Archive for November, 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, 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!
Bob’s travel notes to Chile
Mission awareness trip to Chile
Oct. 24 – Nov. 1, 2009
I’m told that the word “Chile” means “land where the earth ends.” Staff reports that Chile is considered “First in Inequity” in Latin America, with 42 percent of resources owned by less than 10 percent of the people. There are so many marginalized families, whose only shelter is a one-room wooden structure. A recurring theme is violence to women and children. Our CFCA families strive to make it on very modest income. According to staff, 70 percent of mothers in the Chile project are single heads of family.
A day with our sponsored elderly
CFCA currently serves 566 aging sponsored friends in subproject D. Most live precariously in houses constructed with nontraditional materials. Some of them rent a room in another family’s home. Only six live in homes for the elderly. The aging sponsored friends receive a $103 monthly subsidy from the Chilean government. However, the money is not enough to cover basic needs such as nutrition and clothing. CFCA provides daily breakfast, lunch and snacks for them at Casa de Día, a facility attached to the Valparaiso project office.
Bob serenades the sponsored aging during lunch.
At the Claretian Sisters facility at El Cerro El Litre, the elderly can attend different kinds of workshops. Every year, the subproject offers a field trip to give them the opportunity to share their talents and stories, and also just to have a fun time.
Testimony of Maria Cena, a 14-year participant in the program: “My dream as a girl was to have loving parents, and I achieved it. I’m also grateful for excellent teachers and social workers. At age 80, I now play guitar and sing in our choir.”
Free clinics serve health needs
After sightseeing in Valparaiso, the group visited Consultorio de Salud las Cañas. Consultorios de Salud are free health clinics created by the Chilean health system to serve the less fortunate. Valparaíso has 13 consultorios in the hills of the city. About 11,000 people benefit from the services. Not only do these clinics provide medical and dental care to our sponsored children and aging, but they also make CFCA aware of other families that could benefit from the sponsorship program.
Sister Sara at the El Litre CFCA facility devotes herself to the aging and to the most rejected street people of Valparaiso. Their source of warmth at night is the dogs with which they sleep. Relying completely on God’s providence, her team of volunteers provides lunch each day for more than 100 people on the street. She receives donations of food and clothing.
Key programs for women
The training program was created in 1992 to help the mothers of sponsored children learn skills that would allow them to save money and increase the household income. The program holds workshops in tailoring, weaving and hairdressing, and provides supplies, transportation costs and child care for participating mothers. Every year, around 230 mothers benefit from the training program.
The CFCA’s Women’s Program was created in 1993 to provide a space for the mothers to be better informed about domestic violence and its impact on their relationship with their children. The program offers workshops on self-esteem, child-mother relationships and formation for all members of the family. Around 200 people per year attend the workshops.
The fishermen and women of La Caleta
La Caleta de Pescadores Portales Valparaíso is the biggest fishing cove in the region. Approximately 200 families make their living from the fishing activities here. Family fishing is not only a dangerous job, but it also presents big challenges, such as a lack of government assistance, climate changes, high cost of gasoline and overwhelming competition from the commercial fishing industry. Here, fishing is done both with nets and hooks. Some of the sponsored children’s mothers work in this cove as fishhook baiters.
Don Juan, head of the fishermen’s union, explains in Spanish and good English the life and lore of family fishing in Chile.
Indigenous roots
Cabildo, one of the communities served by subproject RUR, earned its name from the indigenous people known as Cabildos. Subproject RUR was created in 2001 to serve the rural communities of the Valparaíso region. This is the biggest subproject of the Valparaíso project with 1,258 children and 116 aging. The mid-sized Las Cenizas copper mine in Cabildo is owned by Chilenos who are seriously working on minimizing ecological impact of the mine.
Thank you for joining us in this wonderful experience! Cristina and I are looking forward to a couple of days “on the farm” in San Lucas before heading for Costa Rica on Nov. 7. We shall be with you in spirit, song and prayer.
God’s blessings,
Bob Hentzen
November 4, 2009 at 12:18 pm Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) 1 comment
Dia de los Muertos
By Enrique Espinosa, Sponsor Services Department
In Mexico, it is customary to honor our beloved family members who have gone before us by celebrating Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Every Nov. 1, Mexicans celebrate the passing of children (12 years and younger). This is more of a private ceremony.
Nov. 2 is the traditional Dia de los Muertos, which people celebrate by setting up an altar in the Church or the family’s home, depending on the community tradition. On the altar, they place the deceased’s photo, their favorite foods (including fruits, vegetables, hot chocolate, pan dulce, tamales, pulque, atoli, etc.) and flowers. Then the family prays the rosary and a novena. Afterward, they play the deceased’s favorite music.
This is a joyous occasion because they are celebrating the lives of their loved ones, and the fact that they have moved on to a better, eternal life, sharing in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Day of the Dead fills a void
By Sheila Myers, Communications Department
The loss of a loved one leaves a hole in your heart. With time, you get used to living with this void, but occasionally, something–an aroma, a song, a situation–reminds you of the person and for a second, the hole closes and you feel oddly comforted.
Years ago, my husband and I discovered the Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday when you lovingly remember departed relatives and friends.
The holiday has its roots in the Aztec culture. The ancient Aztecs embraced death and viewed it as a continuation of life. They believed that life was a dream and only in death did they become truly awake. Day of the Dead for the Aztecs was a month-long celebration when the dead came back to visit. After the Spanish conquest, the ritual evolved and spread to other cultures. It is now celebrated to coincide with All Souls Day in the Catholic faith.
For the Day of the Dead, Mexicans build elaborate altars for their deceased. They fill it with pictures and mementos of the deceased and decorate with colorful flowers, candles, brightly painted skull masks and whimsical skeleton figurines called “calacas.”
When I learned about Day of the Dead, I welcomed the opportunity to put our departed loved ones front and center in our home, to talk about them with our children and to reflect on the essence of their lives.
So in early October, we gather photos of our deceased relatives and set them out in the living room. Our display is plain and simple, unlike the beautifully adorned altars I have seen. It lacks the favorite food and drink of our departed family. We don’t play their favorite music or burn incense. But it serves the same purpose.
When I pass by the display, their faces call to me. I stop and reflect, remembering them and how their presence shaped my life. And for a brief moment, the hole is closed.
CFCA celebrated Dia de los Muertos at our headquarters in Kansas. Employees were invited to bring in photos and mementos of their departed loved ones. Below you can see a couple of photos of our altar. We would like to invite you to share some memories of your deceased loved ones with us in the comments section.
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November 2, 2009 at 1:59 pm Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) 1 comment
