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In this Issue:
- From the President
- Giving Tuesday Results
- General Assembly Meeting
- Treasurer's Report
- Board Meeting Highlights
- Renew your membership
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Events and Activities
- January Mixer
- Coffee at Delicias
- Program Updates
- Alliance Updates
- From Our Members
- General Information
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Greetings and congratulations to all for making it to the end of 2022 with a wonderful and gradual return to more normal living, volunteering, supporting, working, learning, and being together here and wherever you are. Perhaps the picture below nicely expresses the joy and excitement. It’s been challenging but we are here, and it is so appropriate to celebrate.
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As you may know December is the end of the annual school year in Costa Rica and graduations are a reward and celebration just before the Christmas holidays. It’s a kind of extra goodness going into the holidays. In San Ramón the city park decorations, lighting, and all kinds of community, museum, and cultural center events began in the first week of December. Students are finishing their exams, classes, and getting their grades. Then all the graduations begin and families are of course already starting to make their tamales, attend events, and speed into Christmas itself where they all get together—unless of course they are off to beaches, mountains, or national reserves and parks.
CAA has had a busy and meaningful run toward the end of the year as well. You will see below the updates and results of many initiatives that our members have engaged in this year. Among these are a couple of highlights: CAA had its first-ever “Giving Tuesday” efforts with great gifts in support of our alliances focused on feeding hungry families, brightening the lives of children, and our own programs that give the gift of education in our community. Our annual General Assembly meeting of members closed this successful year and we also took time to celebrate together in preparation for the coming year. The work and results of our members’ commitment and creativity is greatly appreciated. You will learn about the recent special recognition and engagements below.
Your CAA board of directors is grateful to our members, supporters, and friends for joining us in these meaningful opportunities to enjoy and assist our adopted community. We enjoy sharing experiences with our new and longtime friends and acquaintances from abroad and those here in San Ramón and Costa Rica. We experience, as perhaps many of you also do, such an energizing and vivid world around us, having stretched our lives into a new country and culture. There is no perfection, but it helps those around us and we ourselves as we live these experiences. We wish you all a meaningful and happy Christmas season.
~Terry Handler
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Tuesday, November 29 was an exciting day for CAA! It was our first participation in the worldwide Giving Tuesday event with outstanding results! Thanks to the generosity of CAA members and friends and friends of friends, among our three projects we were able to raise $980 in direct donations and earn an additional $367 from Global Giving’s incentive fund. That is a grand total of $1347 to help us feed hungry families, support motivated students, and put smiles on the faces of deserving children. To add to the excitement, there were several first-time donors as well as several folks who pledged a recurring monthly donation. Recurring donations are much appreciated as they provide us with regular, predictable income to enhance our ability to plan support for our projects.
So a huge thank you is in order to all who participated—those who gathered info and pictures and created the weekly Tuesday stories, those who shared the information with family and friends, and of course, those who contributed so generously to allow us to maximize our results.
Thank You and Hooray for CAA!
~Mary Lou Hofmann
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Attendees heard reports from officers, committees, and teams (treasurer’s report is included in this newsletter); elected Al Sargent as treasurer; and voted to continue and grow our sustainability capacity and our impact in the community.
   
 
 
 
 
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Treasurer's Report to the Membership—December 3, 2022
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In early 2022, the CAA Board established goals for the year. We determined to focus our talents and resources efficiently and to continue to improve the quality of life of those who live in poverty in our adopted community. Our insight for 2022 was to fully support our volunteer services and to strengthen our partnerships with organizations that could benefit from our network of talent, human, and financial resources. We have chosen organizations to work with that have strong support capability and whose service programs reflect our values.
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As this fiscal year draws to a close, I can report that our operating budget is balanced for 2023. As of November 30 our accounts, exclusive of Education, anticipate a positive cash balance at the end of December after fulfilling our current commitments and programs. While this is an encouraging trend, we have no intention outspending or overcommitting our scarce resources. In 2023, we will monitor all our funding resources and particularly Global Giving to better understand and measure their funding capabilities.
Clearly our members are our greatest resource and in 2023 we will constantly explore ways to better serve you. Thank you for all that you do.
~Al Sargent
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December Board Meeting Highlights
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Here are some of the agenda items your CAA Board and team members discussed at the December meeting:
- Heard reports from officers, committees, and teams, most of which is covered elsewhere in this newsletter
- Continued a discussion about best ways to allocate funds for various projects, programs, and outreaches
- Created a list of action items for the board for 2023
- Membership Chair reported that we ended 2022 with 108 members and that 40 people have already renewed or paid dues for 2023
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It’s time to renew your membership!
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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 costs only 5,000 colones and it’s easy to join! Just follow this link for payment options: https://www.actionalliancecr.com/join-caa.html
You can also give your 2023 dues to any Board member at coffee or the mixers.
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January Mixer!
OUR NEXT MIXER is Thursday, January 19, from 3-6pm. Place will be announced in the next newsletter.
Join us for coffee!
Thursday morning coffee at Café Delicias is a tradition for gringos 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’s University Scholarship Student Program Interns and a Volunteer Licensed Social Worker Play Critical Roles in the Scholarship Program
Many of you have met our current Program Administrative Intern (PAI), Alisson Esquivel Miranda, who has been actively monitoring our scholarship students for the past two years and will help recruit and train a new university student intern in 2023 to replace Alisson when she’s ready for licensure as a social worker. Unless you work closely with the Scholarship Program you probably do not know how important this PAI role is in our efforts to meet the needs of the students we are helping.
First and foremost, the PAI is a full-time university student of social work, or one who is working toward the required social work licensing requirements. This is Alisson’s most important task. We expect the intern to maintain excellent grades, be very organized, and be a good role model to the students. Our current and former PAIs have excelled in these areas, earning top grades and effectively mentoring the students.
Our PAI is our only university-level educational scholarship student, who participates by written agreement in a volunteer work/study mode. Our PAI receives a quarterly scholarship cash payment to support their university expenses for their support of the program.
Secondly, and most critical to the program, the PAI is CAA’s primary point of contact with all the scholarship students, their families, and their educational contacts. Alisson works directly under the guidance of Johanna Fernandez Gomez, a licensed social worker with years of experience in social work and economic educational scholarship evaluations of students and financial aid eligibility. They work with Scott and Linda McAnally as the four members of the Education Committee’s Scholarship Program Subcommittee. The subcommittee makes daily operational decisions. However, annual budget, program feature changes, and major issues are brought to the Committee for input and consideration.
Alisson is expected to keep up with the academic progress of our 29 students and to help the Committee identify special needs where we can intervene to improve students’ chances for success. Through interactions with the students and their families, she gets invaluable, practical experience in interpersonal relations, legal and support-intervention agency programs, and administrative management that helps prepare her for her future career. However, when legal or psychologically complicated interventions are required, we rely on Johanna to guide us regarding student or family crisis issues. All of this experience helps our PAI build an impressive resume.
Since 2015, the Education Committee has benefitted tremendously from the dedication and service of our university PAIs—initially Fernanda Rojas Ramirez and now Alisson Esquivel Miranda. This social worker intern program would not be possible without Johanna’s guidance. For their contributions and dedication to our educational goals, the Education Committee and the families we serve continue to be grateful.
~Scott McAnally, for the Education Committee
English Conversation Club Holds Recruiting Event in the Park
CAA volunteers and Becca students were at the central park on November 19 promoting CAA’s English Conversation Class program. It was the first test of the new CAA t-shirts. Thanks to Alisson and students and our member volunteers. The students met people all around the park promoting the classes and handing a small sheet with info and scan code to sign up and pay online. They also went to the business fair at the Gimnasio Gabelo and promoted the classes. The event was a success and Dustin has created a special course for the students integrated with a group of English teachers during a four-week course in San Ramón.
ECC Needs Additional Leaders
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Tamale Christmas
Christmas tamale-making at the mission was Dec 6. Nicaraguans, ticos, and gringos came together to make almost 800 tamales for the Hogarcito, FuncaVida, Bajo Tejares, and other needy families.
It was a fun joint learning experience. A big thank you to Janet Kikta, Linda Greene, Cindy Finley, Cyndy Schaub, and Ron and Linda Dwyer from the CAA family for their help.
Thank you also to Jafeth, staff member at the mission, for his guidance and Jahairi, cook at the mission, for making the grocery list and preparing all the needed foods.
CAA provided the funds to make this possible.
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Árbol de Esperanza
In mid-November CAA board members met with Karen Jara, Executive Director of Árbol de Esperanza and Amanda Ready, Founder and Director of Ready To Empower, the US foundation that provides program and financial support to Árbol de Esperanza. The meeting was an excellent opportunity for all of us to reconnect face-to-face. The goal of the meeting was for CAA to receive an update on Árbol’s programs and current activities and to explore how CAA can best continue to support their work. Given the generosity of CAA members and friends, we were able to make a donation of $250 to Árbol’s Annual Empowerment Campaign, which ended in December. Per our request, the donation will be used for food support for their participants in need.
Árbol de Esperanza is a non-profit organization in San Ramón that offers a structured empowerment program to help local women move from poverty to autonomy and self-sufficiency. To learn more about Árbol de Esperanza, visit their website at https://www.arboldeesperanza.org
Names starting at left and going clockwise: Mary Lou Hofmann, Amanda Ready, Karen Jara, Terry Handler, Janice Brown, Al Sargent
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Hogarcito Birthday Buddies
On December 6 Janet Kikta and Linda Dwyer were invited to the Christmas pajama party at the Hogarcito in recognition of the Birthday Buddies program and the parties provided throughout the year. The children sang, danced, put on skits, and enjoyed a traditional tamale dinner, which was a special treat.
Thank you to Jack Murphy for his donation toward the December 23 birthday party, and to Debbie Rudd for selling jewelry at El Gato Marrón restaurant to support Birthday Buddies.
You can donate to this program through Global Giving at www.globalgiving.org/57142
Learn more about Birthday Buddies at https://www.actionalliancecr.com/birthday-buddy.html
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Blankets for Babies
On November 17, World Premature Day, Blankets for Babies was given a plaque by the San Ramón Hospital for providing 20 bundles of handmade essentials each month for the past five years to underprivileged mothers who give birth at the hospital.
 
On Dec 9, Blankets for Babies volunteers got together for their monthly workshop combined with a Christmas party.
Thank you all for your continued support!
For more information about Blankets for Babies San Ramón or contribute to this program, please visit the Blankets for Babies page https://www.actionalliancecr.com/blankets-for-babies.html on CAA’s website.
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You Might Need a Bigger Bookshelf
Keven Murphy will have a variety of non-fiction books, novels, and short story collections for sale at Thursday morning coffee and the proceeds benefit CAA. Come by and pick up a few. Or a dozen.
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Get Out Your Dancing Shoes!
Line Dancing classes are now in session and I hope to see all of our returning members as well as a few new faces. Classes are on Wednesdays at 11:00 and will run weekly (except for the week of Christmas) at least until the end of February. We meet on the second floor of Figueres Cultural Center in the Dance Studio Classes and classes last an hour.
A donation of 2000 colones per class would be great but is not required. All donations will be given to the Figueres Cultural Center to support various activities and events. No previous dance experience is necessary (but a little rhythm is always helpful!) and previous students get priority as space is limited. Please email me at marianmlatham@gmail.com to let me know if you would like to attend.
~Marian Latham
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Expat Dementia Zoom Support Group
The Expat Dementia Support group meetings every Saturday at 10 am on Zoom. It is open to all members of the expat community in Costa Rica dealing with issues of dementia and related conditions.
For more information contact Debra Hammen at debra.hammen@gmail.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/4380700485322109
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Tai Chi at Sabana Park
An introductory class will be offered the first quarter of 2023. Details coming soon.
Tai Chi is an ancient series of martial arts movements where you learn to connect with your body and your senses mindfully as you move from one beautiful posture to another. Health benefits include balance and a calm mind. Beginners welcome.
Donation: 1,000 colones, which supports CAA’s Charitable Assistance Fund. Send a WhatsApp message to +506 8718-8568 to register or email HGreaney@gmail.com
Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/Cm9eahGGyem9hm34A
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Have a Good Story?
If you have a funny or Informative story about moving to/living in San Ramón 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!
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.
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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Bloom’s - Social club for expat women
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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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