Growing Donations Expand Breakfasts to 3 Days a Week!
Place of Hope – Monthly Update
Dear friends, donors, and supporters of Place of Hope, in Cotacachi –
We’re delighted to report a spectacular revival of donations for the month of October — over $2500 so far!
Thanks to Antoinette Mehler, Bill Schuler, Christina de Cristo, David Arney, Duane Neal, Gasia Klimczak, James Kidder, Janet Narum, Jean Gagnon, Joannes Gorenendijk, Kate Lindeman-Schutt, Kenneth Armstrong, Kerry Warden, Lewis Johnson, Louise Keim-Loesch, Louise Vonhagen, Marcia Cornale, Merlin Williams, Pamela Throckmorton, Papa Madre Ltd, Peggy Gunter, Robert Teaver, Sedgwick Heskett, Susan Murray, Terri Lee Scarberry, and the Wichana Foundation.
This will enable us to expand our breakfasts to 3 days a week, and hopefully 5 days a week by December if we continue to have regular donations. For the time being, we will have a flexible program that will expand or contract depending on monthly income.
In this season of remembrance, we want to honor the memory of our Founder, Micky Enright, whose vision and compassion knew no end, and who put in the years of hard work to get Place of Hope established as a centerpiece of care and wellbeing in Cotacachi. And in the spirit of indigenous culture, we give honor to the many generations of ancestors who have brought us, each and all, to this place and time, and who have given us caring hearts.
A Day in the Life of Place of Hope
Here’s one day’s report from our Donation Coordinator, Heidi Small:
The sun was shining this morning at Place of Hope. We are so happy to be open again, serving breakfast to our most cherished in Cotacachi. October was a great new beginning for us. November hopefully will be even better!
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Place of Hope/Lugar de Esperanza is thrilled to announce that Wednesday will now be added to the breakfast program, starting Nov. 4th, because of the generosity of so many people here in Cotacachi and from abroad. Days of operation for the breakfast program will now be Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays
Today was also the first distribution of rice and canned tuna for people to take home with them. We are doing our best to continue helping those in need with all of your help. The red bin is located at Coo Coo’s Nest restaurant in Solid Rock Plaza for donations of rice and canned tuna.
We would like to give a special THANK YOU to two donors for their generous gifts of $500. This will provide food for 40-50 people for 20 days !
In these most difficult of times I can’t help but have tears of joy, gratitude, and appreciation for everyone who is helping to keep this program moving forward and being successful.
Urban Outreach
The poor and dispossessed aren’t only in rural communities. Our urban outreach program to elders who live in downtown Cotacachi and neighborhoods reaches 30 elders a day on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Our wonderful outreach partner, Lulu Caranqui, has a mobile fruit cart that she and her boyfriend pedal around town every day, selling fruit door-to-door. Working with Place of Hope, she has identified a group of elders in town who need help, and she delivers Place of Hope food and caring vibes to them during the week (fruit, bread, eggs).
This week, the Day of the Dead is typically celebrated with the serving of “colada morada” – rich and sweet drink made from purple/red corn, accompanied by little, decorated bread figures in animal and human shape. Thanks to Olga for helping prepare the colada!
Wichana Foundation
…recognized Place of Hope in a local “Pandemic Response Fair,” honoring Cotacachi organizations who are playing an important role in alleviating hunger and suffering during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to our onsite donors at the fair for $150, and to online donors. Visit https://www.wichana.org/ for more info.
“As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact urban and rural communities alike, organizations have worked to mitigate many short- and long-term challenges. The Pandemic Response Fair’s objective was to bring together organizations to share their perspectives on the current realities, challenges and initiatives. This guide aims to highlight the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has created in both rural and urban Cotacachi and also to showcase the organizations that are doing effective pandemic response work in these areas. While it does not provide a thorough, statistical analysis of the situation, it seeks to share a snapshot of the realities according to the organizations and community members living in the region.
Cotacachi is home to a diverse network of individuals, organizations and groups who are dedicated to supporting both urban and local communities through their clear missions, hard work ethic and compassion. In this booklet you will find the eleven organizations who participated in the COVID-19 Response Fair on October 11, 2020 in Cotacachi. All are seeking support in order to continue providing quality services and material assistance to vulnerable local populations.”
Thanks
to our new Administrative Council and Board members for all their hard work coordinating shopping, food prep and serving, government paperwork, volunteer management, website design and maintenance, community relations, publicity, donation management, thrift shop management, facility maintenance, and lots of other behind-the-scenes activity that keeps the program on track — Susan and Chuck Bussey, Alison Gallardo, Vilma Cabascango, Salome Alvear, Ana Guevara, Charito, Heidi Small, and James Scarberry. Bravo team!
Next Month:
- Plowing the field to sow corn, beans, and veggies for the kitchen.
- Meet the Administrative Council who keeps everything running smoothly!
- Recruiting young volunteers to join the program and learn the ropes of running an organization.
- Phase 2 of the Gallinas Ponedoras project, donating egg-laying chickens to rural families.
- Plans for our annual December party, celebrating Kapak Raymi (winter solstice) and Christmas.
…and Thanks Again
to all our donors, friends, volunteers and supporters who have helped us come spring back to life under very challenging circumstances! We look forward to your continued support as we close out 2020 and move into 2021, guided by Micky’s vision and sustained by our many volunteers and donations.
Fred Hosea – President
Place of Hope
Care to Make a Contribution Now?
You can also check our Facebook group page for other updates, photos, and videos of what we’re doing, by clicking here!
Mil Gracias ! A Thousand Thanks !
From the Place of Hope Board , Administrative Council and Volunteers