from the Highland Support Project, Guatemala:

Hurricane Stan recovery report

Dear Friends,

Thanks again to everyone who has offered their prayers, good wishes, and helping hands to HSP during this busy time, as we work with our communities in Guatemala to respond to the devastation caused by Hurricane Stan, while continuing our transforming work with our women’s circles.

Several of you have sent emails in recent weeks expressing an interest in volunteering, and you have asked many questions about trip dates, collecting supplies, financial needs, etc. In an attempt to address your concerns and questions, we are sending you this update of our current response to Hurricane Stan, including our current needs:

• Financial Support:

Our greatest need continues to be for financial support. We are in desperate need for major contributions to our newly-established microlending fund to help the Maya people recapitalize their agriculture production, i.e. help cover lost investments and produce new crops, all of which were destroyed by Hurricane Stan. For example, those of you who worked in Chuicavioc will remember the beautiful flower crops, which are that community’s major source of income. All of the flowers were destroyed by the hurricane, and the women need immediate assistance to help plant new flowers. This will take time, and it will also take money, which they do not have since the sale of their flowers is what they rely on for income. The same can be said of vegetable crops, which provide both food and income to all of the communities with which we work.

In addition to accepting contributions to our microlending fund for agriculture recapitalization, we are also accepting donations for a tree fund to continue our reforestation project, the importance of which was made more apparent by the devastation from landslides caused by Hurricane Stan. The tree fund provides income to one of our women’s circles who collects and cares for old tree samples. It also provides income for the women who do the planting. This is both putting money into the local economy and helping to solve the environmental problem of deforestation, which is the root cause of landslides, contaminated water, and many other serious problems.

You may send your contributions to: Highland Support Project, P.O. Box 7185, Richmond, VA 23221. Please specify in the memo line of your check if you would like your contribution to go towards a specific project. If you do not specify how you would like the money spent, we will use it in the area of greatest need.

• Construction Teams:

We will be sending construction teams to Guatemala in January, February and March, leaving on the second Saturday of the month and returning on the third Saturday. We will be building homes for 56 families who lost their homes. If you would like to join one of these teams, please contact us and let us know which dates you are available.

• Stove Building and Reforestation Teams:

For over ten years HSP has been taking teams to the Guatemalan highlands to build stoves and plant trees. We will continue this important work, working directly with our women’s circles, and we will be taking teams down from January through the summer 2006. If your church or organization would like to form a team (10 or more people), or if you would like to join an existing team, please contact us and let us know which dates you are available.

• Supplies:

We will continue to accept vitamins, medicine, blankets and yarn to distribute to those affected by Hurricane Stan through Friday, November 25. You may bring any items you have collected to AlterNatives (our sister store in Richmond’s Cary Town), 3320 West Cary Street, 804-342-5886, anytime during working hours: Mon.-Sat. 10-6:00, Sun. 12-5:00.

• Scarves and Bags:

We hope to have scarves and bags, handmade by our Maya women’s circles, ready to sell in Virginia by the end of November. If you would like to have some of these items to sell at your church or organization, please let us know. Include the number that you think you can sell. We will contact you when they arrive.


Thank you again for your interest, your patience, and your support. We look forward to hearing from you again, and hope to work with you in the near future.

Sincerely,

Anita Mays
Program and Office Manager
Highland Support Project
P.O. Box 7185
Richmond, VA 23221
804.643.8635

How far you go in life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in life you will have been all of these.

- George Washington Carver