2. Dear Friends and Family This was the first trip in which my family (Dan, Ivy and Ian) and my friends (Ilene and Anevay) joined. We took off from LAX with the 6 of us and a total of 12 pieces of luggage full of donated clothes. We arrived in Managua, where we were picked up by Aaron and Lola to help us navigate out of the city. It was hot and humid, and non-stop rain welcomed us. I had not seen the shelter in person after we started working on fixing it up. We werevery excited to see the state it would be in, as we have been working on getting it up and running for many months.
3. Our Trips Accomplishments The security wall and gate: Most importantly we finished the security wall and the security gate. Until that project was finished , we would not be able to leave anything in the shelter. Unfortunately, poverty does bring a lot of property crime . We had to deal with this during our construction period as many building materials had to be replaced due to theft. Painting: Casa Oma waspainted on the inside and the outside. Electricity: Electricity is running. Kitchen: We boughtthe sink, stove, propane container, and a kitchen table with chairs. Furniture: We boughtliving room and bedroom furnitureall built by local craftsman. We neededto make sure that Casa Oma was not too fancy. We are trying to be part of the community. Managing the Shelter: We also met up with Lola, our shelters manager. She has been in charge of the construction. She will be working with the battered women and their children 7 days a week. We had to go over our shelters’ rules and regulations to ensure that Casa Oma will be a safe haven. Hand out the Donations: We had a great day handing out all the donated clothes to the families in the neighborhood.
4. Before pictures The Shelter Building . The basic structure is up. The floor is still dirt throughout the house
5. Dividing up the inside living space Dividing up the space for each rooms walls Three bedrooms will be made here
6. Adding the Bedrooms Building the walls with concrete And they are looking good!
24. Casa Oma sign on the gate Putting up the Casa Oma sign Dream coming true…..
25. Final touches on ‘Casa Oma’ Oma, means grandmother in Dutch. This is to recognize my grandma and my mother, my kids grandma They would be proud if they could see me trying to make a difference
26. Painting Outside of the Shelter Painting outside and bathroom Or at least the first color scheme
36. Families with new outfits Each person got a new outfit, and each person got a new toothbrush She loved the striped dress, we pictured her wearing it the day after. (see below)
37. Waiting in Line Kids are patiently waiting their turn A thankful girl. She found a cute new outfit
38. One family at the time We had to stay organized At least 100 people showed up
39. Families If it does not fit, they will trade within the neighborhood. We saw him the next day with his new T-Shirt ( see picture below)
45. Party time Of course cake and soda too Baked by Jessenia, a battered woman living in the barrio with her 5 kids
46. Aaron and the Cake All hand made by Jessenia Aaron (Lola’s husband) adding more cakes
47. Kids in town with their new clothes Fun to see them in town wearing their new T-shirt She was so happy with her new dress, we ran into her the next day
48. Downtime and visiting Xiomara Sandino, 14 years oldgot an English Scholarship donated The gang of kids
49. The Volunteers My friend, Ilene and her daughter Anevay Strike a pose
50. Family helpers My lover, Dan My daughter, Ivy. She wants to go on every new trip to San Marcos
51. Friends and family The boy, Ian. He loved Nica Lola , the Shelter’s Manager
52. Last Day Last night in the Barrio Final farewells in front of the shelter
53. Our goals for the future Running water: Municipal water is infrequent. We need to build an underground water reserve container and a tower to create water pressure. Kitchen: We need cabinets built, so the women can cook store food.
54. Thank you’s We had a great trip, my kids thought is was the best place they had been to (who needs 5 star accommodations…..) We left feeling fulfilled, our goal was met and we could not have done any of this without your support, Thank you….. My special thanks goes out to all my dear friends and family who believe in my mission. I love you all……
55. Donors and volunteers, 2010 Thanks to: Ilene and Anevay (my trip volunteers), Thom Treen (Casa Oma’s first volunteer and co-founder), Connie & Michi, the Lei/Schabergfamily, the Hovland family, the Coleman family, Stuart Yanling, Winnie Lam, Harriet Sustarsic, the Dutch family Donkers, Mariette and Nelson Verhoeven, Donna & Billy, Gioconda Quant, the Klein/McKenna family, Renee Bell, Shannon Bell, Marilyn Darracq, Rebecca Balogh, my dad John v.d Velden, Marlena, Shannon Bell, Yolanda Beckers, the Sutton family, Miss Anne and Eric Sharp, Louie and Ethan Rodriguez, Trina Gagliano, If I forgot anyone to name anyone please forgive me, and contact me immediately, many donations were given anonymously to all those….thank you.
