Dec 14 2010

Unique Christmas tree ornaments gain CFCA sponsors

Posted on December 14, 2010 by admin

Want to share the good news of CFCA this Christmas season?

CFCA volunteers Stan and Dorothy Hubbard did just that at an alternative gift fair recently. They used a red tablecloth and sign provided by CFCA, but they also went one step further.

After scanning photos of children from the folders we sent them, they made the photo into a matching Christmas tree ornament, which was hung from a tabletop Christmas tree on their table.

Whenever someone signed up for sponsorship, the new sponsor got to take the matching ornament home to hang on their family’s Christmas tree.

Stan Hubbard operates the gift fair table promoting CFCA.

The children who were sponsored at that fair have just received an awesome gift this Christmas ñ food, clothing and access to education!

Here are Dorothy’s instructions for making your own ornaments featuring your sponsored friend:

1) Purchase inexpensive, clear plastic acrylic ornaments from a local craft store.
2) Remove (carefully) each picture from the respective folder.
3) Duplicate each picture using the “copy” function on a printer (she did 6 pictures to a page).
4) Laminate the pages. (This step may be unnecessary; Dorothy did it to preserve the photo.)
5) Cut out each photo in the shape of a circle.
6) Roll the cut photo into a cylinder shape and insert inside ornament. A bamboo stick can be used to straighten the picture.
7) Tie a red ribbon in a bow and add a small silver bell.

CFCA sponsors, we appreciate your comments! How do you remember your sponsored friends during the Christmas season?

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Oct 20 2010

Help CFCA save trees and cut costs with our Automatic Payment Plan

Posted on October 20, 2010 by admin

CFCA sponsored members in Guatemala are undertaking a beautiful initiative to help the environment by planting 1 million trees by the end of 2011.

Right now, if you sign up to pay your sponsorship through our Automatic Payment Plan, sponsored members will plant a tree in your honor.

Printing, postage costs and bank fees continue to increase and currently average 84 cents for each sponsorship payment made by check.

In contrast, the cost for an automatic bank withdrawal is less than 3 cents.

Contributions made through CFCAís Automatic Payment Plan are safe, secure and reduce our costs.

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Oct 18 2010

Walk2gether: CFCA helps families grow like trees in Peruvian desert

Posted on October 18, 2010 by admin

Yesenia Alfaro is the CFCA project coordinator in Santa Ana, El Salvador. She has been walking with Bob in Peru, and she sent us this recent update.

Yesenia Alfaro

Walk2gether has covered 375 kilometers (about 233 miles) in Peru, South America. We have walked through many towns and cities observing the reality of this country and its people.

I have seen great contrast, tourist areas with huge hotels, oil exploration areas and poor families living in the middle of the desert sand lacking basic services.

Poverty and inequality are everywhere; they just have different shades in different places.

Every day our road is different. However, risks remain the same such as crossroads with heavy traffic, large vehicles and high-speed driving, sometimes up to 150 kilometers (approximately 93 miles) per hour.

Our group of five or six walkers is very vulnerable, but we can feel Godís protection and the prayers offered by all families who are part of CFCA walking in spirit with us.

Loneliness on the road, long distances, exposure, and the poverty and inequality we see only serve to motivate CFCA and its mission to transform this reality.

While walking in a desert, my attention was caught by some trees that were growing in the middle of the desert.

I asked myself, ìWhy plant a tree in this desert? How are the trees going to survive?î

Tree planted in a Peruvian desert

These trees were planted with the hope of seeing them grow. They were planted with a different method: planting four bottles with water, with very small holes in the bottom, so the tree could be wet enough until its roots grew a little.

The results are trees with green leaves and signs of developing life.

Many times, we think that families and communities we serve canít grow because it is too difficult for them to develop.

Now I see families like these trees. They lack many things and go through lots of difficulties. The terrain is hard to work, but it is not impossible for it to produce and give life.

All we need to do is find the right method, with the hope that these families will be able to bloom.

Bob always invites us not to close our eyes to those who are in need.

They are there, close to us, and their blooming will require lots of work, effort and sacrifice, but the satisfaction will be much bigger.

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Oct 12 2009

Moringa trees in the Philippines

Posted on October 12, 2009 by admin

Oct. 16 is World Food Day, created in 1979 to increase awareness of the global food problem. In light of this event, we will be doing our part to raise awareness of simple, natural ways to combat malnutrition and hunger. Because CFCA spends more money on nutrition-related benefits than any other, our project staff and families are very creative when it comes to sustainable options. For example, in a recent report from the Philippines, we learned that CFCA families plant moringa trees. Not only is this tree extremely nutritious, but itís drought-resistant AND most of the tree can be used. Although this is the first time weíve heard of this tree, our projects are very familiar with its benefits. This week, you will hear how several projects incorporate this ìmiracleî tree into the CFCA program.

Llyod climbs the moringa tree to harvest the tiny leaves.

Llyod harvests the tiny moringa leaves.

Q&A with Malou Navio, Antipolo, Philippines, project coordinator

1. You said in the Clean and Green report that CFCA families plant moringa trees. How do they use the trees?
The moringa tree is a popular, indigenous herb to us and to people in the communities. Its matured bark is scraped to get a teaspoonful of shavings to mix with a cup of hot or cold water to make a tea known to cleanse the urinary tract. It can also be used as an antiseptic.

The young branch can also be used as plaster liniment. We start with a six-inch cutting, then make it flat, add a little oil, then heat it. When it warms to a tolerable temperature, put on the painful area to relieve the pain.

Moringa seeds can be used as water purifier. Just pound the seeds then place them in the water jug or jar.

2. How do you care for the moringa trees?
Just water the moringa tree during dry season. In rainy season, elevate the soil around the trees. Moringa will die if water sits for long around its roots. Pruning is also helpful to sprout more branches.

3. If the leaves are used for food, how do you prepare moringa? How do you eat it?
We thresh the leaves from its stem. It can be incorporated almost in all viands — soups, noodles, sweets, snacks, burgers and juice. It is prepared just like an ordinary cabbage or spinach.

4. Can you harvest the tree at any time of the year or only certain seasons?
Moringa can be harvested at any time of the year when there are enough leaves. For a large tree, we can harvest twice weekly.

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