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In this Issue:
- From the President
- Activities and Events
- Program Updates
- Alliance Updates
- From Our Members
- General Info
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Activities and Events
- Upcoming Mixers
- Who's up for a Picnic?
- A Day in Paradise!
- Join Us for Coffee
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It’s a new year with sun (and sunsets!), breezes, brisk (59 degrees) morning temperatures and some nice cloud cover in the middle of the day when the direct sun can be so hot. In dry season, when our day starts early and ends late in the afternoon, we’ve learned to dress in layers and leave the umbrella at home. It’s a wonderful non-problem to face. (And I haven’t thought about our snowblower for more than five years now.)
Many of us are so thrilled to be here in this time of our lives. It seems amazing that we actually realized the exciting visions and dreams of what it could be like. Of course, nothing is exactly as expected and that is part of the energy too. All the natural beauty, vegetation, birds, and elevation from around 3,500 to over 5,000 feet in the greater San Ramón area is astounding. And we are close to so much of the rest of the country. Many we know and meet describe being so grateful to have this opportunity to live, engage, and be part of the neighborhoods and villages in and around the San Ramón area. The more we engage in our various communities of Costa Ricans and other expats the more of the culture we experience and benefit from. CAA is our connection to each other through initiatives and social opportunities. We also get to know other individuals and groupings of ex-pats living in the region who are not part of CAA.
Below in the newsletter you will find out about all that is going on in CAA, including opportunities for us to engage and enrich our lives and those of our communities.
~Terry Handler
Photo by Janice Summers
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Come Help Us Celebrate!
Our scholarship awards ceremony is Saturday, January 28 at 9am upstairs at Coopenae Bank. Please make plans to attend and help us recognize the young people in our education program for their hard work and perseverance throughout the school year.
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Sustainability Committee 2022 Accomplishments and 2023 Goals
The start of a new year traditionally provides an opportunity to survey the accomplishments of the previous year and make plans for the coming year. When we survey 2022, we realize we have much to be grateful for:
- A steady increase in membership with 108 members at year-end;
- New easy, quick, and safe online donation capabilities through the Global Giving platform;
- A very successful, first-time Giving Tuesday online fundraising campaign that raised $1,300+ to support our philanthropy;
- An increase in the number of Global Giving donors who have committed to monthly recurring donations, which helps us predict the availability of funds;
- And renewed opportunities for in-person socializing via mixers, day-away trips, Thursday morning coffee, and various classes.
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As we look forward to 2023, the Sustainability Committee is making plans to continue the progress:
- We are in the process of developing the 2023 annual operating budget with greater precision and confidence based on the actual experience of 2022.
- Based on the Global Giving income for the two new projects (Feeding Hungry Families and Brighten the Lives of Children), we now have the ability to set up a reserve for unexpected contingencies that might occur. This is similar to what the Education Program has been doing for the past number of years.
- With more predictable funding on a regular basis, we are able to enhance/expand our activities with our local alliance partners.
- We have convened a committee to review and revise the by-laws as needed to keep them in synch with current requirements.
- We will continue to explore ways to recruit and retain members and to identify and support the needs and interests of the membership.
If you have an interest in the Sustainability Committee’s activities or would like to join the committee, feel free to reach out to Mary Lou Hofmann, Chair at sustainability@caacr.org
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Education Committee Meets to Finalize 2023 Plans
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Our large and hard-working Education Committee met for several hours on December 27. Among the topics covered regarding the Scholarship Program were:
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- Updates on colegio orientation sessions, university applications, academic challenges.
- Update on current class grades, interviews underway; and progress in recruiting an apprentice/trainee Intern to replace Alisson in 2024.
- A review of funding and reserves.
- Budgeting for 2023 classes including class sizes, extra tutoring support, and apprentice intern recruitment and training.
- Ongoing promotion of the programs.
- Increasing engagement with students and their families to enrich mentoring and understanding.
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Here are some of the agenda items your CAA Board and team members discussed at the January meeting:
- Agreed to host two social activities during March (picnic at Las Musas) and April (day trip to Vila Paraiso)
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- Continued discussion about how to structure the Spanish Conversation Classes to provide the best value to students.
- Heard from the education committee chair that the committee has a goal to prioritize more money for tutoring and exam prep. The awards event at the end of January is set to include 9 th, 10th, and 11 th graders, encouraging these students to get good grades and to be better prepared for university admission.
- Discussed a plan to have dedicated accounts for two fundraising initiatives, corresponding with Global Giving online charitable donations:
- The Charitable Assistance Fund will be renamed as the fund to “Feed Hungry Families.”
- An unused account will be named as the fund to “Brighten the Lives of Children.”
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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.
We welcome first-time members Steve Arnhold, Marlene Maier, Jeannie Bendik, Buford Brown, Alex Castro, Belinda Castro, Daniel Dix, and Robert Turner.
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Upcoming Mixers!
Our mixer for JANUARY is Thursday, January 19, from 3-6pm at CLUB DE AMIGOS. Bocas and drink specials. Karaoke starts at 7pm!
Map: https://goo.gl/maps/y5eJoUjXovFPMGd87
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Club-De-Amigos-San-Ram%C3%B3n/218177261638352
In FEBRUARY, we’ll gather at Tribu506 on Thursday, February 16, from 3-6pm.
Map: https://g.page/tribu506?share
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tribu506restaurante/
IN MARCH, we will meet at Cheper’s on Thursday, March 16, from 3-6pm.
Map: https://goo.gl/maps/haKVbWfFdshftY4b7
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chepers
We hope to see you soon!
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Who’s Up for a Picnic?!
Mark your calendar for March 29. CAA members and their friends are invited to an all-day gathering Tuesday Aug 23 from 9am – 4pm at the wonderful and scenic Las Musas Park just west of San Ramón.
Enjoy the park’s waterfall, pool, and restaurant, and trails and catch up with other CAA members. Bring games, puzzles, cards, etc. to share. There’s plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The park restaurant offers a wide variety of comida tipico and also cocktails, wine, and beer. You can also bring your own food for consumption outside the restaurant.
We would love to see you there. Cost to enter the park is 2,500 for adultos mayores; 3,000 for others.
Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/AQKN2QWXyZTxNpLb9
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CREMUSA/?ref=page_internal
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A Day in Paradise!
We are making plans for a trip to Vila Paraiso in late April for a day of relaxing, trail walking, conversation, and of course delicious food. We will rent a bus to save us from driving to and from Piedades Norte. We will announce the details in the February newsletter.
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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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Two Broken Arms and He Still Graduated with Honors!
One of our scholarship students, Alvaro*, and his cousin were out riding on his bicycle one day recently (together on the same bike) and upon coming to a steep hill thought, “Wow, going down this should be really fun.” (They were 12, after all.) As it turned out, it wasn’t as much fun as they had imagined and Alvaro ended up with both arms broken, although his cousin jumped off and managed to avoid injury. Graduation from the Bilingue Escuela in San Isidro, San Ramón was in less than a week and he was determined to attend and managed to do so with the help of his long-suffering, patient mother, Evelyn.
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As a long-term member of the CAA’s Education Scholarship Program and having attended many students’ graduations, I was quite impressed with Alvaro’s determination to be in attendance that day as well as with his excellent grades. He was still in quite a bit of pain, but he happily told me that day after the outdoor ceremony was completed that, “I would have attended even if I had also broken my leg!”
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So, on this beautiful sunny day after the Costa Rican anthem was proudly sung, diplomas distributed with many teachers’ hugs, and proud parents took pictures, I left thinking about all the people who contributed to such graduations by providing tutoring or donations for supplies and uniforms for students like Alvaro who had maintained such a high grade-point average in spite of difficulties like broken arms, and it made me feel happy to have been even a small part of this significant event.
If you would like to contribute to our San Ramón students who need your help to be successful in school, go to www.globalgiving.org/18714
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*Not his real name
~Marian Latham
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English Conversation Club
The English Conversation Club (ECC) is preparing for 2023! ECC is a program that gives ticos (who already speak intermediate English) an opportunity to practice their English and gringos the chance to ask and get answers to things they've always wondered about, such as, "What street do you live on?" "What does ahorita mean?" "How much coffee is too much?" and "Can I call a female a mae?"
In December a special session that combined casual conversation and culture exchange with formal classes, led by English teachers in training from the US and UK, allowed the club to expand virtual and in-person offerings. It wouldn't have been possible without assistance from the scholarship students and CAA volunteers that spent a Saturday morning at the park promoting the opportunity. Thanks to these efforts the last session of the year, normally a low enrollment session, had 30 participants across in person and virtual groups.
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If you know someone who would be interested in this course, please have them go to bit.ly/eccvirtual for more information, dates, and times.
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ECC Needs Additional Leaders
If YOU would like to lead a group session of the English Conversation Club, we’d love to add you to our database of available leaders. For more information go to https://www.actionalliancecr.com/english-conversation-club.html
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Spanish Conversation Groups
We are in the process of selecting a new teacher for Spanish conversation groups, which will meet by Zoom and in person, for a six-week session. Minimum group size is 4 people and maximum 6.
We welcome any recommendations you might have for instructors from your own experience.
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In the conversation groups, the focus is on being able to express yourself more fluidly by practicing pronunciation and common phrases. In the intermediate and advanced levels, more attention is given to advanced topics and improving grammar.
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Please email spanishconversation@caacr.org if you are interested in participating in upcoming groups or if you have suggestions. Please go to https://www.actionalliancecr.com/spanish-conversation-groups.html for more information about future classes.
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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
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Hogarcito Birthday Buddies
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Learn all about Birthday Buddies and how you can contribute on CAA’s website at https://www.actionalliancecr.com/birthday-buddy.html
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Christmas Toy Drive
We were honored to join the Lions Club of San Ramón and their wonderful volunteer team this year to distribute 65 gifts to local families in December.
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The final amount donated by CAA members was 270,000 colones. The total amount raised by both organizations was a 50% increase in last year’s donations, resulting in a significant impact on recipients and items selected.
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You Might Need a Bigger Bookshelf
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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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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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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
- Al Sargent, 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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