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El Salvador Update Archive
July 2008
- Introducing the El Salvador Pilot Update!
- Thrivent Builds Worldwide coordinator Christy Fellner tells her story
- Why a community in El Salvador?
- Want to be a part of another community?
- Make a bigger impact - donate today
- Send us your story!
- El Salvador Update Archive
Introducing the El Salvador Pilot Update!
Pilot trip participants, we thank you. You've helped build a community. You've left a legacy. You've built lifelong friendships. You've helped families build their homes. You've experienced another culture in a hands-on, shoulder-to-shoulder, fulfilling way. You've done all this and much more in just one week through the Thrivent Builds Worldwide El Salvador Community pilot.
On behalf of its members, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has committed $50,000 to Habitat for Humanity El Salvador to build six homes in Santa Ana and contribute to Habitat El Salvador's ability to serve more families. As part of this commitment, five pilot teams of Thrivent Financial members and Lutherans will be helping to build those homes in July and August 2008. After seeking feedback from the pilot participants, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans may make an additional commitment to build an entire community in El Salvador.
The impact of this pilot program throughout the summer will continually grow and have an impact on more and more people's lives. As a way to keep all of you who've already helped (or who are planning to help) informed of the evolution of the community, we're providing this El Salvador Pilot Update. Throughout the summer, this update will feature stories from the latest teams, recognize those whose donations will help even more families, and fill you in on the progress on the six homes. Then, this fall, we'll be sure to share news on how Thrivent members can be involved in the future of this community in Santa Ana.
Be sure to bookmark this Web page and visit again to find out the latest news!
Thrivent Builds Worldwide coordinator Christy Fellner tells her story
Christy Fellner, a Thrivent Builds Worldwide coordinator and Habitat for Humanity employee in Americus, Georgia, participated in the first pilot trip to the Thrivent Builds Worldwide El Salvador Community in June 2008. It was a week full of faith-based service, self discovery, some grunt work, laughter and eye-opening insights into the need for help in El Salvador!
Read Christy's journal to understand her joyful experience making friends and building homes in Central America.
Why a community in El Salvador?
Approximately one third of El Salvador's population lives in substandard housing. Although Habitat El Salvador has traditionally built homes for families who owned land (with legal titles), Habitat acknowledges that many poor families are landless and has therefore begun to provide more holistic housing solutions.
One example is the Charlotte Model Community, which Habitat El Salvador first started developing in June 2007. The community—named to honor Habitat El Salvador's primary partner in the project—will provide land, housing, basic infrastructure (water, electricity, and sewage treatment), streets with sidewalks, green areas, a daycare and a community center to 60 low-income, landless families.
The principal partner of Habitat El Salvador in the undertaking of this project has been the Habitat for Humanity affiliate of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. In addition to sponsoring the purchase of the land and the development of basic infrastructure, Habitat Charlotte also contributed manual labor in the form of three volunteer teams. Hundreds of other international volunteers representing schools, universities, Habitat affiliates, and churches from the United States, Canada, and Spain have also worked in the community. As of May 31, 2008, 80% of the infrastructure had been completed and 54 of the houses plus the daycare had been built. The Thrivent Builds Worldwide El Salvador Community pilot volunteers are helping to build the remaining six houses.
Habitat El Salvador aims to build a model community in each of the 14 departments in the country. The goal is that these communities serve as models, not only in terms of the physical infrastructure, but also in the way neighbors treat each other and work together to improve their communities. On the heels of the successful implementation of the Gulf Coast Community in the United States, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans was seeking an international Habitat for Humanity affiliate to work with to build a second Thrivent Builds Worldwide Community. This pilot program in El Salvador was created in response to Thrivent members' interest in Central America, the connections with the Lutheran church in El Salvador, the need for decent housing in El Salvador and the model community concept that Habitat El Salvador had already developed.
Want to be a part of another community?
Thrivent Builds Worldwide Gulf Coast Community—Although it's been years since Hurricanes Rita and Katrina virtually leveled the Mississippi Gulf Coast, thousands of families still live in FEMA trailers. On behalf of its members, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has committed $2.5 million to Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast to build up to 40 homes—nearly all in one community—and contribute to the affiliate's ability to serve more families
Make an even bigger impact - donate today
Through the Thrivent Builds Worldwide El Salvador Community pilot teams, Thrivent Financial members are helping six families know the safety and security of their own homes. But the need is still great. There are still nearly 400,000 families living in substandard housing in El Salvador. YOU can make a difference and help even more families today. Donating to Habitat for Humanity El Salvador is easy with 3 tax-deductible options:
- Online: Go to www.habitat.org/donation/ and click on "Donate Online." Before you submit your donation, please "Designate Your Gift" to the Habitat National Office of El Salvador.
- Telephone: Call 1-800-HABITAT and explain that you want to donate to El Salvador.
- Mail: Send your check to Habitat for Humanity International along with the required donation form. Please write Habitat El Salvador in the check memo slot and also note clearly on the donation form that you would like to designate your donation to Habitat El Salvador.
By fundraising for an additional donation to Habitat for Humanity El Salvador, you are helping provide the hope and security of homeownership to even more families.
Send us your story!
Have you been part of a Thrivent Builds Worldwide El Salvador Community trip? Do you have stories or photos you'd like to share with others? Send them to Kelsey Midthun for consideration in future issues of the El Salvador Update. We want YOU to share the experience and inspire others to help!
El Salvador Update Archive
If you would like to read previous issues of the El Salvador Update, simply access the El Salvador Update Archive from this link or from the left navigation bar.