Orphan’s Hope Project Blog

OK… it’s time. I need to improve my Spanish. It’s tough to study a foreign language as an adult. There are so many distractions, other things to do, phone calls, work, food, etc. I just can’t seem to sit down and study here in the US. So…. I have a plan.

Yes, I’ll be back in the orphanage for New Year’s. New Year’s Eve in Guate is lovely and I enjoyed sharing it with the boys this last year. The first two weeks of January are especially busy ones in the orphanage as the boys are gearing up for the start of a new school year. (their summer vacation is mid October to mid January). So… I want to be there to help get them ready for the school year. This time, I will stay a bit longer. The plan is to divide my time between the boys and language school.

I looked at a number of language schools while I was in Guate last month. I think I have decided on one. If you’re curious about the method of teaching, seeing pictures of Antigua, the school itself, the cost, etc…. you can take a peek at their web site. Go to www.learncsa.com/ Anyway, this school is newer than most language schools in Antigua and it seems like a good fit. It is located in downtown Antigua, Guatemala and it is close to the little house that I will rent during the week. I just can’t study at the orphanage… there’s just too much to do. I’m constantly being pulled in one direction or another.

One way to learn Spanish quickly is to do a total immersion program and live with a local family. Nah…. I don’t think so! Another is to live in student apartments that some of the schools have. Nope… I don’t want to be around young college kids who want to party and stay up late. I want my privacy and some down time. So, I’ll be renting a house in Antigua while I’m going to Spanish classes. Then I can come back to my little house and study. I can cook my own food, enjoy the patio, relax a little and get a good night’s sleep too. On the weekends, I’ll go back to the orphanage to work and get things done. Then come back again for Monday thru Friday classes. Anyway, that’s the plan. Doesn’t that sound great? I think it does.

Maybe, just maybe, I’ll learn something! I hope so.

Adiós amigos !

Diane

As promised, here are a couple of pictures of the new walk in freezer. I wish I could post a picture of the cold, cold air but how about a picture of a lovely thermostat?

And yes, of course, we have food in there. Let see… what’s in there?…..French fries, broccoli, chicken, green beans, Brussels sprouts, other vegetables etc. We do need to get some metal shelves and it will be even better (more organized) when the shelves are put in. Check it out !

Saving donations, saving food for when it’s needed and saving money! I like it.

It’s the end of another week and it’s been a busy one. Here’s the latest news.

COY….. yep… that’s for Citizen of the Year. It appears that the Pinole Chamber of Commerce decided that yours truly is involved enough in the community that I deserve to be named Citizen of the Year. So…. there was a dinner on Thursday night to honor and present the awards. At the dinner, they showed a visual & audio presentation of what I do and why they thought I deserved the award. It also included the footage of when I first found out… just a few days after my return from the April/May trip to the orphanage. On that day, the director of the Chamber of Commerce surprised me by coming into my office with a large bouquet of flowers, printed invitations to the awards dinner and the TV station film crew was there. And yes, I was surprised. My office mates were there as well…. yes, they already knew so they had gathered around as they came in with the goodies.

Anyway, the dinner was lovely and I got proclamations from Supervisors, the City of Pinole, Assemblymen, other gov’t officials, etc. And an nice engraved award. I did not write a speech ahead of time. It’s easy for me to get up in front of a group and talk about the orphanage. But, they did want a 5-10 minute acceptance speech and they got it. In part of my little talk, I talked about why I do the things I do and I proceeded to tell the story of Diego and the shoes. Well… I got choked up and couldn’t get through that part as easily as I hoped I would. But, you know what? I looked around the room at the tables of people, and many of them, men as well as women, were also wiping tears from their eyes as I told the story. And that is why I do the things I do. I know they were touched and quite a few people congratulated me afterwards and asked for a brochure. Of course I had about 20 of them with me. And some people were impressed enough with what we’re doing that they promised to give a donation.

OK…. Festival en el Parque…. that’s coming along nicely. One of the team leaders and I met with the mayor yesterday afternoon. We talked about our upcoming presentation to the City Council. We are going to ask the City Council and Redevelopment Agency to support our Stride 4 Kids 1 mile walk/3 mile run and also the event after the run, Festival en el Parque. The committee is busy and it looks very promising. All of the proceeds will go to Orphan’s Hope Project and Miguel Magone Orphanage. That event is October 6th and we will eventually have a section on the web site dedicated to that event. Festival en el Parque will be on the web site at the end of the month, once we find out how involved the City of Pinole will be in our event. It’s exciting….. we have so many ideas. Of course I’ve been the race organizer for a few fundraising runs for the Child Abuse Prevention Council but I’ve never organized and put on a city wide festival. Anyone out there have any ideas or want to help us????? Please !!!

So… I am keeping busy. Yes I am! And I love it ! Til next time….

Diane

Hello and happy June !

Isn’t it hard to believe that it’s summer time? The kids in the US are getting out of school. That means less traffic in the mornings and the afternoons. I like that. And… people are planning their vacations. Many brave souls have stored their heavier clothing and they’re wearing shorts and sandals.

We have the perfect accessory for your summer wear. Bracelets, pulseras, anklets…. whatever you want to call them… they’re nice. I came back from Antigua with 50 of them (3 weeks ago) and we’re selling them for $5.00 each. You can get them from me or through the web site. They are made in Guatemala and they come in a variety of colors. Some start out as one color and then….they segue into another color or colors. They are cool. There’s a slip knot on the back side which means you don’t need any help tightening them up once they’re on your wrist (or ankle). And… that also means you won’t lose them.

I only have 20 of them left. They are popular. The good news is…. I will get many, many more when I am in Guatemala the next time. So… go ahead…. spend $5.00 and get yourselves a bracelet. You can see them on the web site… in the section with the t-shirts that you can also buy. Your purchases will help fund our projects at the orphanage. You’ll be glad you have one of these pulseras on your arm. How about an Orphan’s Hope Project t-shirt while you’re at it?

Thanks…. and stay cool.

Diane