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El Salvador Update
February 2010
- New year and new goals
- Herrera Guardado family
- Stay involved! Donate, advocate and volunteer
- Send us your story
- El Salvador Update Archive
New year and new goals
Habitat for Humanity El Salvador and the Thrivent Villa Esperanza community are happy to begin the building of the community for 2010. We started our year off with our first Thrivent team led by Jenny Michaelson. She and her father have been to El Salvador before, so having them as our first team of the year was a welcome event. Read their trip journal. (PDF)
The other side of the lots for the homes has already been cleared. When the Michaelson team came we were preparing the land for the first four duplexes to be built. The infrastructure of the rest has also been started, so there is definitely a lot to do this year. After all, the goal for this year is the completion of the community and to have our selected 75 families all ready to move in to their new homes or completely moved in.
Please come back soon all of you, and remember we're here to build more than just houses. We build homes.
Herrera Guardado family
Don Victor works selling natural medicines and non prescription door to door, and has always wanted his own home. As an inheritance he received a small portion of land in which he wanted to build his house, but through the years because he unable to obtain credit, he was unable to build it. So he decided to build it with his own hands out of adobe and black plastic to protect his family and possessions from the rain.
Dorina (his wife) had polio when she was 6 months old and that affected her ability to walk. She needs to use crutches. She started studying to be a nurse but because of her economical condition was unable to finish; however, she uses what she knows for giving injections in homes. Additionally she washes and irons clothes and with this helps support her family. Her mother dedicates herself to grinding corn.
Victor's and Dorina's family has been growing. They had three children, and her sister left her with her mother and her three children. Dorina's nephews are now part of the family. When they heard about Habitat and the project, they applied and after being approved they sold their portion of land to cover their first home payment moving expenses.
For them, having a house of their own was a dream that they imagined would never come true. They declared that only God can provide such great things like a safe place to live where they can feel happy and grateful.
Stay Involved! Donate, Advocate and Volunteer
Donate Today and Make an Even Bigger Impact
Through the Thrivent Builds Worldwide El Salvador Community, Thrivent Financial members are helping as many as 75 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 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.
Advocate Your Support for the El Salvador Community
- Recruit future participants by using the prepared El Salvador Community recruitment materials, including a bulletin insert, newsletter article and a program fact sheet.
- Share your experience by using the prepared El Salvador Community post-trip resources, including a PowerPoint template and a post-trip news release.
- Watch the El Salvador Community Video, featuring inspirational and motivational interviews of trip leaders, team participants and partner families.
- Read printed trip participant stories, featuring heartfelt experiences from an El Salvador Community trip participant in a creatively designed travel diary brochure.
- Read about all the global volunteer teams working with Habitat El Salvador, posted on the Habitat El Salvador blog.
- If you're on Facebook, join the Habitat for Humanity - GV El Salvador group to stay in touch with friends you met and become a fan of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.
Volunteer as a Team Leader or Team Participant
- Join an existing trip – There is a team leader looking for more volunteers on her April 2010 team!
- Be a team leader – Recruit teams of 10-13 volunteers for one of the 25 teams between January and June 2010. The price has been reduced to $695 for members!
- View weeks available to lead trips in 2010 (PDF, 31K).
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 Nicole Doebert 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.