Casa Newsletter/1-03

News from
February 2003
P.O. Box 30306 • Knoxville, TN, 37930-0306 • p/f: 865.690.3323 • e: [email protected]• www.casadesara.org
Letter from the Executive Director…
Students stand outside the first Casa de Sara Escuelita with Teacher; Adelaida Salamaca, Founder/Executive Director; Lori Santoro, Director of
Programs; Oscar Tordoya Parada and some of the nuns who run the neighborhood.
he year 2002 proved to be challenging in ways
far too numerous to mention. Some days I wish
there were a handbook for working in a foreign
country like Bolivia. As you might imagine, the “behind
the scenes” of Casa de Sara can sometimes be a crazy
place to be! But the most important thing is the outcome.
It’s all worthwhile when we see the benefit that comes to
those we serve. We have done much good in Bolivia, but
now – more than ever – we need your help to continue and
grow.
We are very proud to report that the first Casa de Sara
Escuelita (little school) will begin on February 3, 2003.
Located in a small barrio in Santa Cruz, this first school is
the perfect way to launch our educational initiatives. The
T
children living in this barrio, like so many children in
Bolivia, have no access to early educational programs.
With very tough home lives, and a lack of educated parents, these children could easily wind up in the streets
begging for coins without our help.
On the day of registration, countless mothers wanted to
register their children for school. Sadly, many families left
disappointed since we could only take 25 students in this
class. With just $3,500.00 dollars a year, we can hire
another teacher, buy supplies, and begin an additional
class to take in more children.
The school is located in a small neighborhood called
Villa Emilia, which is made up of approximately 23 families with 70 children. Many of the women are former
street children, prostitutes, or drug addicts. They are devastatingly poor, but they manage to find occasional work
as seamstresses in order to put food on the table. Six very
compassionate nuns work tirelessly to run the neighbor
hood on an absolute shoestring. The nuns have given
Casa de Sara a space in a small building for our Escuelita.
They are thrilled to have this program, and the children
are excited and ready for school to begin!
As discussed in the last newsletter, our next goal is to
provide “mobile education” to the children of Santa Cruz
(we are still in need of a van for this to be able to happen).
This will allow us to reach a greater number of children
in hard-to-reach communities like Villa Emilia.
On behalf of the children we serve, thank you for your
support.
A line of more than 2400 wait for the Casa de Sara clinic to open.
Lori Santoro
Founder and Executive Director
Donate $20 and receive a T-shirt
Want to help spread the word about Casa de Sara?
Donate $20 plus $5 for shipping and handling and
receive a Casa de Sara T-shirt. The front of the
shirt features the cheerful Casa de Sara logo and the
back of the shirt is
adorned with our
colorful sun.
Adult Sizes only:
S, M, L, XL
To place your T-shirt
order please attach a
note with your check
including your requested size and phone
number!
Deima Tordoya and Rhina Saenez volunteer for the
Casa de Sara clinics.
Pediatrician Dr. Edwin Escalante sees a patient at the Casa de Sara clinic.
Gracias Bolivia!
Casa de Sara Volunteer Staff
Lori Santoro, Founder and Executive Director; Patrice
Shallow, Accountant; Cindy Arnwine, Assistant; Janice
Santoro, Project Coordinator; Kathy Syndergaard, La
Paz Project Coordinator
Board of Directors
Pam Maroney-Trainor, President; Daniel Frye, Vice
President; Paul Sponcia, Treasurer; Courtney Jenkins,
Secretary ; Lori Santoro, Founder and Executive
Director
Graphics
Randy Armstrong, Corporate Identity; Daniel Frye,
Design Director; Jose Salas, Web Design
Attorney
Cheryl E. Light
Accounting Firm
Hines and Company
Translators
Patricia Robledo, Melissa Minor, Febe Torres
Data Base
Carol Crawford
Thank You USA!
If it doesn’t happen here, it doesn’t happen in Bolivia. Thanks
for helping make it happen!
Gracias por su trabajo duro, amor y dedicación a su
gente. Debido a usted Casa de Sara existe en Bolivia...y
que no podría sin tu...Gracias.
Personal de Casa de Sara:
Oscar Tordoya Parada, Gerente de Programas
Alelaida Salamanca, Maestra para la Casa de Sara
Escuelita en Villa Amelia
Voluntarios de la Clinicas:
Deima Tordoya, Rosario Evelin Vargas de Gonzales
Jonas Gonzales, Karen Rea, Rhina Saenz, Mary Joyce
Tanya Monje
Todas las mujeras de la IWC…Gracias!
Los Doctores:
Dr. Edwin Escalante, Dr. Randy Escalante, Dr. Ruben
Burgos Yamashiro, Dr. Jose Luis Gallardo,
Dr. Javier Padillo
Los Hospitals:
Hospital Copacabana y Dr. Wilmar Mendez y todo los
personal
Clinica La Buena Salud y Dr. Ananias Melendres y
todo los personal
Abogado
Ruben Ernesto Villazon Anez
Especial Gracias:
Dr. Aroldo Melendres Rojas y todo su familia
Rotary Club Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Hotel La Quinta
Los Oficials de Santa Cruz
Viru Viru Airport
To every individual donor and supporter, who without you,
we could not exist!
The Sycamore Foundation, The Hot Tamale,
The First Presbyterian Church, Oak Ridge, TN,
Brownlee Companies, Vine International, Web Servio,
University of Tennessee Hospital, Roane Medical Center,
The Lion’s Clubs of Halls, West Knoxville Lion’s Club,
The Lion’s Eyeglass Recycle Center of Roanoke, VA,
Rotary Club of Kingston, TN, The Bolivian Consulate
Miami, FL, American Airlines Foundation,
Akers Moving and Storage, Label Industries, Karen’s
Jewelers, Ace Lock and Key, Dr. Shirley Avery, System
Design and Interface, Mr. Kay’s Used Books and CD’s,
The Alliance of the Second District Dental Society of TN,
The Sunshiners Club of Kingston
…And to all those businesses who prefer to remain anonymous.
Lori with friends from Villa Emilia.
Kids Helping Kids
Child waits to see the doctor at the clinic.
Reunion of adopted children from Bolivia.The children baked
blueberry pies for a raffle to raise money for Casa de Sara.
William Torrico Hurtado (Director) Fernando Soriano Rico (Pdte. Av.
De Servicio),and Arnaldo Saucedo Arteaga (Presidente) of the Santa
Cruz Rotary meet with Casa de Sara staff Lori Santoro, Janice Santoro,
and Oscar Tordoya Parada
IN HONOR OF SARA
Sara, Mexico, 1987
Matt McMahon earns his Eagle Scout award by raising 600lbs of
school supplies for Casa de Sara’s Escuelita Program.
Thanks Matt!
Newsletter design donated by the Design Lab.
“The world is so empty
if one thinks only of
mountains, rivers, and
cities; but to know someone here and there who
thinks and feels with us,
and though distant, is
close to us in spirit---this
makes the earth for us an
inhabited garden.”
Johann von Goethe