mayan Families' clients, staff, locations, and programs. The best photos will be featured in the 2013 Mayan Families Calender. Please send all submissions to erin@mayanfamilies.org with the subject line 'Photo Contest.'
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Global Hands of Healing Visits Mayan Families
Volunteer Medical/Dental Group Leave a Long Lasting Impression on Guatemalan Communities
This past week we were happy to welcome the volunteer group Global Hands of Healing Florida Chapter! During their time here, this medical, dental, and vision team had the opportunity to see and treat patients in El Barranco, San Antonio, San Jorge, and Nahuala. Working in Nahuala marks the first collaboration between Mayan Families and local NGO ADIGUAT. We are very grateful that so many of our clients and community members had the opportunity to see a doctor--some for the first time ever in their entire lives! Thank you again Global Hands of Healing for giving our communities quality health and dental care! To view photos of the team on-site in Guatemala, click the following links: San Jorge, San Antonio, Nahuala I, and Nahuala II.
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Tamale Basket Time!
As we approach the holiday season, we ask you to please consider providing a family with a Holiday Tamale Basket. Please click here to learn more about this tradition and how to donate. Thank you!
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Feed Just One.
Mayan Families Elderly Feeding Program Campaign Seeks Sponsors
 Our Elderly Care program feeds about 70 people per day at our locations here in Panajachel and the neighboring village of San Jorge. For most of them, this is the only meal they receive all day. Food prices continue to soar, leaving those who cannot work in worse conditions than ever: the adults in the house must choose who gets to eat, their children or their parents. This should not have to be a choice. The Feeding Program provides a single meal a day to the elderly who otherwise would forfeit their food for the children, or who by their poor health would not otherwise be able to scavenge the trash for scraps or find other means to feed themselves. By no means is one meal enough, but at the moment it is all Mayan Families can provide, and the program is in danger of being cut. Only those who are currently sponsored will continue receiving their one meal a day. Currently, only 13 of our elderly receive a monthly donation to help with food, medical costs, rent or other necessities. In an effort to ensure that all 70 of our elderly receive just one meal a day, not including purchased medicine, rent costs or other expenses, we are asking you to sponsor one for just $35 a month. $35 will provide one meal per day, five days a week, to one person who has no way to care for herself, whose family faces the daily impasse of feeding who they must raise or feeding who fought to raise them. If you would like to help to keep one person fed for one month, please visit www.mayanfamilies.org/donatenow and write "Feed Just One'' in the Other box. Please visit the Elderly Care blog to be updated on those in our program, their needs and how to help at www.mayanfamilieselderlycare.blogspot.com.
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| Top-Rated Nonprofit 2012
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Disaster Relief Ratings
Thank you for giving us great reviews on Great Nonprofits. We are the top rated 'Disaster Relief Nonprofit'! Check out all the listings.
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Download the Enliken Toolbar
Install Enliken and start donating today!Just browse the web the way you always do and help support the mission of Mayan Families. Every internet search is an instant donation, free to you!
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Volunteer Opportunities
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Use our resources to fundraise through third-party organizations, such as the Goodsearch toolbar, where we'd receive a penny for every single search engine search you perform.
Don't forget that pennies go a long way when families in our services live on mere $'s a day.
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