Community Action Alliance
  • Home
  • About
  • Programs and Alliances
    • Helping Children in Poverty >
      • Education Scholarship Program
      • Christmas Toy Drive
      • Birthday Buddies
      • Blankets for Babies
    • Feeding the Hungry >
      • Arbol de Esperanza
      • Bajo Tejares Tamale Christmas
    • Spanish Conversation Groups
    • English Conversation Club
  • News
  • Join/Donate
    • Become a Member
    • Donate
    • Subscribe to Our Newsletter
  • Calendar
  • Contact Us
  • Photo Gallery
    • Life in San Ramon

Spanish Conversation Groups Start Tuesday, January 25 via Zoom

1/16/2022

 
Our first session of 2022 of the CAA Spanish Conversation groups will begin on Tuesday, January 25 and will continue through Tuesday, March 15, with each class being 1 hour. The cost is 15,000 colones for the 8-week session. 

Three levels will be offered. If, during the first day of class, you or the instructor feel you are misplaced, then we will change you as long as we don’t exceed 8 students in one class.

Level I—These students are total “newbies” to the Spanish language. Basically you will learn present tenses, pronouns, “be” verbs, and basic vocabulary for grocery shopping, vet care, etc.  IF you have taken this level before but feel you might want/need to repeat it, don’t worry, that is fine.

Level II—These students need to know some present tense verbs and some basic vocabulary, but they will not have yet ventured into the deeper waters of past or future.

Level III—Students in this higher level group need to have had formal lessons for at least a  year and be conversant in present, past, and future tenses.


REGISTRATION:  Is open until Friday, January 21 at http://www.actionalliancecr.com/spanish-conversation-registration.html

On Thursday, January 20th, Terry Handler will be collecting tuition at Cafe Delicias between 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. at the Thursday morning coffee get-together. If, for some reason, you can’t come on this day, please try to have a friend come pay for you as we need a firm idea of paid students.

For other payment options email spanishconversation@caacr.org
 
Proceeds from the Spanish Conversation Classes benefit the CAA Education Scholarship Program.


The English Conversation Club is set to restart in February 2022

1/16/2022

 
 Spurred on by in-person leaders, ECC made the pivot to virtual meetings. What started as an experiment has actually blossomed and has converted ECC into a fully flexible in-person and virtual program.

Some of the benefits to this pivot are:
  • Leaders/participants can participate from all over the world.
  • Registration done completely online and asynchronous.
  • Sessions and registration schedule can be made up to a year in advance.
  • Standardization and flexibility for group leaders to lead on their schedule. Can plan knowing the yearly schedule.

Turns out, the popularity of these pivots allowed us to crush last year's projections and we are only looking up in 2022. ECC's new partnership with XploreAmericas to provide native English student teachers with practicum opportunities will also provide more opportunities for ticos to learn and practice and especially allow us to promote to BEGINNER students which were previously limited as they required a more structured class.

If YOU would like to lead a group session, we'd LOVE to add you to our database of available leaders. At the moment we are mostly online, however pandemic permitting we'll add in person throughout the year.

To be a leader the requirements are:
  • Native English speaker
  • Talkative and outgoing
  • Internet access with computer capable of audio and video transmission over Google Meet. (virtual groups)
  • Tech savvy enough to handle video conferencing. (virtual groups)
  • Have a gmail account. (virtual groups)
  • Available to host two 1-hour sessions per week for 5 weeks (1-2 hours during the week and/or two hour Saturday mornings).
  • Attend a practice meeting.
  • You do not need to speak Spanish to participate.
Now that ECC is hybrid, leaders and students are welcome from all over.  We need YOU to share this opportunity as we are not known outside the zona occidente and our advertising is limited to word of mouth and social media posts. Thanks to everyone for their support of this program!

If you are interested in leading a group, please contact Dustin or Ricardo at info.eccsr@gmail.com

Please direct interested students to bit.ly/eccvirtual

¡Pura vida!

TAMALE CHRISTMAS

1/4/2022

 
One of CAA’s alliances in San Ramón is with The Faithful Servant Missions in Bajo Tejares, an exceptionally poor area of San Ramón. Each December, the village women of Bajo Tejares celebrate a much-loved Christmas tradition by making hundreds of tamales to share with their families and neighbors. For the past eight years, CAA has helped by purchasing the tamale ingredients and helping make these special treats. Unfortunately, we have not been able to provide volunteers for two years because of the pandemic, but this year Mary Huber and Terry Handler presented Nicole Byker, a social worker with the church and community center, c304,000 from CAA to provide supplies and the labor to make them. This annual event is a line item in CAA’s budget.
The Mission is expanding its outreach in 2022 to include a parenting program and an English institute.
(Photo is from the 2019 event.)
Picture

CAA SUPPORTS HOGARCITO WITH "BIRTHDAY BUDDIES" PARTIES

1/4/2022

 
CAA has renewed its support for the Hogarcito, San Ramón’s orphanage that currently houses 20 children. It is located in Santiago, just west of San Ramón. Donations from CAA members provide a birthday party for each child. The party consists of cake (donated by La Duquesa), ice cream, candy, and punch for the kids; and a present for the birthday child. We also donate party plates, cups, balloons, streamers, and candles.
Picture

CAA PRESENTS BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR 2022-24

1/4/2022

 
Left to Right: Jeff Barnes, Treasurer; Scott McAnally, Vocal; Mary Lou Hofmann, Vocal; Terry Handler, President; Janice Brown, Vice President; Martin Rojas, Secretary, and Vocal 3. Not pictured: Wagner Galo, Fiscal.
Your Board is preparing CAA for a much more active and engaging year for all of us. Now is the time to recharge ourselves with volunteer opportunities and activities in and around San Ramon. Keep checking this page for updates on all that's happening!
Picture

​EDUCATION COMMITTEE UPDATE

1/4/2022

 
CAA was selected as one of seven local organizations to receive donations in 2022 from the Women's Club of Costa Rica (WCCR), a group that has served the community with distinction for 80 years. CAA asked to be selected for a $2,000 donation to support our scholarship program and instead received a $10,000 donation.
This was a direct result of Judy Kerr talking to Laraine Altun, who is on the board of WCCR. The Club was impressed by four things about our program:
1. CAA gives students vouchers instead of cash for purchasing uniforms and supplies.
2. We incorporate university interns that help run the program.
3. A social worker provides a support structure for students’ families.
4. CAA has a significant cash reserve to ensure we will be able to get the 28 student participants through their high school careers.
At the December Board of Directors meeting, the CAA Board formally accepted the offered donation. We will do everything we can to continue to live up to their legacy of service in our adopted community.
Picture

CAA RAISES MORE THAN 1.3 MILLION COLONES FOR COVID-19 PANDEMIC HUNGER RELIEF IN FIRST TWO WEEKS

5/5/2020

 
THANK YOU to all who have already donated to our initiative to give back to the San Ramon community by helping our friends and neighbors who have been negatively impacted by the ongoing pandemic to feed their families.
Thanks to your outstanding generosity, we have already helped twelve families identified by Arbol de Esperanza as well as eight of our scholarship recipient families. Additionally, twenty of the families that receive scholarships from our Education Committee have been assisted through the Committee's existing reserves. A total of forty families in all thanks to your generosity!
Each family received a voucher for 55,000 colones which they will be able to use to buy food and other necessities at Supermercado Carranza in San Ramon. Thanks again to Supermercado Carranza, for partnering with us!
It is not too late to donate! There are other families who need our help, and likely will for the next several months. We are able to accept your donations by any of the following methods:

1. For those who are comfortable with leaving your home, you can make a deposit directly into CAA's account at Coopenae. You can use the following information with the staff at Coopenae:
Institution: COOPENAE RL
Name: Asociacion Community Action Alliance/Asociacion Alianza De Accion Comunitaria
Personae Juridica/Cedula# 3-002-661454
IBAN Acct # CR28081400011013646765
This is the only CAA account ending in "5;" Christian or Luis Diego can help you get it to the right account, if handling in person. Please feel free to contact Susan Knab at nurese@aol.com or our treasurer, Terry Handler, (email listed in #3 below) if you have any questions or need assistance with this process.

2. For those who have a Costa Rica bank account, whether at Coopenae or another bank, you can make a transfer into our account at Coopenae using the same information as above.

3. For those who do not have a Costa Rica bank account, you can transfer funds from your U.S. bank account to Terry using Zelle. You just need Terry's email which is Terry@thandler.com. Please include your contact information in the memo area of the payment screen. Terry will let you know that he received it and will deposit into the fund in your name.


4.  For those that would like to donate via Paypal -  use the above email address for Terry and please identify yourself and give your contact information in the note field.
 
5. If none of these three methods work for you, Susan or Terry will accept your pledge. Just let us know.

Our plan is to use a voucher system, very similar to what we use for our scholarship program, that will permit the recipients to purchase groceries at Carranza Supermercado.  As for who will receive the vouchers, additional assistance will first be given to families identified through Arbol de Esperanza and all our scholarship student families. However, there are more than 80,000 people in the San Ramon canton, and we are likely to be able to help many more if we widen our scope. If we receive an overwhelming response and we find that your generosity exceeds the need of the families identified through Arbol de Esperanza and the scholarship families, we will work with an additional organization that serves the San Ramon canton.

This is totally a free-will contribution for those who are looking for a way to help and have the ability to do so. Also, please be assured that any funds donated for this purpose will be used only for this purpose and will not be diverted to any other CAA programs. What comes in will go back out, maybe not all at once since it may be several months before these families are able to reach any level of sustainability; but all funds collected will be distributed for their benefit.

Please contact Susan Knab or Terry Handler if you have any questions.
Thank you!



Spanish classes start Tuesday, March 24th

3/8/2020

 
​Our next session of the CAA Spanish Conversation Classes will begin on Tuesday, March 24th and will continue through Tuesday, May 19th (no class April 7th), with each session being approximately 1.5 hours. The cost is 15,000 colones for the 8-week session.  Classes are held at the San Ramon library.

Three levels will again be offered:  And please don’t worry that these levels are set in stone.   If, during the first day of class, you or the instructor feel you are misplaced, then we will change you as long as we don’t exceed 8 students in one class.

Level I - These students are total “newbies” to the Spanish language.   Basically you will learn present tenses, pronouns, ”be” verbs, and basic vocabulary for grocery shopping, vet care,  etc.  IF you have taken this level before but feel you might want/need to repeat it, don’t worry, that is fine.

Level II - These students need to know some present tense verbs and some basic vocabulary, but they will not have yet ventured into the deeper waters of past or future.

Level III - Students in this higher level group need to have had formal lessons for at least a  year and be conversant in present, past, and future tenses.

REGISTRATION:  Is open until Thursday, March 19th; you may register for classes by either:
* clicking this link--you will be taken to the registration page (http://www.actionalliancecr.com/spanish-conversation-registration.html)
* email Susan at nurese@aol.com and letting her know which level you would like.

Then on Thursday, March 19th,  Susan Knab will be collecting tuition at Cafe Delicias between 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. at the Thursday morning coffee get-together.   If, for some reason, you can’t come on this day, please try to have a friend come pay for you or make alternate arrangements with Susan as we need a firm idea of paid students. Please try to have exact change!

Please email Susan Knab,  nurese@aol.com if you have any questions.
 
Proceeds from the Spanish Conversation Classes benefit the San Ramon Public Library and the CAA Education Scholarship Program.


Introducing the CAA 2020 Class of Educational Scholarship Students

2/23/2020

 
  Introducing the CAA 2020 Class of Educational Scholarship Students
On January 25, 2020, the Community Action Alliance’s Education Committee presented scholarship vouchers for the 2020 school year to twenty-six students.  One additional student is receiving a special scholarship for English Second Language studies; and an additional high school student has just been approved for participation. CAA will support up to 30 high school students in 2020.
Additionally, this scholarship class includes one degreed University student of Social Work who is completing her licensing requirements while serving her sixth year as our Scholarship Program Administrative Intern.  And, we plan to offer another university social worker student a scholarship while being trained to assume the role of CAA’s University Scholarship Program Administrative Intern in 2021. 
And, we celebrated the December 2019 high school graduation of four of our students.  All four are continuing their education through university or technical school courses in 2020, and we wish them the best in those advanced studies.
Picture
​This class welcomed six new, young women who require assistance to continue in high school, and we are pleased that they are dedicated to continuing their education.
Picture
​Additionally, three young women received special awards for achieving GPA’s of at least 95 for the 2019 school year; and each received an extra voucher redeemable for books.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Not all of our students hit these high marks, and two of our current students must pass additional tests if they are to move to the next grade and stay in CAA’s scholarship program. We hope they can improve their grades and work towards graduation.
 
CAA’s Education Committee expects to provide about $14,000 in direct educational support for 32 students in 2020. This level of educational support would not be possible without the generosity and hard work of CAA volunteers and donations from our faithful network of “friends and family” supporters.
Thank you for supporting the educational dreams of these students - an investment in education for these students is an investment for life. 
 
CAA Education Committee Members: Scott & Linda McAnally, Andrea Carter, Dustin Dresser, Linda Dwyer, Johanna Fernandez, Fernanda Rojas, Susan Knab, Ricardo Elizondo Garcia, Lynette Lewis, Laura Handler, Dave Scott.

​

Spanish Conversation Groups start Tuesday, October 29

10/13/2019

 

The next eight-week session of CAA’s Spanish Conversation groups begins on Tuesday, October 29 and continues through Tuesday, December 17. The cost is 15,000 colones per person and classes are held at the San Ramón library. Three levels are offered. Click here  for more information.

Registration is open until Thursday, October 24. On that day, Lynette Lewis will collect tuition at Cafe Delicias  between 9:30am and 11:00am. If, for some reason, you can’t come on this day, please try to have a friend come pay for you or make alternate arrangements with Susan Knab as we need a firm idea of paid students. Please try to have exact change!

Please email Susan if you have any questions.
Picture
<<Previous
Forward>>

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Copyright 2022, Community Action Alliance, all rights reserved.