Latin America/Haiti Focus Group                                                                  Back

Latin America/Haiti's budget was restored to $10,000 in 2007, from only $5,000 in 2006, and we had no trouble putting the extra money to good use.  We have ongoing projects that support needy people in about 10 different regions in Latin America and the Caribbean.  We have some connections with the Latin/Hispanic community in Minnesota, through Joyce Preschool and House of Faith church.  Unfortunately, long-time stalwart Resource Center of the Americas is out of commission for the moment, due to chronic funding problems.  RCA has helped Hispanics and promoted awareness of U.S.-Latin America relations for years.

Once again this year, we have sold fair-trade coffee from Chiapas, and about $1,800 worth of clothing and craft items from Peru.  We once again supported the Pastors For Peace supplies caravan for people in Cuba.  We continue to support some groups that help immigrants on the Mexican border.

Haiti Outreach was started 10 years ago by several St. Lukers and their friends, and it has grown into a successful non-profit with an annual budget of about half a million dollars.  In addition to being one of the best water project enablers in Haiti, the group is involved in microlending, education, and housing. 

FINAL DISPOSITION OF OUR $10,000 BUDGET:

$2000              Resource Center of the Americas

$1000              Pastors For Peace Caravan - supplies for Cuba

$2000              The Samaritans/ No More Deaths to help undocumented immigrants

$1000              Humane Borders to help undocumented immigrants

$500                BorderLinks community center on Mexican side of border

$1000              CCAMYN on Mexican border (helps immigrants, works with BorderLinks)$1000              Richard Flamer's work in Guatemala

$250                House of Faith church in N. Minneapolis - Presbyterian church with

                       Hispanic focus

$500                Project Minnesota Leon - does development work in Nicaragua

$150                Projects Zihua - supports a school in Zihuatanejo on west coast of

                       Mexico

$100                Creative Change Foundation - for community center in slum outside

                       Bogota, Colombia

$200                Casa de la Mujer - supports female rights in Oaxaca State, Mexico

$250                Joyce Preschool in S. Minneapolis - multicultural school with  

                       English/Hispanic bilingual orientation

$50                  Latin America Working Group - legislative watchdog/educational non-                          profit in Washington DC

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