Alliances

The Hogarcito, the orphanage in San Ramón, is home to 18–20 children, ages 6 months – 12 years, who have been orphaned or are unable to be cared for by their families. As one can imagine, providing food and nutrition for this number of growing children is a challenge.

While the Hogarcito, as a government-supported institution, receives a budget for food, it covers pretty much the basics and there is not a lot of room for “extras.” As a result, CAA is now providing a monthly financial contribution that is used by the staff to enhance their food budget.

Some of the funding goes to increasing the number and variety of fruits and vegetables that the children get exposed to on a daily basis and also to provide special foods and treats on the children’s monthly outings for exploration and fun.

In addition to supporting children’s nutritional needs, CAA has been able to help Hogarcito staff support the children’s need for creativity and enrichment activities. Community-based teachers provide workshops for the children on a regular basis in art, music, physical activity and English. The children love exploring their talents and creativity in a fun and supportive environment.

Funcavida (Quality of Life Foundation for Cancer Patients) is a non-profit organization in San Ramón that works with cancer patients/survivors and their families and offers multi-dimensional support for their journey thru the disease and reentry into everyday living.

While having both adequate and healthful food is important to everyone’s well-being, it is particularly important to those in cancer treatment and recovery. Acquisition and preparation of adequate and nutritious food can be a challenge for many of Funcavida’s participants due to income loss, lack of energy, or need for specialized diets.

To help address these issues, Funcavida has an onsite kitchen where their staff prepares and serves on a daily basis nutritious meals and snacks for their cancer patients/survivors and their families in need. In addition, they have a monthly food delivery program for those participants and their families that have been identified with special needs and they provide nutritious snacks at their skills training workshops for those looking to re-enter the workforce post treatment.

CAA provides Funcavida with a monthly financial contribution to support their food budget. In addition, individual CAA members share their time and talents by offering such activities as Tai Chi classes and pet therapy sessions for both program participants and staff.

For more than a decade, Arbol de Esperanza offered a structured empowerment program to women in need in the San Ramón area by providing the tools, education, and support to help them become autonomous and self-sufficient. And, as a result of the efforts of this private, non-profit organization, over 2500 women have been able to achieve increased independence and empowerment in their personal lives.

As part of our community partnerships, CAA provided Arbol de Esperanza with regular monthly funding for their emergency food support program for their participants in need. Also, in addition to supporting their various fundraising activities, both CAA and individual members provided periodic support to women in the form of scholarships for job training courses and other necessary expenses such as glasses, training equipment, or supplies.

Unfortunately, due to funding challenges, Arbol de Esperanza has recently ceased to operate in Costa Rica; and the loss of their services will be acutely felt by many women and their families as well as the community at large. Arbol’s closure definitely saddens us, we are proud of CAA’s participation in helping to make a tangible difference in the lives of so many women and their families in our community. And we will continue to support other local initiatives that benefit women, children, and families in the San Ramón area.