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In this Issue:
- From the President
- Board Meeting Highlights
- Help Wanted
- Program Updates
- Alliance Updates
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Events and Activities
- CAA Monthly Mixer
- CAA’s Day Away Program
- From Our Members
- General Information
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Here in San Ramón, we are halfway through the school year and just about halfway through the rainy season. Of course the rainy season doesn’t have an official “start” and “stop” date.
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The public school students are on a two-week midyear break and that changes the daily rhythm in our community. The usual drop-off rush around 7am and occasional traffic jams near the school have stopped and all is quiet as we take our morning walks. Our Tico friends plan some short weekend or just overnight family trips. When we occasionally get a sunny afternoon and early evening we meet more families out in front of their houses. People here say these afternoons are little mini-summers. It makes for) fun greetings and conversations with our neighbors.
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Photo by Gary Henderson |
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At CAA, we have some plans and future activities that you will read about in the newsletter below, including an August picnic for members. It’s a chance for us to gather in an open park setting to have some fun and time together. We are also hoping to offer an early September whale-watching visit to the Uvita area during a 3-day, 2-night trip. Stay tuned
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We plan to hold our August board meeting at the Mission in Bajo Tejares, which is one of our alliances. This will give board members the chance to visit the facilities and meet staff face to face. We anticipate some additional volunteer opportunities will be discussed in addition to the traditional Tamale Christmas activities that we have helped with in the past.
Be sure to read the updates on the Birthday Buddy and Blankets for Babies programs. Linda Dwyer and her team are making some changes to the newborn bundles based on advice from the head of Pediatrics at the hospital.
We continue to support women’s empowerment at Árbol de Esperanza in food aid and are looking at offering enrolled mothers transportation scholarships to Árbol de Esperanza’s free courses and counseling.
We are currently looking for a partner organization for our annual Christmas Toy Drive. If you would like to help with this outreach, please contact me at president@caacr.org.
Our board members and teams will be talking one-on-one to our members in the near future to learn about your own life and experiences here. So many of you already personally provide support to those around you and we want to learn from this as we decide how to assist organizations. We also want to provide and support what helps our members, and together make a difference while enriching our experiences living here. When they get in touch, we hope you will take a few minutes out of your day to give your input.
We are sad that CAA members Jeff Barnes and Jane Smith needed to move back to Colorado to take care of a family member. Jane worked with CAA’s Birthday Buddies and Blankets for Babies programs, and her excellent photos of life in San Ramon brightened our days. Jeff provided exemplary service as CAA’s treasurer. He supported us all cheerfully and quickly improved the monthly and quarterly reporting to make it more informative and easy to understand. Al Sargent will take over as Treasurer in the interim. Thanks so much Jane and Jeff, and welcome to Al!
Thanks to all our members for what you already do as individuals and families in your own areas and your participation and support together as CAA. I feel we all get so much more in return from living and participating here. We have the possibility of developing new and fun stages in our lives and at times recreate ourselves with things we care about and do to help ourselves and the community.
~Terry Handler
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Many of the agenda items discussed at the meeting are covered in this newsletter: the August picnic, survey of members, day trips, and the toy drive. In addition, the Board
- discussed a plan for appealing to a larger audience for funding through Global Giving
- listened to an informational presentation by Dustin Dresser on his appeal to the US Embassy for a grant. The Embassy is interested in encouraging intercultural relationships, helping CR’s low-income populations, encouraging STEM and STEAM training, and promoting learning opportunities for girls. Dustin’s plan would allow him to build international relationships with math teachers, either in-person or virtually to discuss different teaching strategies.
- decided to move a small amount of money left in the men’s shelter account to the Emergency Fund
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We are looking for a volunteer to compose and send our monthly e-newsletter using Mailchimp, an online app for creating and maintaining email lists and sending email “blasts.” The complete content (edited text, photos, and art) is provided by our
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communications team and this job entails composing the newsletter online using the app and an existing template. We estimate the job requires about four hours per month at the same time each month (right after the board meetings). There might be a few other email blasts from time to time, but not frequently. We offer detailed documentation, training, and colleague support. Interested? Contact editor@caacr.org.
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The CAA Day Away Program offers social activities within a short drive from San Ramón, and occasionally longer trips inside the country. The Tortuga Island trip was a big success! We are working on plans now for a three-day, two-night trip to Uvita in August with possible whale watching. Stay tuned!
Photos by Janet Kikta |
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Anyone for Coffee?
Thursday morning coffee at Café Delicias is a tradition for gringos in living in or visiting San Ramón. Please stop by between 9-11 to visit with friends or make new ones. Ask questions, share information, and maybe enjoy one of the restaurant’s famous cinnamon rolls with your fresh hot cup of Costa Rican coffee. Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/Heutyt5iRi3iMvdLA
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CAA Scholarship Program Update
By Scott McAnally, Education Committee Leader
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Math Exam Review Initiative
The last 4 years of disrupted instruction (teacher strikes, Covid) created a learning gap for students in our CAA’s Scholarship Program, so we organized six days (12 hours) of special math instruction by a university instructor (civil engineer) to refresh our students’ recollection of the math principles needed for the upcoming university exams. Education Committee members sat in on each of the classes, and it appears that a good proportion of our students were at a loss on the topics and concepts being covered.
The six math prep sessions wrapped up on Friday afternoon, July 15. Our students, and apparently most students in Costa Rica, score poorly on the math portion of the university entrance exams compared to the other topics.
What can realistically be expected from this 12-hour, six session math review class? Perhaps it will help refresh our student’s recall of what they were taught over their five years in Colegio. We sincerely hope it’s not too little, too late.
The math deficiencies can be overcome with focused study/remedial work, but it can take longer than necessary for some students to complete their university degrees. In turn, these graduation-degree delays reduce the through-put of students into these STEM disciplines at the public universities and limits the number of available public university admission slots. Private high school graduates fare much better than public high school graduates in this competition for a more limited number of public university slots.
It may take a much broader restructuring of high school learning, in a number of important disciplines, to make a significant difference in math outcomes for first-year university students.
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Second Term Scholarship Voucher Presentations
On Friday afternoon, July 15, CAA Education Committee Program Intern Alisson, aided by Committee Members, distributed vouchers for shoes, uniforms, and school supplies to the eight 2022 graduating students. On July 16, we presented vouchers to the remaining 21 scholarship students. We will interview/review First Term grades in another session in August.
As CAA completes its 10th year of helping students in poverty through education, we feel hopeful that some of our 29 students will be sufficiently prepared to obtain one of the limited public university admission slots, and get the opportunity for a university degree. Others may have to opt for private universities or vocational programs at INA. Despite long odds, some of our students will succeed in their dreams for a university education; this would not be possible without the dedication and commitment of CAA Members and our supporters. Thank you!
Please note: A more comprehensive examination of the challenges of student success in Costa Rica will be sent to CAA members in a separate email soon.
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English Conversation Club
The ECC is a CAA program that gives ticos who already speak intermediate English an opportunity to practice their English and gringos the chance to ask questions about living in Costa Rica. The sessions are NOT classes as such; they are a space to practice a level of oral English, together with people of the same level (in groups of five to seven people maximum per leader).
Groups meet for five weeks for two hours per week and a donation of 10,000 colones (or 15,000 colones for two schedules) is required to support the Community Action Alliance scholarship program. https://www.actionalliancecr.com/education.html
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 more in-person sessions 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 2 hours on Saturday mornings)
- You do not need to speak Spanish to participate
Now that ECC is both in person and online, 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! Current sessions are running from June 20 to July 30 (No meetings week of July 4). Registration for the next session is July 29 to August 6 and meetings are August 8 to September 10.
Please direct interested students to bit.ly/eccvirtual
If you are interested in leading a group, please contact Dustin or Ricardo at info.eccsr@gmail.com
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Spanish Conversation Groups
Register TODAY at https://www.actionalliancecr.com/spanish-conversation.html for our four-week course beginning TOMORROW July 19, where we will practice conversational Spanish in small groups with Professor Manuel to learn new phrases for everyday situations and discuss topics of interest. The sessions begin with greetings and small talk, then a grammar topic for practice, and reading or listening comprehension (news article, video, audio message, etc.) Cost for the entire session is 8,000 colones.
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A Zoom link will be provided a few days prior to the meeting. We can help anyone needing assistance to use Zoom.
For beginners and intermediate level, there's potential for an in-person session if there's enough interest. The group will meet for one-and-a-half hours at a central location in San Ramón. Email spanishconversation@caacr.org for more information regarding date, time, and location. The in-person class will run for four weeks—beginning date undetermined.
Learn more and/or register at https://www.actionalliancecr.com/spanish-conversation.html
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Árbol de Esperanza
On an annual basis, approximately 30 women participate in Arbol de Esperanza’s 12-month structured empowerment program to help them move from poverty toward autonomy and self-sufficiency. Family food insecurity is a reality for many of the women and adds an additional barrier to their success. To help remove that barrier, CAA provides funds for a monthly food assistance package ($50) for three women in need through a newly created Emergency Fund.
The second 100,000 colones ($150 US) for Árbol de Esperanza food assistance was spent at Supermercado Carranza early this week. Thanks to Janice Brown and Alisson for their help with the purchasing. Going forward, Árbol de Esperanza staff will make the purchases and we will reimburse them.
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If you would like to make a donation to the Emergency Fund to allow us to continue to provide support to families in need, you can give your donation to any Board member who will in turn deposit it for you and send you a written receipt and thanks. Or you can click here for detailed instructions on how to make a deposit into the fund.
Click here to see a list of articles Árbol de Esperanza is requesting as well as a way to make a deposit directly to their bank account. If you would like to drop off clothing, requested items, or a donation you can do that Monday through Thursday from 11am-4pm. The office is located 50 meters east of Banco Popular. Phone: 8788-7921 or 4034-2340.
Learn more about the work of Árbol de Esperanza here: https://en.arboldeesperanza.org/
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Faithful Servant Ministries
In addition to Tamale Christmas, a long-standing tradition for CAA, we are exploring other ways we can help Faithful Servant Ministries with the secular portion of their community services, such as computer literacy, vocational training, finance classes, etc. Janet Kikta has agreed to head up this committee. Currently, they have need for an overlocker/serger. If you can donate a serger or the money to buy one, please email sustainability@caacr.org
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Hogarcito Birthday Buddies
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Six of the older children have been adopted from the orphanage, but six new children have arrived. Now there are three birthdays in July, three in August, one in October, one in November, and two in December this year so far. If you have a birthday during one of these months why not make a 20,000 colones ($30 US) donation and be a Birthday Buddy to a child at the Hogarcito.
What’s a Birthday Buddy, you ask? Click here for more information on the program or to become a Birthday Buddy. THANK YOU to those who have generously donated through the giving envelopes at the mixers. Every colón helps!
~Linda Dwyer
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Blankets for Babies—Three Ways to Help
- The Blankets for Babies of San Ramón group meets on the first Friday of the month at Linda Dwyer’s home in Santiago and welcomes anyone who would like to join them to trace and cut out mats, blankets, burpies, rubber pants, diapers, and toys that are later made into gift bundles and given to underprivileged mothers at the San Ramón hospital. Following the workshop group members enjoy a delicious potluck lunch of everyone’s specialties.
- Two sewing machines are available for home use to produce a certain number of rubber pants, burpies, blankets, or toys a month, whatever the need. All necessary materials are provided to make these items. A serger is also available as a loaner for sewing the diapers.
- To continue providing these gifts, Blankets for Babies needs soft flannel-type material and sheeting for the blankets, bibs, toys, and masks. Monetary donations are always appreciated. (Each packet costs about 14,000 colones for materials.)
The head of pediatrics at the hospital has advised the group that hats and masks are no longer considered safe, so diapers and rubber pants are being substituted for those items going forward. A big thank you to Carmela Henderson for faithfully knitting/crocheting 20 baby hats a month for the baby bundles, as well as many extra preemie hats during Covid, and to Mary Lou Hoffman for helping sew masks in the past.
For more information about Blankets for Babies San Ramón or to contact us, please visit the Blankets for Babies page https://www.actionalliancecr.com/blankets-for-babies on CAA’s website.
~Linda Dwyer and Angie Thorne
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Flowers
Something is always in bloom here in San Ramon, and this month’s featured photographer, Gary Henderson, has shared six photos of flowers from his extensive photography collection. See more Life in San Ramón photos on the gallery page of our website: https://www.actionalliancecr.com/gallery.html
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Become a CAA member. It’s Easy!
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This month, we welcome our newest CAA members, Russ Valvo and Meg LaRou, and give a huge THANKS! to those of you who have renewed your membership.
CAA members are connected to a rich network of friendship, support, and opportunities to participate in the life of our community AND they help improve the quality of life for others in the greater San Ramón area. It’s easy to join! Just follow this link for payment options: https://www.actionalliancecr.com/join-caa.html
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Looking to the Future of CAA
Our Sustainability Team focuses on helping create long-term success for CAA. Though there are many components to that activity, development (creating and enhancing relationships) and fundraising (income generation) activities are key components to achieving the goal. If you have questions about what we are doing, please email sustainability@caacr.org
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Have a Good Story?
If you have a funny or Informative story about moving to/living in San Ramon we’d like to hear it! Please email it to editor@caacr.org and we will consider it for an upcoming issue of the newsletter. Photos will make it even better!
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Did you Know?
Any CAA member can attend Board meetings, which are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 2pm at Coopenae. If you plan to attend and observe your Board in action, please email Terry at president@caacr.org so we set up enough chairs. Please discuss any items you would like added to the agenda with Terry at least a week before the meeting.
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Have a Question?
Many of our friends, members, and neighbors are reading this from afar or perhaps from a forwarded copy. Please reach out to Board or Team members (email addresses at the end of this newsletter) if you have questions about specific programs or CAA in general or have suggestions for improving our organization. We love to hear from you!
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Helpful Links for
San Ramón
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Expat Focused
Organizations
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Dave's Workshop - Woodworking
El gato marrón - Café and Gallery
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CAA’s MISSION STATEMENT
The Community Action Alliance of Costa Rica (CAA) is an organization of expats and costarricenses in the greater San Ramon area volunteering together for community and individual enrichment. CAA aligns with organizations in the community, creating relationships and providing resources for community betterment and development initiatives. CAA provides its members opportunities for community integration, networking and socialization.
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CAA is an organization composed of individuals with diverse religious, political, and personal beliefs and, as such, does not support or promote any particular ideology either in its publications or at its events.
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Board Members (boardofdirectors@caacr.org)
- Terry Handler, President
- Janice Brown, Vice-President
- Martin Rojas, Secretary
- Jeff Barnes, Treasurer
- Wagner Galo, Fiscal
- Scott McAnally, Vocal and Chair of Education Committee (education@caacr.org)
- Mary Lou Hofmann Vocal
- Vocal 3
CAA Email:caacrorg@gmail.com
Communications Team: info@caacr.org
Volunteer Coordinator: linda@caacr.org
Sustainability Team: sustainability@caacr.org
CAA Web Page and inquiries: https://www.actionalliancecr.com
CAA Facebook Page: Community Action Alliance of Costa Rica
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