A Little Help From Afar

For the last 3 weeks here in Viña del Mar, I have had some success finding random volunteer work (lots of painting, delivering food to the homeless, etc...), but I haven't been quite as active with Hogar de Cristo as I had hoped. The idea was to devote a significant amount of time to one organization so as to give myself enough time to begin understanding the organization, drawing on some of the lessons I've learned in the past (discussed in the previous blog post). While I have not been able to arrange a constant schedule with Hogar de Cristo, I have been very fortunate to have support from Holy Trinity Catholic School in Charlotte, NC in order to provide something of value to Hogar de Cristo. Through the efforts of the students and staff of Holy Trinity, Hogar de Cristo will receive a donation that is sorely needed. For more information on donating to Hogar de Cristo, click here.

Below is a statement from Holy Trinity:

Once we heard about The Twenty Twelves Project, we were ecstatic for the opportunity to participate in James' adventures, as well as foster a humanitarian vision in our students. As a result, teachers created lesson plans and projects around James' travels. We encouraged students to read the blog and research the towns and cities visited in James' adventures. We held open discussions on the importance of leadership and fellowship, which inspired the students to join various charities here in Charlotte.

On May 1st, we held a Dress Down Day in order to raise money for Hogar de Cristo, an organization James is working with in Viña del Mar, Chile. Dress Down Days are days where the students pay $1.00, or more depending on how much they want to donate, to wear something other than the school uniform. The students were delighted to participate and contribute to the cause. We were able to raise close to $500.00 dollars for Hogar de Cristo in Chile. The students of Holy Trinity Catholic Middle (Charlotte, NC) learned a great deal not only about culture, but also about lending a hand in foreign communities. We are thrilled to help, and will continue with the project once school is in session in the Fall of 2009.

On behalf of Hogar de Cristo and myself, I would like to thank the students and staff of Holy Trinity for their enthusiam, motivation and generosity! Your efforts make a difference even on the other side of the world.