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Man’s Best Friend and MORE!

9/16/2023

When Jim and Peggy Walker arrived here from Dallas six months ago, they brought with them two very special companions, Jenna and Raffie. Three-year-old Jenna and eight-year-old Raffie are Leonbergers and certified therapy dogs. Peggy and Jim and the dogs are all very excited about the work they are doing here in San Ramón at Funcavida, a local non-profit that supports cancer patients/survivors in their journey through the disease and reentry into everyday living.

The temperament of the Leonberger, a giant dog breed that originated in Germany, is described as obedient, loyal, fearless, adaptable, loving with a gentle nature and serene patience. Consequently, they are perfectly suited to do the important and special work that therapy dogs do.

Research has shown that there are significant benefits when individuals with health challenges interact with pets. A decrease in heart rate and blood pressure, a decrease in the need for pain medication as well as an increase in endorphins, the body’s feel-good chemicals, are all potential outcomes for patients experiencing a pet therapy visit. Plus the laughter and smiles that are always part of a visit might actually be considered the best medicine of all!

Peggy and Jim and the dynamic duo of Jenna and Raffie are visiting Funcavida’s cancer survivors and staff on a regular weekly basis. Ably assisted by yoga instructor and volunteer Sara Alvarez, who provides translation services, Peggy shares information about the Leonberger breed, the health benefits of pet therapy, and her own successful journey as a 40-year cancer survivor. Based on their 25 years of providing pet therapy services with their other therapy dogs and their pet therapy cat, Peggy also shares some of the extraordinary patient healing experiences she and Jim have witnessed. Peggy always invites attendees to share pictures of their own pets and reminds them that loving and connecting with their own pets provides many of the same positive physical and emotional benefits that they can gain from a visit with Jenna and Raffie.

The information and education that Peggy and Jim share during their visits is invaluable to these survivors as they work to move forward in their journey toward wholeness. What is really the highlight of each visit, however, is the opportunity for survivors and staff to interact with Jenna and Raffie—up close and personal! Rolling around on the floor with these gentle giants, giving pats, hugs, and cuddles to them, or granting them treats in response to their sweet and clever tricks is undoubtedly the most fun and perhaps the most rewarding part of the visits for everyone involved. But it is especially rewarding for Jenna and Raffie, who actually love the work that they do!

What a wonderful gift this fabulous foursome is providing to our neighbors in need. Thank you all for sharing your talents and love!

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It’s a Celebration and We’re Invited!

9/16/2023

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Árbol de Esperanza has been positively impacting the lives of women in the greater San Ramón area for the past 10 years and on Friday, September 22, they are holding a special 10-Year Anniversary event to acknowledge and celebrate this important work.

The event will take place at the San Ramón Regional Museum on the north side of the park from 9am to 5pm. Árbol’s past and current program participants, the general public, and CAA members and friends are all cordially invited to participate. The day will be filled with a variety of informational presentations and recreational activities. While CAA members and friends are welcome to attend and enjoy all of the day’s activities, perhaps of most interest would be the two morning sessions.

From 10–11am, the Árbol management team will share the history of the organization; the goals, fundamentals, and successes of their Empowerment program; and a CAA board member will discuss the benefits of the collaboration between the two organizations. From 11am–12 noon, women who have participated in Árbol’s Empowerment program will share testimonies of their journey. In the afternoon, there will be cultural storytelling (2–3 pm) and a Latin dance class (3–4pm), and a fashion show of participant-made creations (4–5pm). Throughout the whole day, women who have started businesses as a result of Árbol’s Empowerment program will be there marketing their products—food items, clothing, jewelry, beauty services, etc. What a great opportunity to learn more about this important organization, celebrate the good work they are doing, and have fun—all at the same time!

Attendance at the celebration is free, but Árbol requests that you RSVP by sending your name and your organizational affiliation to them via WhatsApp, 8788 7921, or via email at desarrolloorganizacional@arboldeesperanza.com. If you have questions about the event, feel free to contact Mary Lou Hofmann, CAA Board Liaison to Árbol at sustainability@caacr.org.

Hope to see you there!

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Education Committee Update—Andrea*

9/16/2023

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The month’s installment in our series that showcases the hopes, dreams, and interests of individual students in our CAA Scholarship (beca) program is the story of a young woman who, despite a myriad of challenges, was successful in her pursuit of educational achievement by graduating Colegio last year and being accepted at the University of Costa Rica, San José.

As you are probably aware, while we have sponsored many Colegio students over the years and helped them to remain in school, not all of our students ultimately graduate from Colegio, and even fewer are accepted to universities or other educational programs. Particularly during the two years of Covid disruptions, all students faced many challenges and some were not able to continue their studies. CAA was able to help some families during that time by providing mental health care, food assistance, and other aid to help keep our students in school.

Considering the challenges and interruptions in classroom learning during Covid, it is even more impressive that two of our scholarship recipients were accepted to university programs. Not only do students need to maintain high grades, but they also must compete for limited spots in each degree program. Many students are not able to get into their preferred field and may decide to apply for another career field. Students with financial needs must also compete for limited government scholarships, and without these scholarships to cover minimal housing and food support, many students are not able to attend university even if they are accepted. Assuming they are able to make it over all the hurdles to attend university, many students are not able to continue their studies due to family emergencies, financial problems, accidents, health issues, and other life events that can quickly derail their studies.

Our scholarship student, Andrea, moved with her family from Honduras to Costa Rica and began attending school in the San Ramón area. Unfortunately, like many children, she was a victim of bullying at school but with support, she was able to overcome that situation and went on to become the best student in the CAA scholarship program.

In spite of many family difficulties, including Andrea’s father and brother both having serious chronic health conditions, she has shown commitment and determination in completing her school studies, and helping her family as well. Her brother and sister are also outstanding students in school and hopefully will also be successful in their chosen careers.

Her mother has worked hard to bring her family forward as there have been times when she has been the economic support for the family. At the same time, she has continued her own work to finish high school and study for a career in administration. She had to re-do her academic work from Honduras because Costa Rica did not accept her previous credits. She is a brilliant and brave woman, a great example for her children.

Andrea applied to the University of Costa Rica to study architecture, and since she was an outstanding student, she was accepted to that competitive program. She received the highest scholarship to finance her studies and has moved to San José to be able to study comfortably at UCR San Jose.

We at CAA are happy to have been part of her journey and to have had the opportunity to contribute to her success. This is an example of the impact we hope to continue to have through CAA’s Education Program and volunteer support. Many thanks to all of you for your support of our educational initiatives to help deserving students like Andrea!

If you would like to contribute financially to our San Ramón students who need your help to be successful in school, go to www.globalgiving.org/18714

Janice Brown

*The name has been changed to protect the identity of the student.

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A Day of Volunteering with Education Equals Hope

8/15/2023

On Friday, August 4, a missionary group consisting of eight tenth-grade students and ten adults organized through Education Equals Hope* (E=H) arrived at the Hogarcito (orphanage) in San Ramón for a morning of community service. The Education Committee members organized activities as suggested by the Hogarcito’s Directora.

The CAA and E=H volunteers pulled weeds, prepared a traditional garden plot, planted a mandarina lemon tree, and installed three vertical hanging gardens that included potted herbs. The children will be able to plant more flowers, herbs, and vegetables and learn to care for plants. This required A LOT of elbow grease! Volunteers also installed a new water line and faucet near the new garden area. In addition, another group sanded, prepped, and painted the library’s metal security gate! Whew!

By 10am, the volunteers shifted their focus to the Hogarcito children (up to 12 years old), and held a fiesta for them. This included two piñatas (one for the smaller kids and one for the larger ones), cupcakes, and presents brought from South Carolina for each child. The Education Committee also donated seeds for planting, books, and crayons for the library. Thanks to Linda Dwyer for baking the delicious cupcakes—a real sweet treat! After the fiesta, the young adults and Hogarcito children played games, and a rousing game of soccer. The Hogarcito children closed it out by besting their new friends with the final kick! Goooooalllllllll!

Members of the Education Program, Johanna Fernandez/Victor Vasquez, with Jacqueline Ramirez Araya, stopped by to meet the Hogarcito staff, the E=H team members, and enjoy watching the kids engage in games/festivities.

At 11:45am, the group moved on to their next community service project at Faithful Servant Mission.

On Sunday, the group from E=H plus four of our CAA scholarship students and our two program interns enjoyed an afternoon of fun and cultural interchange with the U.S. students at Balneario Las Musas. Terry Handler, Mary Huber, Johanna Fernandez y Victor Vasquez, Andrea Carter, and Dustin Dresser joined Scott to welcome and visit with the group from South Carolina and Quito, Ecuador. The young adults played games in the pool, hiked the trails, swam in the waterfall pool, and some tried out the rappelling. Lots of “Spanglish” and smiles were exchanged between the U.S. and C.R. students, and a rowdy game of “Marco-Polo-tag-you’re-it” was played in the pool.

Scott McAnally, Leader of the Education Committee, sends his appreciation to CAA member and tour director, Dustin Dresser, and his family for hosting the E=H group at Hostel Sabana and getting them to Isla Tortuga, a ziplining tour, and all over the area.

The Education = Hope group reported that the Tortuga tour and ziplines were their favorite fun activities, but the Hogarcito experience and the Faithful Servant Mission visit to the home of a Bajo Tejares family were the most impactful memories of the trip. Scott sends his thanks to the volunteers who made our visitors feel welcome and those that helped to brighten the lives of children in San Ramon.

* The CAA Education Committee partners with Education = Hope, a 501c3 not for profit located in Fort Mills, South Carolina. E = H has a parallel mission of providing education to children in the Americas and Africa. Its website is http://educationequalshope.org/.

What’s All the Buzz? Why, a Spelling Bee, of Course!

7/27/2023

The whole student body, along with family members, were invited to the morning performances.

At the end of June, I had the distinct pleasure of getting to learn a bit more about my community and my neighbors when I was invited to be a judge in the English Fest Spelling Bee and Celebration at La Union Elementary School in Palmares where I live.

In Costa Rica, English language instruction is part of the curriculum for all students in both elementary and high school and in June, schools hold special events to celebrate and acknowledge the students’ English language learning and activities.

The English Fest at La Union was a whole day event with delightful and fun English-language performance/entertainment presentations by each class in the morning and then in the afternoon, a recitation competition for the younger students and finally, the spelling bee competition for the oldest students. On every level, the students were excited and engaged and did a great job. The school’s English language teacher, the principal, and staff did an outstanding job of organizing the day’s events including providing fabulous “bee-themed” decorations throughout the school and at the event to add to the festivities.

The "bee" decorations were everywhere!

It was an interesting experience to step into the familiar though somewhat distant-in-memory world of elementary school but in a foreign country where I only speak the language “un poco.” Regardless of the language differences, however, from my observations and interactions of the day, it seemed to me that this was quite the special little neighborhood school. The students seemed to really enjoy being with each other and appreciated each other’s special talents as they enthusiastically and genuinely applauded the success of individual performances as well as the spelling bee contest winners.

The tremendous amount of energy and hard work that was required to plan and execute the day’s events by the staff was evident and impressive. In addition to the winners of each competition receiving a trophy, every student who participated in the day’s events was personally acknowledged and presented with a memento of the day—an Olympic-style medallion for the younger students and a certificate and a book for the older ones. That effort, plus the support and encouragement the teachers provided to the kids throughout their performances and competitions, told me that they care a great deal about their students and creating a positive environment for them to learn and grow in. It was a lovely day and experience and I was honored to be part of it!

If you have the opportunity to interact with your tico neighbors in their everyday lives at their school, their work, their church, or their family get-togethers, don’t hesitate to take advantage of it. It will undoubtedly broaden your horizons and add a valuable dimension to your time here in Costa Rica. Pura Vida!

~Mary Lou Hofmann

How do we make CAA sustainable?

7/20/2023

We help a local organization carry on their time-honored Tamale Christmas tradition.

In early 2022, CAA Board of Directors created a Sustainability Committee with the goal of having CAA continue to be a vibrant and effective organization capable of making a positive difference in the lives of those in our adopted community and of our members. The need for help is great on so many levels for many of our tico neighbors and friends. Consequently, one of the first and perhaps most obvious activities of the Sustainability Committee was to focus on maintaining and increasing our financial support of the programs and alliances we have in place. Additional education and information about the various programs and alliances, coupled with our partnership with Globalgiving.org to provide an online giving option that is easy, simple, and secure, has allowed us to make great strides in our ability to provide increased financial support to enhance student educational opportunities, address food insecurity, and brighten the lives of children. We sincerely thank all CAA members and friends who have contributed to these initiatives thus far and encourage and welcome contributions from all our members in general and in response to specific fundraising initiatives that will be occurring during the remainder of 2023.

CAA volunteers create monthly Blankets for Babies treasures

While financial support for our programs and alliances is a key aspect of CAA’s sustainability, it is not the only one. Members’ active involvement in community and program support activities, aside or in addition to financial support; member recruitment, engagement, and support; and just having fun together are all important aspects of long-term sustainability and vibrancy of the organization. While the Sustainability Committee is charged with overseeing our sustainability efforts, we cannot do it alone. It takes all of us, each contributing our time and our own unique talents in a way that feels good to us to accomplish long-term sustainability for CAA; and it might be an interesting and worthwhile exercise for each of us to ponder how we might make our own contribution to that goal. To that end, here are some thoughts that might be a good jumping off point for your thinking.

Attend a CAA Board meeting to see what goes on and offer your perspective as to what you might need/want as a member.

Introduce yourself to someone you don’t know at morning coffee or a mixer and share stories.
Volunteer to participate on a one-time or an ongoing basis with one of the programs or alliances whose activities you find meaningful.
Contact a CAA member you haven’t seen for a while and get together for coffee and a chat.
Find a Spanish-speaking friend and practice your respective language skills with each other.
Share the CAA newsletter with family and friends at home so they know a bit more about your life here in Costa Rica.
Spend some time with a tico neighbor or friend to better understand their world and their perspective on things.

The Sustainability Committee and the Board of Directors are always open and interested to hear your thoughts and ideas on how CAA can continue to be a vibrant and responsive contributor to the quality of life in the greater San Ramón community and for our valued members, so please feel free to reach out.

We thank you in advance for your ideas and support!

~Mary Lou Hofmann, Sustainability Committee Chair

CAA Provides Support to Árbol de Esperanza's Food Assistance Program

7/6/2023

Folks who attended the CAA mixer on Thursday, June 15 had the opportunity to learn a bit more about Árbol de Esperanza and the work that they are doing in our community. We were excited that Árbol's development and communications coordinator was able to join us and, in addition to sharing info about Árbol program and activities, she had the opportunity to personally meet several CAA members. Thanks to the generosity of many CAA members and friends, CAA is now providing a monthly donation to Árbol to be used for food support for program participants in need. And on a regular basis, through their testimonials and pictures, Árbol shares with us how beneficial our food support assistance is to the women who receive it and their journey forward.

For your education and information, we have included Árbol’s most recent newsletter below. Note the section regarding CAA’s food support funding.

If you would like to learn more about Árbol, visit their website at https://www.arboldeesperanza.org or their Facebook page at Arbol de Esperanza.

If you would like to receive their monthly newsletter, contact Mariam at desarrolloorganizacional@arboldeesperanza.com

If you would like to make a donation for food support for Árbol or any of the other organizations we are helping, visit Feeding Hungry Families www.globalgiving.org/56450 or give your contribution to any Board member at Thursday morning coffee or a mixer.

Blankets for Babies

6/29/2023

When CAA members Linda D. and Angie T. met with the chief of Pediatrics at the San Ramon hospital, they learned that approximately 20% of the 100 babies born there each month were from moms or families who were struggling to afford even the basic necessities of life. Consequently, routine, helpful items like blankets or diapers, which are often purchased or received as gifts were non-existent for these babies. Swinging into action, these two dynamos contacted their friends and other CAA members and in short order, “Blankets for Babies” was born.

Now and for the past five years, on the first Friday of every month, a group of industrious and committed volunteers gathers to produce the items needed to make up the twenty Newborn Welcome Bundles that are delivered to the Hospital’s Maternity Department at the end of each month. A bundle costs about $25 to produce and consists of a plastic changing pad (many houses have dirt floors), a blanket, five burping cloths, two rubber pants, five washable cloth diaper inserts, two onesies, and a soft toy. Recently at the request of the Maternity Department, they have added a carrying sling for moms to hold babies, particularly premature ones, close to them for connection and comfort.

With the exception of the recently added slings, over the past five years this group’s effort has produced the following: 1060 changing pads, 1060 blankets, 1060 toys, 960 crocheted hats, 360 masks for moms during Covid, 5300 burping cloths, 200 rubber pants, and 500 diaper inserts! Truly a remarkable and much appreciated accomplishment!

If you would like to participate in this worthwhile endeavor, there are many ways to help:

Come to a Friday morning workshop to cut out fabric, stuff toys, tie ribbons, cut elastic, etc. AND enjoy a potluck lunch with your fellow volunteers.
Volunteer to sew items at home. If you don’t have a sewing machine, one can be provided.
Provide fabric for burping cloths, blankets, or toys from fabric you have on hand or you purchase from the sale bins at Ropa Americana.
Donate funds to cover the cost of the material that must be purchased for the rubber pants, diaper inserts, changing pads, and slings.
When you visit the US, volunteer to “mule” back special material for the rubber pants that can’t be obtained here in Costa Rica.
Ask your family and friends to make a donation to help you brighten the lives of children in poverty and support a cause you are passionate about.

To make a secure online donation visit Brighten the Lives of Children www.globalgiving.org/57142. To make a cash donation, give the money to any Board member at Thursday coffee or a mixer. For questions or to help in other ways, contact linda@caacr.org.

Blankets for Babies has been invited to have a table at a fair in the Gabelo Conejo Sport Center on August 4 from 9am to 1pm. Please come and show your support! Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/31adXGTUx2wHE74E7

CAA Now Provides Food Support Assistance to Three Organizations

6/26/2023

On Tuesday, June 6, board members Janice B. and Mary Lou H. met with the executive director and psychologist at Funcavida to explore their need for food support assistance.

Funcavida is a non-profit organization in San Ramón that works with cancer patients/survivors and their families to offer multi-dimensional support for their journey thru the disease and their reentry into everyday living. They provide a myriad of services: physical therapy, psychological counseling, education, and workshops on topics such as general wellness, cancer prevention, and staying positive during treatment and recovery. They also help program participants create opportunities to generate income, gain education skills needed for employment, and they encourage and provide opportunities for engagement and health through recreational activities and volunteering within their own organization and in the community.

Funcavida is fortunate to have an onsite kitchen where they can provide meals and snacks during the day for their cancer patients/survivors and their families in need. While they are able to access the food bank in San José for basic food needs and a local grocery store does provide a food donation on a weekly basis, managing their monthly food budget requires attention and resourcefulness. Consequently, they are most appreciative of the food support assistance CAA is able to provide to them. Based on the food support fundraising we have done so far this year, we are able to commit to a monthly donation to Funcavida of 45,000 colones from July until December 2023 to support their food resource needs. They are excited to be able to share with us in the months ahead photos and/or other testimonials of how their cancer patients/survivors and their families are benefiting from the positive support we provide.

Meeting attendees display their gifts of Funcavida branded coffee, one of Funcavida’s many fundraisers!

A heartfelt “thank you” is in order to all the CAA members and friends who have helped to make it possible for CAA to provide food support assistance to the three organizations we are now helping on a monthly basis—Árbol de Esperanza, Hogarcito, and Funcavida. Your generosity and concern for the well-being of others in our adopted community is impressive and commendable!

If you would like to continue to help, you can visit Feeding Hungry Families www.globalgiving.org/56450 to provide a secure online donation or give your contribution to any Board member at Thursday morning coffee or a mixer.

In the case of Funcavida, a special thank you to Helena G., CAA member, and Sara A., yoga studio owner and teacher, for their assistance in facilitating a connection to Funcavida’s management team and scheduling the meeting. Helena is currently offering free tai chi classes to Funcavida’s cancer patients/survivors and Sara is helping her with translation. Sara also volunteered to attend the meeting with Janice, Mary Lou, Maria, and Andrea to provide translation services. We are so grateful for your willingness to share your gifts and talents to help others!

Helena helping cancer patients/survivors exercise with tai chi for movement, balance, and health.

~Mary Lou H., Sustainability Committee Chair

New CAA Pilot Initiative Addresses Educations Gaps

6/22/2023

The Education Committee is happy to announce the beginning of 2023 tutoring classes for our high school scholarship students who attend various schools here in San Ramón. Last year we had six students who were able to take University Entrance Exam Preparatory Classes covering Math, Spanish, Reading Comprehension, and other topics, and two of them scored high enough on the University of Costa Rica's entrance exams to be admitted with plans to study architecture and accounting. Two others narrowly missed the entrance scores; we paid for them to retake the Preparatory Classes and they will retake the University exams again in September-October.

We need to help our students boost their Colegio averages and make better grades on the entrance exams. Therefore, the Committee decided last year to fund University Entrance Exam Prep courses, and, in 2023, to offer some subject-matter tutoring.

Ultimately, we were only able to arrange for tutoring in Math (through UCR at no cost), and English through MG Capacitacion Professional (at a cost of 25,000 crc per student per month, 12 hours monthly).

Our funding for Saturday tutoring includes the cost of tutoring plus, in some cases, bus/taxi fares and a lunch subsidy for a small group of our most needy students. This significant new investment required us to limit our English tutoring to only the junior and senior level students, and twelve are in classes now. Without funding from our many members and friends of the Community Action Alliance, none of these students would be able to attend tutoring classes.

Math tutoring started last month for some of our students, and we hope UCR will have other math instructors available for the second term to assist more of our students. Also, our students began English tutoring the first of May, for up to six months.

Scott, plus Alisson or Noelia (our program interns), have attended every session since classes began, and Dustin and I recently observed a few of the English tutoring sessions at MG Capacitacion Professional on two Saturdays with our scholarship students. In the three-hour sessions, the students are definitely learning about the grammatical structures of the English language, following the same general teaching methods/materials used by their Colegio teachers. The MEP Colegio emphasis is on writing, reading, and exploring new texts, not on speaking the language.

How You Can Help
One way that we gringos living here in Costa Rica can help with these barriers to learning English proficiently is to consider “adopting” an individual student. Take a student out for lemonade, watch funny videos, go to soccer practice, go to the park, and just spend time together. You don’t need to “teach” English—that is not the point. But, over time as you become friends, it will become more obvious how you can help and not just with English. I can think of numerous examples of expats here in San Ramon who have done just this, and I know from personal experience that this time investment can be a rewarding and mutually satisfying experience. As you speak English to them (and probably a bit of Spanish as well), they will have ample opportunities to hear and speak our language.

“How would I initially meet one of these students?” you ask. Once per semester, we have the perfect opportunity to meet new and returning students one-on-one when Alisson or Noelia interview them and their parents. CAA members are always encouraged to attend these sessions to get to know the students. I have personally had the satisfaction of becoming close to at least three of our students and their families over my years here (the families are always included), and this has been as satisfying to me as any part of my life here in my adopted country. I can definitely verify that it is well worth the effort and I encourage your participation.

Please contact one of the Education Committee members or Scott McAnally if you want to discuss how to participate with our educational scholarship program students.

~Marian Latham, CAA Education Committee

If you would like to contribute financially to our San Ramón students who need your help to be successful in school, go to www.globalgiving.org/18714

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