An official send-off for Bob
Next month, CFCA President Bob Hentzen will begin his 8,000-mile walk from Guatemala to Chile. The CFCA-Kansas staff gave him an official send-off in the form of a 1 ½ -mile solidarity walk near the organization’s headquarters.
Read more about the the solidarity walk.
Bob receives the wooden walking stick he used on the 4,000-mile walk in 1996 from Kansas City to Guatemala. The walking stick has been on display in the CFCA headquarters.
CFCA staff give Bob a blessing of safety and support.
More than 60 CFCA employees accompanied Bob in a walk along Southwest Boulevard in Kansas City, Mo.
Add comment November 25, 2009
The joy of friendship
Editor’s note: Ronald, 21, graduated from the sponsorship program in June of 2008.
I’m Ronald from Hyderabad, India. I come from a family where education was always a daydream. I’m delighted to share a few memories of my life, as I was a fortunate child who has been blessed by God.
CFCA has helped me complete my education and stand on my feet. To make my dreams come true, CFCA came to my aid. Because of their valuable and timely help, my parents were able to enroll me in Mount Carmel High School. CFCA took care of all my educational needs and supported my parents.
Throughout my association with CFCA, I thought all the sponsors belonged to rich families, and helped unfortunate children with their surplus. But to my astonishment, my sponsors, John and Bobby, were an elderly couple who were not wealthy, and were no longer in touch with other family members. I was very joyful to know that they treated me as their grandson.
I remember in one of the letters John told me he had made a big board in his room where he preserved my letters, photographs and paintings, and he read them whenever he felt lonely. I was taken aback by his affection for me.
Sadly, John passed away, but Bobby continued to sponsor me. She also shared with me that after John died I was the only one with whom she could express all her feelings. I’m happy that I was able to know such adoring people.
After I received my education, I got a job with an information technology company. Today, I have everything I need: loving parents, a good education and a fine job. And the two most important people responsible for my life being so good today are my dear sponsors, John and Bobby.
Add comment November 25, 2009
NCYC update
We are one day into the National Catholic Youth Conference, and already the NCYC youth have walked enough minutes to help Mae, a 15-year-old girl from the Philippines, and Rosmely, a 17-year-old girl from Guatemala, finish high school! Our last minutes update was at 676. They are now walking to help Jose finish high school. (See below to read more about all three of them.)
As we mentioned earlier this week, the NCYC youth have the opportunity to raise money to help six Walk with the Poor students finish high school. Each NCYC youth who decides to walk on the CFCA treadmills will get to sign a WWTP shoe print for our booth wall. Each foot print represents four minutes of walk time. Each minute earns $1.
Follow CFCA on Twitter for frequent updates.
Mae is finishing high school!
Rosmely is finishing high school!
Walking for Jose
Add comment November 20, 2009
Remember and give thanks
By Scott Wasserman, chief governing officer, CFCA Governing Board
On Monday, Nov. 16, the church commemorated the 1989 martyrdom in El Salvador. It marks the 20th anniversary of the deaths of 16-year-old Celina, Elba, who is her mother and the Jesuits' cook, and six members of the Jesuit community at the University of Central America, including the university’s president, Ignacio Ellacuría.
Most reports list the martyrs in the other order: with the Jesuit priests first, then Elba and then Celina. The assassins are presumed to have murdered the girl and her mother as an afterthought, simply because they were found in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Here at CFCA, we promote the prominence of Celina and Elba. Like many CFCA families living in poverty, they struggled for dignity and peace against great odds. We also celebrate the six Jesuits who, like our sponsors, reached across the divide to give hope to this family. Through their shared martyrdom with the teen and her mom, the Jesuits gave hope to all families living in poverty. Presente!
We remember and give thanks for:
Celina and Elba Ramos
Segundo Montes
Ignacio Martin Baro
Juan Ramon Moreno
Amando Lopez
Joaquin Lopez y Lopez
Ignacio Ellacuria
2 comments November 18, 2009
What do I say? How to write your sponsored friend
“I feel very good when I get a letter. I feel I am being loved very much. It makes me want to write lots of letters to my sponsor.” — Sesilia, 9, Tanzania
Sesilia expresses what all sponsored friends feel about receiving letters from their sponsors. A letter from you is a symbol of love and represents the human connection in the relationship. Exchanging letters is a way for you build that relationship.
If you haven’t written your friend because you don’t know what to say, grab a piece of paper and a pen. Our goal with this month’s eNews is to help you compose a letter step-by-step using as an example a letter written by a sponsor to her friend in Venezuela.
Step 1: The opening
How do you start? This is usually the toughest part of the letter. Start by greeting your friend and asking about the family. Then, follow up with something your friend mentioned in a previous letter as Sheila has done here. Did he take a test? Is a family member ill? Did she have a birthday? The opening is the place to touch base about important events your friend has talked about.
Step 2: The body
Now that you’ve opened the letter, share what’s going on in your household. Sheila mentions Halloween and the upcoming holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sponsored friends love hearing about holiday customs. Or, share something about yourself. Describe a pet. Talk about your favorite sport. Tell your friend about your children, their ages and grades in school. The words will flow once you start writing about something important to you.
Step 3: The closing
In your closing paragraph, give your friend encouragement. Sheila simply closed her letter by wishing Edinson and his family a happy New Year. Tell your friend you think about him and pray for him and his family. Then, sign off.
Congratulations! The hard part is done. You can include a photo of yourself and your family with your letter. Sponsored friends love getting pictures.
Mailing your letter
Follow the instructions provided with the pre-printed mailing labels you received from CFCA. Send your letter via international airmail, unless it is sent to a U.S. mailing address. Check postage rates at the U.S. Postal Service Web site, www.usps.com.
We have more suggestions about letter writing here.
Was this helpful? Do you have any questions for us regarding letter writing? Drop us a line, we’d love to hear from you.
11 comments November 18, 2009
We’ll see you at NCYC
NCYC alert: The CFCA treadmills are back!
The National Catholic Youth Conference (or NCYC, as it is more commonly known) is a three-day event, full of prayer, fun and oh, did we mention, 20,000 high school students. The biennial conference comes to Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 19-21, and CFCA is excited to be at NCYC again this year.
Back to the treadmills, two years ago, NCYC participants were invited by CFCA to walk on treadmills to raise money for students living in poverty. This year, we’re doing it again.
We’re hosting an interactive exhibit (Exhibit 9) in the Reign Forest where students can learn more about sponsorship, watch videos of students around the world and walk on treadmills to raise money toward the sponsorship of Walk with the Poor students.
To top it off, CFCA sponsor and Colorado high school student Sami Freese, 17, will deliver a key-note address at the Saturday general session for all NCYC attendees. We can’t wait!
At NCYC 2007, youth walked a total of 2,234 minutes on the treadmills. This year, while they walk, they’ll get to watch this video of Sami telling about why she sponsors through CFCA.
3 comments November 16, 2009
What does CFCA’s logo represent?
Q. What does CFCA’s logo represent?
A. CFCA’s logo is a graphic representation of our core values and beliefs. The key features are the cross, two people with outstretched arms on an equal plane, and the colors green, blue and brown.
The cross illustrates that we see Christ in one another, carry each other’s burdens and serve one another. The two figures primarily represent a sponsored person and his or her sponsor. They are depicted on an equal horizontal plane to indicate relationships of mutual respect, and are shown looking at each other to signify recognition of dignity and respect.
The green, blue and brown colors represent our planet and environment because we are part of God’s creation and we promote respect for the natural world. The circular shape depicts an energy and dynamism in the CFCA community, which is growing and evolving. Each member is invited into a process of ongoing growth, which helps remove obstacles in each person’s pursuit of his or her potential.
1 comment November 11, 2009
Hurricane Ida update
Please click on the link below to read coverage of Hurricane Ida’s effects in El Salvador. Thankfully, we have not received any reports of serious injury affecting CFCA families. We continue to keep the people of Central America in our prayers as they cope with the effects of the hurricane.
1 comment November 10, 2009
Photos from the Zamboanga CD release concert
Wow, what a show!
At last night’s CD release concert, Barclay Martin Ensemble, joined by the talents from the Filipino Cultural Center of the Filipino Association of Greater Kansas City, moved some audience members to tears with their performances. The concert was the official release of the music from the documentary, Zamboanga: Poverty, War, Music. If you were unable to attend, please don’t despair: below are some pictures of the event, and the CD is available on the Zamboanga Web site. Enjoy!
Getting ready for the concert
Concert-goers waiting for the doors to open
The Sampaguita Choir performed with Barclay Martin Ensemble
Barclay Martin Ensemble
A special performance by the Sinag-Tala Dance Troupe
Barclay Martin
Can’t get enough of these pictures? There are more on our Facebook page.
Want to learn about upcoming events and news from the documentary film crew? Sign up for the eNews delivered once a month.
1 comment November 9, 2009
Happy birthday, Sarge
Every year CFCA processes an estimated 1.5 million letters from sponsored children and elderly. Each of these letters, with mailing labels, must be put into envelopes before they can be mailed to the sponsors.
You might think we need a small army to get this done. But no, we have something better: a group of 35 highly dedicated volunteers.
And today, one of those volunteers, Angie Simms, is celebrating her 95th birthday!
Angie has been helping CFCA for 25 years, making her our longest-serving volunteer. She averages around 570 volunteer hours per year.
The staff and other volunteers know Angie simply and affectionately as “Sarge,” both for her military background (she served in the Women’s Army Corps in World War II) and her no-nonsense manner.
“She’s very spit-fire, and brings humor to the work place,” said Colleen McKeone, CFCA coordinator of child letters who works closely with the volunteers. “She has no qualms about speaking her mind. I enjoy her presence very much.”
For those who take the time to listen, Angie has a wealth of stories and life lessons. She’ll also trade some one-liners with anyone who’s quick enough to keep up with her.
After thousands of volunteer hours and probably millions of letters, we wonder what makes her so steadfast. Her brisk answer is pretty simple:
“God must have left me here in this world to do something.”
We’re glad He has, Sarge.
Happy birthday!
2 comments November 5, 2009
