Help Us Feed NYC

Have you ever volunteered to serve meals to the homeless or working poor?

If you haven’t, read on. If you have, read on as well…you might discover something new. I did.

First, not everyone that goes to a soup kitchen is homeless. There are hundreds of New Yorkers who go to work every day, send their kids off to school every day and yet have no food to serve in their homes. They have to choose between putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their heads. During such situations they are left with no choice but to put their pride on the side and visit a soup kitchen.

For the purpose of this story, I will name the head of household Juanita Rodriguez.

Juanita passes you by on an everyday basis well dressed and groomed with her two kids beside her. You would never imagine Juanita’s first stop in the morning would be a soup kitchen to ensure her family has the first meal of the day. Juanita has to ensure she arrives early enough to be one of the first to arrive. She attempts to avoid:

A) being turned away from having a meal. Soup kitchens are on a first come first serve basis

B) being late for work

C) not having lunch for herself

There have been scenarios in which one of the kids are sick or something unpredictable takes place which causes her to arrive late to the soup kitchen. When Juanita knows the lines are too long and that she will most likely not make the cut, she runs over to another location. The next place is further away from her kid’s school and her job but she can’t send them off without breakfast.

Fortunately, children get lunch in school so that’s one meal she doesn’t have to worry about for them. In some cases, Juanita is permitted to take extra food from the soup kitchen for lunch. However, in some scenarios, she’s left with nothing for the day so she portions her breakfast so that she may tease her stomach in the afternoon.

When Juanita passes you by after completing a hard day of work, she heads straight to pick up her children at the after school center. Juanita’s first stop is the soup kitchen. Once again, she wants to make sure she is one of the first to arrive so that she may focus on her children’s homework later that evening instead of running from shelter to shelter trying to get a meal. Once Juanita manages to get a meal and finishes feeding her family she heads straight home to help her kids do their homework, prepare them for bed and the next day. Every night Juanita goes to sleep thankful for what she’s been given, and yet always wondering if she’ll ever be able to provide a normal life for her children.

My question to you is….What does a normal life consist of?

Juanita is able to pursue her life, maintain hope and provide her children with a future thanks to all the organizations and New Yorker’s that dare to be selfless, giving and inspirational. Organizations such as:

1) New York Cares ~ www.NewYorkCares.org ~ NY Cares works with soup kitchens to provide some funding and helping hands to serve hot meals to the homeless and working poor.

2) Bread and Life ~ www.BreadandLife.org ~ is an incredible all in one organization. They provide everything under one roof helping the homeless and working poor individuals and families not only get a hot meal but also get services to try to reinstate them into the working force. Find out more on my previous post.

Any volunteer that has served such meals knows of the horrific food provided. It’s not the organizations fault. Each location does the best they can with whatever ingredients are available in the pantries. However, whatever is in the pantry isn’t always great or decent. In some scenarios, pets have better meals served on a dish. Yet, you never see a single rebuttal/complaint from the guests.

During New Year’s last year I served meals to the homeless. The menu consisted of meatballs and beans along with frank and beans. Although, I found this unappetizing they didn’t. I guess I imagined a holiday serving to have a little extra special menu. The New York Cares volunteers were truly amazing that day. They ran over to a store and bought several packages of candy canes just to add a little holiday spirit.

After leaving the soup kitchen that day, I walked towards my job in total awe….still unable to grasp the fact of feeding over 150 homeless individuals in midtown, only 3 blocks away from where I work. I wondered where they came from. I never see them in the streets or trains. I recall having lunch with one of my colleagues and telling him about my experience. I told him then that I wasn’t sure what I was going to do to make this change, but there had to be something.

I can’t change the staggering number of homeless and working poor. However, I will do my best to at least provide a few, as many as I possibly can, with a decent holiday meal and experience.

Therefore, I ask YOU to HELP ME FEED NYC.

Feeding NYC is an enormous effort fundamentally dependent on various partnerships.

If you’re interested in volunteering or sponsoring please contact us at RoxiesDare2B@aol.com.

I believe that each of us individually can have a positive impact on the community. Together, the possibilities are limitless. Together we could create a special holiday event in which families, for one brief moment, could escape their daily challenges.

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Selfless * Caring * Inspirational

Abrazotes,
Roxie

Beyond a Meal

UNBELIEVABLE!!!

There is no single word that could possibly describe how absolutely amazingly phenomenal the Bread and Life (B&L) organization is (www.BreadandLife.org).

On Thursday, September 17th I was honored with an invitation to an event being held by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce at the Brooklyn hub of Bread and Life. Our awesome lead contact there, Al, had mentioned providing us with a tour of the facility. I simply imagined a soup kitchen similar to the ones I’ve attended in Midtown and Lenox Hill. The places are nice and always very clean but only serve one purpose….serving meals to the homeless and working poor. Once the meals are served these individuals and families are sent back out into the streets to figure out what their next move will be and where their next meal will come from. Most just hop around from location to location trying to get another meal, especially in the cold in which they try to find warmth.

To my total amazement, I set foot into a place that looked nothing like a soup kitchen I ever been to. This looked like an event venue. The architecture was pretty impressive. Including, the beam from the original train station that used to run through it many moons ago. I was introduced to a few people and was escorted to the dining area. Wow! Beautiful layout, tables and chairs. As I listened to the speeches I looked around wondering where it is this organization feeds the homeless and working poor.

Once we were done, I was taken on a tour of the facility. Can you believe this place includes:

- Library
- Computer room
- Medical facility
- Counseling
- Mobile Kitchens
- Training room
- Chapel (non-denomination)
- Social services
- Financial services
- Cooking classes
- Phone accessibility for FREE phone calls
- Showers

All this is for the homeless and working poor. To top things off, the meeting room we were originally in is where they serve hot meals to the homeless and working poor :-O.

This organization believes in enabling their guests with not just hope but opportunity to do something with their lives.

- If someone doesn’t have an id, it is as simple as filling in an application which B&L submits to the necessary NYC Departments to get an id. The Project Identity group provides people with any and all vital records.

- They have a point system for you to get groceries to make your own meals at home. All those requiring assistance are provided with a swipe card that allows them to get hot meals and make the necessary purchases. Points are assigned based on family size. The groceries points are based on how healthy an item is and availability of an item. An average bag purchased consists of about 18 items. A can of tuna could be 5 points but on days in which tuna is scarce the points could increase to 10 – 15. One is able to get any ingredients they prefer on the digital pantry system which shows pictures of all available items. Emergency packages are pre-packed for anyone coming off the street unable to provide identity cards and register as a member. Cooking classes are offered at the facility to show families how to make healthy meals with the ingredients they’ve selected.

- Social/Financial services acquire all entitlements for those in need. If someone doesn’t have food stamps or Medicaid, they guide them through the process. If someone does have these benefits, B&L ensures they’re getting the correct amount assigned.

- Phone calls are permitted primarily to assist in getting those in need the necessary information and guidance to complete required processes/documentation

- Mobile Kitchen ~ servicing Jackson Heights day laborers, Coney Island, East New York, Williamsburg and Greensville. This mobile bus makes rounds providing hot food to those in need while also providing counseling inside the bus.

INCREDIBLE!

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Smiles, smiles and more smiles

The carnival was an absolute hit!

The attendance rate was dramatically low because of the pouring rain that decided to take place throughout the entire morning. Since this was our first time ever organizing such a thing, we had failed to notify everyone that we had, at the last minute, come up with a rain plan :/. However, we still managed to have an incedible impacting event.

The children that did attend had the time of their lives and could not stop raving about it even days after the event. The families stayed from beginning to end.

It was such a blessing to have fantastic volunteers who also allowed their inner child to let lose and interact with the kids throughout the event. We all became the biggest kids there. Thank goodness there were no video cams...lol.

We were so happy to see the kids enjoy all the simple activities we had arranged. The biggest hit were the ring toss, hair salon (I still can't get over every child and most adults coloring their hair;), face painting, egg race, limbo and balloon races.

Our volunteers worked so hard in putting it all together and helping clean up after the fact. I cannot thank each of you enough.

Since we had many prizes and food left over, we decided to donate everything to a worthy cause. All left over school supplies were donated to Safe Horizons and the food was donated to St Bartholomew's Church in midtown Manhattan (where I have served the homeless in the past). Both were ecstatic about the donations. At the church they couldn't thank us enough for bringing them such delights. Popcorn, Sabrett hot dogs and soft drinks are a real treat in a place in which their meals are dependent on what's available in the pantry. Mainly dependent on contributions made to the church.

We were a bit sad to see that the weather limited us in reaching more children. However, when doing things such as this you're happy to have made a difference in at least one person's life. Through this effort we managed to impact several individuals and through it everyone learned that anything truly is possible when you take the time to set your mind to it.

Stayed tune for our upcoming 2009 Harvest Festival which will include an array of activities to help us reach one ultimate goal...Feeding NYC ;)

Abrazotes!
Roxie

Special thanks to:

- Yomaris Maldonado (The new face of Colgate Wisp and our amazing decorator)

- Jacqueline @ Party Fair - 390 Knickerbocker Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11237

- Alex Perez @ Shoppers World
www.shopperworldusa.com

- Chris Smalls and Uriel Baker
wi6group.com

- Joanna @ Regal Cinemas
www.regmovies.com

- Brenda @ Western Beef
www.westernbeef.com

- Melody Rose Vendrell
- Victor Cruz Morning Show - urbanlatinoradio.com 9am - 12pm
- Lisa Hued - exolimited.com

- Time Out New York
newyork.timeout.com

- CBS Morning News (Check out the link, we're the second event mentioned;)
http://wcbstv.com/video/?id=132005@wcbs.dayport.com


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1 day left!

Organizing this carnival has been an absolutely amazing experience. Living in NYC and it's chaotic lifestyle we at times tend to forget how incredible New Yorkers really are.

Throughout the last 3 weeks so many amazing people, some new in my life, have gathered together to make a special contribution to NYC kids in a time when it's needed most. It's so great experiencing the best of NYC and meeting people that truly care about their community and most importantly the children of our future.

I still cannot believe that I went through with organizing this carnival in 3 weeks. I kept questioning what it was exactly I thought I was doing. I managed to keep the end goal in perspective every time I questioned myself. It's not easy carrying your day to day life, juggling a full-time career, loved ones and much more so everyone questions how I manage. The honest truth is, I have no idea. I'm not going to lie. At the end of most nights when I'm in the midst of organizing an event I end up completely drained. However, I have come to realize that when you love what you do it's so easy to handle. Some how, the adrenaline that flows through you when carrying out something you're passionate about keeps you moving at full speed ahead.

So much has happened in 3 weeks.

MEDIA

- NY1 approved the event for the community and posted details on their calendar

- Time Out New York Magazine
- approved the event and posted details on their site
- requested authorization to include the event in CBS' "Best Bets" (I'm hoping our last minute press release was suffice)

- Time Out New York Kids Newsletter included details

- Exolimited wrote up an article about the event and my cause (http://exolimited.com/lifestyle/35-home-and-garden/553-roxies-dare-2-b-end-of-summer-carnival-for-the-kids.html)

- Urban Latino Radio invited me to be a guest on the Victor Cruz morning show which takes place Monday - Friday 9:30am - 12pm (www.urbanlatinoradio.com)

SPONSORS

- I decided to go straight to lower income neighborhoods to spread the word about the carnival in an attempt to give everyone an opportunity to partake in this event. I went around asking stores to post the flyer and during one of my stops I met Alex from Shoppers World USA. Fortunately, Alex works for a company that is passionate about helping their communities. You combine his passion with theirs and we end up with incredible donations that include back packs, binders and even toy trucks for little kids that don't need school supplies just yet.

- Jeremiah Torres, the manager for Irving Noboa Acosta, went beyond his role and began speaking to others in hopes of reducing my food cost. His hard work got me synced up with Brenda from Western Beef who donated soft drinks and water for the event and provided us with employee discounts for all other required food items.

- Joanna at Regal Cinemas donated popcorn for all our guests.

Isn't it great being a New Yorker?! ;)

I have no idea how this event will turn out with last minute things still in the works, weather striking against us and so many other factors. But ask me if I'm concerned. My answer is, Not at all! ;).

The event will take place rain or shine. The Board of Ed has approved us using the gym if the weather turns out bad. At the end of the day what truly matters is the kids and that they get an opportunity, even if it's for one brief moment, to enjoy themselves to the fullest.

Thanks so much to everyone for your amazing support and donations. This event is going to be SO much fun!

Besotes!
Roxie

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"Roxie's Dare 2 B End of Summer Carnival for the Kids"

***Share the fun! Print the flyer and distribute it to non-profit agencies, churches and schools around your community***

I am not an organization or firm. I am an individual daring to be selfless and giving in hopes of encouraging others to give back to their communities and abroad to help establish a foundation for a better future.

Our current economic situation has caused a tremendous strain on our communities. It’s up to us to prove that hope and opportunity still exists regardless of how tough times may be. The purpose of this carnival is to prove to our youth that anything can truly be made possible when allowing yourself to believe in a purpose and collaborating with others. Riches are not required to make dreams come true.

Join me at this one of a kind red carpet carnival event where all children will be treated as celebrities. Each child and family will enter through our red carpet and have professional photos taken by our amazing photographers before entering the festivities.

The event will consist of music, $1 games, performances, arts and crafts and much much more to kick off the school year with a bang.

So dare to be inspirational to all and any child in your life. Put on your shorts and sneakers and bring your kids, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, neighbors, friends, etc as we gather under one big athletic field to make a positive impact on our communities.

~Special Performance by Manny Blu the Illusionist~

*Opportunities will be available to win:

• Special package brought to you by Wi6group.com
• School supplies
• Balloon animals
• Face painting
• Much more


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Biggest Hugs
Roxie

Roxie Guest Bartending for a Cause

As many of you know, I'm always trying to find new, creative and entertaining ways to help those in need.

Throughout this year the number of volunteers has increased in the U.S. for a multitude of reasons which include increased unemployment, awareness and much more. However, it's important start emphasizing on the need for funds to keep volunteer programs available.

Currently, non-profit organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and NY Cares are lacking funds to sustain programs. Recently, these organizations have begun rejecting requests for assistance since it's not feasible to follow through with programs. It's up to us to help these organizations help us help others. Without us, the programs offered by non-profit organizations will be forced to shut down.

Help me give some of our New York children hope by helping Big Brothers Big Sisters raise funds to continue providing them with mentors. JOIN ME as I guest bartend to help raise funds for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Race for the Kids.

Thursday, July 30th 7pm - 9pm
Public House
140 East 41st Street
Between Third Avenue and Lexington Ave
New York, New York

I'm asking everyone to help me pack up this place on Thursday, July 30th 7pm - 9pm. The guest bartender with the most guests will receive $3K from the venue towards the selected charity.

Guests must request a wristband upon arrival. Please have them mention Roxie or Big Brothers Big Sisters so that a percentage of the proceeds may be applied to the proper account. The cost is $35 for a 2 hour open bar.

Thanks as always for your tremendous support.

Big, biggest hugs

Roxie

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Join My Team ~ NYC Bigs Race for the Kids ~ Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009

"Charity begins at home but should not end there" ~ Thomas Fuller (Historian)

Visit ~ http://tinyurl.com/RoxiesBBBSRace4Kids and sign up to join "RoxiesDare2B" team or make a donation.

~ Volunteer ~ Sponsor ~ Donate ~ Spread the Word ~

Hello my lovelies,

Here's another opportunity for all of us to get together and serve a great cause that'll benefit children.

I just recently decided to participate in the 5th Annual Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City RBC Race for the Kids on September 26, 2009. Why don't you join my team, the more people the merrier, and the better for Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City. We need people like you on my team.

Participating in an event that raises money for Race for the Kids I know touches your life in some way. Think about the ways that mentoring, community service and volunteerism has impacted those around you. The money we raise will go to Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York City. We need your support, so please do anything you can, join my team, register as an individual or make a donation on my behalf.

Thank you so much for all of your support and we look forward to seeing you at Race for the Kids!

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Biggest Hugs,
Roxie

Final Thoughts on My Experiences at PPA

I left the orphanage feeling slightly accomplished and desperately hoping that I could do so much more. Some people thought I was crazy taking 2 weeks vacation from my job to go work in another country when I could’ve been out and about on a beach. However, expanding my volunteer efforts abroad has given me one of the best experiences in my life. This program provided me an ideal opportunity to immerse myself into a culture in a way no tourist is able to easily do so. It also taught me the endless possibilities of believing in oneself as well as giving hope to others. The laughter, tears and overall moments shared during this experience with the volunteers, staff, team leader and children of PPA will forever remain within my heart.

I do believe knowing the native language allows you to add a different kind of value when participating in programs such as this one. However, it’s important to know that any contribution from the heart adds a tremendous and extraordinary value to the lives of under privileged children. There is no language barrier or need for translation when it comes to hugs, moments of laughter, lessons taught and learned, dance moves and so forth. What matters is that you genuinely and truly care about your contribution to others whether it is domestic or international, big or small.

There currently are 460 children in the Peruculturio Perez Aranibar Orphanage of Peru, 30% of which have no one other then the staff and volunteers to care for them and provide them with the warmth of a hug.

If you’re interested in learning more and/or participating as a volunteer at the PPA orphanage or other programs around the world, check out the Global Volunteers site http://www.globalvolunteers.org/ or contact Stacey Chase, Volunteer Coordinator, (800) 487-1074 extension 6126.

* Volunteer * Sponsor * Donate * Spread the Word

Once again, I'd like to thank all the contributors/sponsors that made this trip/experience possible.

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Check out our webpage for more info on Roxie's Masquerade Ball & Fundraiser sponsors and talent.

Sponsor List

http://www.ascendspa.com/
http://www.bamboo52nyc.com/
http://www.beachbumtanning.com/
http://www.chelseapiers.com/
http://www.dentaspa.com/
http://www.newyorkdayspa.com/
http://www.forcefitnessclub.com/
http://www.harborfitness.com/
http://www.invicta.com/
http://www.islandpaintball.net/
http://www.lynnesriding.com/
http://www.maidpro.com/morningside
http://www.mypartyboutique.com/
http://www.philipmarie.com/
http://www.purepowerbootcamp.com/

Day 15 ~ Hard to Say Goodbye

This is it, my last day at PPA (Peruculturio Perez Arranibar Orphanage). We had a full day scheduled which included our daily programs as well as movie night with the first graders.

Dan, Lisa, Libby and I spent the morning saying goodbye to everyone. During our day projects Mili walked around taking videos and photos of us at work. I bought special treats for my kindergarten class and a personalized photo album for the siblings. In the morning I distributed the goodies, took photos while showing them pics of my niece who they loved. The kids in the kindergarten class took the time out to hand me a little card which each of them had signed. Then they all squeezed me goodbye.

Earlier during the week I had managed to get approval for Luis and Enrique to join us during movie night. I hoped that the movie would be a good kick off to handling the issues of the prior day. During the morning Luis had asked if I was still going to pick him up and I assured him I would. He was so pleased to hear that. In the afternoon, I picked him up first and then headed to get Enrique. When we arrived, Enrique was happy to see me and leaped into my arms to hug me, he had not noticed his brother who was standing on another side of the room. When I walked out with Enrique and he saw his brother he became sullen and quiet. We managed to walk a few steps away from his dormitory as we headed to watch the movie when he suddenly began imitating Luis’ behavior from the day before. Enrique broke down into tears saying he didn’t want to go anywhere. He sat on the ground refusing to move. Luisito tried to approach Enrique who brutally rejected him. Luis tried asking Enrique not to misbehave. Luis mentioned that his behavior the day before was inappropriate and that Enrique shouldn’t be imitating him. I reminded Enrique of the movies and goodies he would be able to enjoy if he calmed down. He just kept saying “NO!” and sat still crying. After several mins I had to pick him up and carry him back to his caretaker. He resisted me as he kicked and screamed. The caretaker took him and asked what was wrong. He told her that he didn’t want to be with his brother. She took him aside trying to calm him. I went back to the main office and got him a cookie. When we returned with the cookie Enrique was calm but refused to leave with me since I was with his brother. He allowed his brother to give him a cookie but resisted any other contact. He walked away back to his caretaker as we headed back to allow Luis to watch the movie alone with the first graders.

As all the kids gathered I made sure to get Luis a front seat to watch the movie since he’s smaller then the other kids. While he watched the movie I headed with Mili and Libby to make popcorn for all the children. We made it the old school way using pots and oil. It was so much work. By the time we were done the kids were almost done watching the movie.

When it was over, I had to take Luis back to his dormitory. However, before doing so I made one last attempt to visit Enrique in hopes of getting them to bond again. Once again Enrique was happy to see me but resisted Luis. I had Luis approach him with the popcorn apologizing to him for having had rejected Enrique with the cookies the day before. Enrique began taking some of the popcorn. Luisito told him that he loved him and how sorry he was for his negative behavior. I gave each of them the photo album I had made of the days they spent playing together. Luis was so happy. Enrique was in awe but didn’t want the pictures with his brother. It took a few moments but I finally got them to get along as they shared some of the popcorn. By the time we ended they hugged one another and were once again looking forward to hanging out the following week. I felt so relieved to see them get along. I was so concerned about leaving them in such bad terms. When it was time to say goodbye I squeezed each one so tightly and they reciprocated. I so did not want to let go of them. Luisito thanked me for the time spent and off they went into their dormitory.

As I returned to the main office I noticed children sitting on the steps. Since some of the children at PPA have families that are allowed to take them for the weekend, they anxiously sit and wait for their arrival. The sad part was to hear that some of the kids sitting on the steps had parents/families they knew would never show up and yet these children continue to keep hope alive of someday watching someone walk through the gates to pick them up. Other children who knew no one would be picking them up just got upset and angry towards the kids that did have someone arrive for them.

Once we were all on the bus we headed back to our hostal. On our way out kids were waving goodbye. I couldn't help but stare at the children that would be left waiting, patiently sitting on the steps for someone that would never appear. How I wished there were so much more I could do.

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Day 12 - 14 ~ Last Week at PPA

Tuesday, April 21 – Thursday, April 24

It’s sad to know that for some of us the program is coming to an end. It’s going to be hard saying goodbye to such an amazing team and the children of PPA.

Since we had a special goodbye dinner set up on Thursday and Friday, we had to miss out on a day of teaching the high school girls English. We tried making our last day with them a fun one in which we taught them English through dance. Libby, Jozi and I spent our break on Tuesday afternoon making up dance moves. Our legs were killing us during rehearsals. Talk about being out of shape :/. We made sure to incorporate some of Libby’s gymnastic moves which the girls love to see. Fortunately, the entire thing was a hit. Dan video taped a piece of it, Laura and Lisa helped out the girls ensuring they were getting the steps right.

I spent the days closing in to my departure prepping my class and the siblings to say goodbye. With the boys I reminded them the importance of keeping their bond especially since they only have each other for now. I explained to them how I’d have to leave by the end of the week to get on one of the planes that always flew over PPA. They asked why, and I let them know about my responsibilities back home which included work, a family and so much more. Mili helped me take some pictures of them so that I may create a photo album as a gift.

Wednesday and Thursday were a bit crazy for me. On Wednesday evening we went to dinner and then visited the Illuminated Water Fountains. Unfortunately, I never go to experience the fountains. During our cab ride there I got so unbelievably sick. When we arrived I almost puked my brains off on the side of the entrance. Jozi ended up leaving the place and headed back to the hostal. Mili paid me a visit once she was done touring the others and provided me with meds to help me with my symptoms.

Thursday morning I woke up just as sick and ended up missing out on my kindergarten class. The kids kept asking about me and wondering why I had not arrived. I spent the morning in the hostal but forced myself out of bed since I couldn’t possibly miss out on my sibling program. Not during a time in which we managed to have such a break through and were getting ready to say goodbye.

I picked up the boys as usual and let them listen to music on my ipod. During that time the ear piece came off after Mili took photos. At the exact time I was putting it back Luisito requested to be the one to fix it. It was already in and I told him it was ok. He immediately broke out into an uncontrollable tantrum. I asked him to relax and he refused to. It was as if he wasn’t listening to a word I was saying. I tried offering him cookies, the ipod, everything available to me and he just continued crying and screaming. I told him if he didn’t relax he would no longer get his favorite cookies. He yelled at me saying he didn’t want anymore of my cookies and walked away from me towards his dormitory. His little brother tried to hug him and he refused him. Enrique was in shock and immediately became quiet. As Luisito walked away from us we followed him to ensure he went back to his caretaker. He stopped at the entrance and I moved forward letting him know we would have to find his teacher. He started throwing himself on the floor. I was so heartbroken and devastated not knowing what to do next. A male staff member passed by and asked what was wrong. He said I didn’t want to give him cookies. The man walked away and came back with a handful which he handed to Enrique. He told Luisito if he calmed down I would give him some. Enrique tried handing Luis a cookie but was brutally rejected. Luis yelled that he wanted all the cookies and that none should go to his brother. At that moment Enrique stopped himself from biting into a cookie and became extremely quiet and saddened. Finally one of the nuns and the teacher came out since they had heard him wailing from inside their offices. I told them the issue and they began to take him away. They told him he couldn’t be misbehaving in such a manner and that he wouldn’t be permitted to receive my visits if he continued to do so. The nun asked me to walk away as I continued to try to console him. As I walked away, it was even more heartbreaking when I heard him yell out to me “No me dejes! Por favor no me dejes! Regresa!” (Don’t leave me! Please don’t leave me! Come back!). I felt like my heart had been ripped apart. I knew I couldn’t encourage his bad behavior by staying but it truly was so hard walking away.

As Enrique and I walked away I asked him if he was ok and he remained a bit quiet. I told him it was now ok to eat his cookie and he proceeded to do so. I took the rest from him and told him I would save them for both to eat the next day. I squeezed Enrique with a big hug and handed him over to his caretaker.

I think the most devastating part of this entire thing was knowing that I only had one more day left with them. I had asked Mili earlier during the week if there was anyway the boys could get at least one more week in the sibling program. Jozi had volunteered to work with them if it got approved. I immediately followed up with her after notifying her of what had happened :(.

We ended the evening on a much happier note with a dinner which included a show of various cultural performances. However, I can’t deny that the entire time I was brainstorming the best method to deal with the mornings issue and how to explain the situation to a 4 year old.

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Day 10 ~ Our weekend in Machu Picchu ~ Part III

Our last morning in Cusco was set up for us to enjoy a tour of the city prior to our departure back to Lima. We managed to make breakfast this time around. However, it wasn’t too great. My scrambled eggs were so salty and had some egg shells in it. The hostal itself was nice and comfortable but you could definitely skip the free breakfast here if time permits.

The city tour also included visiting four ruins (Kenko, Pukapukara, Tambomachay and Sacsayhuaman) as well as the Jesus statue which looked smaller but similar to the one in Brazil.

Although the tour was beautiful and educational we couldn’t wait until it was over. We were still exhausted from the day before. I think we definitely booked ourselves for too much in such a short weekend. However, I must admit, it was all worth it at the end.

Once we were back in Lima, Lisa, Libby and I ventured off to the pizzeria for dinner and headed back to relax in our rooms as soon as we were done.

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Day 11 ~ Lice?! ~ EEEK!!!

Monday, April 20

Our Monday morning started bright and early as usual. The kids in my kindergarten class were ecstatic to see me again. The day kicked off with two of the little girls apologizing for misbehaving with me on Friday. They were too cute.

During the afternoon my siblings were so happy to have quality time with one another again. However, I ended up with threats of lice contamination : / (EEEK!). Turns out my little sibling Enrique has yet to receive a full hair cut and had a head full of lice. His brother was the one who identified the issue after they had squeezed me with hugs. I immediately walked them over to Mili (my team leader) who confirmed it to be true. I was in awe and began to quietly freak out. As curly as my hair is having lice would be a nightmare for me :(. Mili notified his care giver about the situation. I ended my day begging and hoping I wouldn’t catch it. My other team members started scratching their heads at the thought of getting lice. No one wanted to get close to me. It was as if I had the plague :,(. What a great way to kick off the week.

Mili checked my head but Lisa said that there are many cases in which lice don’t appear until days after the exposure. Aughhhh! Needless to say, I just wanted to cry but kept moving forward staying positive that I wouldn’t end up with it. I didn’t it change my behavior with the boys either for the exception that I made sure that Enrique’s little head didn’t get anywhere near mine.

Otherwise, our day was much better then our first week since we were now fully integrated into our group and projects. We were still exhausted from a full day but it was great to flow through knowing what’s expected of us.

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Day 8 ~ Our weekend in Machu Picchu ~ Part I

Friday, April 17

Our flight to Cusco from Lima was pretty smooth. Upon arrival we noticed big signs and pamphlets to Machu Picchu as we walked towards immigration. Since the oxygen level is different due to the altitude in Cusco, cans of oxygen are sold on the way out of the terminal. The airport was much smaller than Lima and you see the indigenous people walking throughout unlike Lima in which everyone dresses up for the big city.

Our tour guide left us waiting for about 20 mins outside the terminal but made up for it with room upgrades. They suggested we relax for at least 2 hours in our rooms and to drink “mate de cocoa” (a tea) which would help us with the effects of the altitude. We did as recommended and yet still ended up with slight headaches at the end of the night :/. Libby was the only one who took advantage of the oxygen provided at the hostal and said she felt much better after doing so.
During the evening we ventured off to eat something lite so that we could head back to our rooms and get some rest before our early morning departure. Prior to grabbing a bite we stopped off at a pharmacy next to our hostal to check Dan’s temperature since he was still feeling and looking a bit ill. The pharmacist confirmed he had a slight temperature. She provided him with pills to reduce the fever and alleviate some of his other symptoms. She was kind enough to also recommend a restaurant for us which offered various Peruvian delicacies including “cuy” (guinea pig).

We walked towards the central area trying to reach our destination and were bombarded by street vendors which included young children and elderly women. Lisa got a bit scared since many were staring at Libby, so young with big blue eyes. I’m sure the postings we saw at the airport mentioning trafficking of children didn’t make matters better. So we just surrounded Libby holding on to her tightly in order to reassure Lisa of her safety.

It wasn’t so easy finding the restaurant amongst so many in a little street. When we did find it I was so relieved. Everyone was too tired to keep walking and searching. We were all happy with the menu selections. We ordered the nachos which were amazing along with some soups and pizza that were yummy. Dan, our ill boy, decided to order the delicacy “cuy” which he had no working taste buds to distinguish the with. Jozi and I did have working taste buds and had to admit that if it weren’t for the creepy way it’s served we might have just eaten the entire thing. The dish is actually brought out with its entire body (head included) cut in half surrounded with potatoes and veggies. If the meat had been separated, it might have made it easier to eat. However, since cuy has little meat to begin with they have to serve it out in its entirety. It was so hard removing the meat while avoiding all of its little bones. It was probably the the seasoning that made is so delish. It truly made it taste like a well seasoned chicken ;). I won’t lie though, we only ate a tiny piece: /.

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Day 9 ~ Our weekend in Machu Picchu ~ Part II

Saturday, April 18

We had to wake up early in the morning for our visit to Machu Picchu. Jozi and I missed breakfast since there was no time to eat. Apparently, we didn’t miss much since the team barely ate what was made available at the hostal.

Once we were dropped off at the bus that would be taking us to the train station Jozi realized she had forgotten to change into her sneakers and was still wearing her moccasin slippers. Since she had limited time and wasn’t sure how to head back to the hostal, she pleaded I accompany her to get her sneakers. We had to run to the hostal and back. Once we got back into the bus, I immediately understood why the tour guide had recommended we stay put and avoid any strenuous moves. I got an immediate headache :,(.

We took the “BackPackers” train which is the cheapest method to get to Machu Picchu. The leg room was so limited. The train had seats facing one another similar to the LIRR and AMTRAK. However there was limited leg room. Since I’m smaller, my knees were touching the other passenger’s knees in front of me. Poor Jozi and Dan had zero leg room. If you could afford the more expensive train, you should probably do so. But in actuality, it wasn’t so bad once you get past the limited leg room. The scenic view heading to our destination was absolutely amazing.

Upon arrival you immediately see beautiful mountains and a souvenir market which you pass on your way to the bus that drives you up to the ruins. The buses head out as soon as they’re filled (which is pretty quickly) and arrive to the top within 20 mins. The view on the drive up was pretty amazing as well. When travelling there you definitely need sun block and water if you're fortunate to visit during a sunny day. Supposedly, it always rains during most visits.

When we reached the top there were so many people. The tour guides screamed out their names so that their groups would know where they were. After a small brief moment we were able to spot our guide. The price of water is quadrupled once you get to the top so you must buy it in town. They also only offered glass bottles no plastic. You’re told you could only take canteens and no bottled or glassed waters to the site. However, no one listened since there wasn't anyone checking bags. Oh, they also have restaurants (although it’s probably cheaper eating by the train) and lockers for anyone wishing not to lug around their bags for the duration of the tour.

While you wait to enter, oxygen cans and “cocoa leaves” are being sold to help you with the altitude. One of the women in our group had a bag full which she shared with Laura. Unfortunately, Laura was unaware that there were specific instructions on how to consume the leaves. She just chewed them up and ate them which then led her to having a coughing fit that no amount of water could help her with. Turns out you’re required to remove the stems of the leaves, roll it up, and insert it on the side of your mouth. Once it’s soaked you’re able to chew and swallow. Fortunately, she survived, even though we did get pretty worried about her.

The overall experience was amazing. We had a 3 hour tour on the top and even encountered llamas which Jozi got up close and personal with. It definitely served for some GREAT pics. Upon completion of our tour we decided it would be best to eat lunch by the train station as opposed to up on top. We found a cute little place which took forever to serve us our dish. I was a little stressed quitely worrying about missing our train. Fortunately, we were done on time and managed to squeeze in some shopping.

During our train ride back to our hostal in Cusco we were seated next to a family that we met during our tour. The American lady and her husband whom she met in Thailand, work establishing judicial systems around the world and are required to live in different countries with their children. Since the kids were about Libby’s age, she was able to interact with English speaking children for the first time since she arrived to Peru. We basically took over the entire train with our kids activities.

When we got back in town some of the group went to McDonald’s for dinner. Jozi and I went to a restaurant recommended by one of the train staff. The restaurant was a bit pricey but the food was delish and the live performances were pretty cool. All day Jozi spoke about going out on the town to experience a nightclub. Unfortunately, that was impossible. We were so beat from our full day and had tremendous headaches from the altitude.

At least, anyone planning a visit to PPA, now know they could squeeze in a trip to experience Machu Picchu on a tight schedule (45 min flight from Lima to Cusco, 15 minute bus to the train, 3+ hours on a train to Machu Picchu, 20 minute bus to the top, 3 hour tour, 20 minutes bus back down to the city, 2 hours to eat and shop and a 4 hour train back.). Ouch! I just realized why we were so tired :(.

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Day 8 ~ One Week Completed

Friday, April 25

It’s Friday, we managed to survive our first week. Today is a short day for us since we're taking off to Machu Picchu for the weekend.

Mili (our team leader) is impressed at the fact that we’re departing as a group. Peru has had 72 groups, none of which have ventured off together. We’re really fortunate to be getting along so well.

Since I would only be able to participate in the kindergarten program, I had notified my siblings Luis and Enrique that they would not be seeing me until Monday. When I arrived to my morning Kindergarten class, I found it interesting that the children were inquiring as to whether or not I’d really be returning on Monday. I reassured them that I would be but some didn’t believe me. I guess there are upsides and downsides to the children being accustomed to “visitas” (visitors). Peru is one of the most popular GV programs that could always count on having continuous volunteers sign up (probably because of the possibility of visiting one of the wonders of the world ~ Macchu Picchu). Therefore, PPA is fortunate enough to have volunteers be a consistent part of their curriculum. I guess this is the reason why the children are used to seeing volunteers come and go making it easier for them to say goodbye.

This 1st week has been incredible allowing each of us time to settle in with ease. No words can explain how amazing our team leader Mil has been in facilitating this entire transition. With the week at an end

• Laura continues to feel a bit frustrated at her inability to add more value to the children she interacts with due to her language barrier. I wish I could make her see how truly amazing she’s been with the children at the “Hospitalito” by simply being in person to care for them.
• Libby and Lisa seem to be feeling a bit accomplished at their continuous break through with curriculums for each class. Lisa already packed items to help her prep for next week’s assignments. She's been doing a great of learning Spanish through these lessons prepared.
• Dan is feeling a bit ill. He seems to be the only one who’s least satisfied with the program. His expectations included a more rustic experience. Participating in the kindergarten class, English instructions, and occupational therapy have him wondering how much of an impact can he really make in such a short period of time. I don’t know if this has to do with the language barrier. He knows Spanish pretty well but just needs more confidence to speak it.
• Jozi is glad to simply be done with one of her six weeks.

As for me, I finish my first week feeling like I managed to make a true impact. It might be because of my fluency in Spanish which permitted me to build a different kind of bond with the children since I’m able to have full conversations with them. In my kindergarten class I’ve been able to identify some of the shy children that lack some confidence. I've interacted with them a bit more than the others with hopes of encouraging participation in different leadership activities during and after class. My sibling program also seems to be progressing well. The boys are getting along great and have been looking forward to each other every day.

We left PPA around 12pm and headed to another kind of adventure.

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Day 7 - Heartbreak - Reality Bites

Thursday, April 16

This day was such an eye opener and simultaneously unbelievably emotional. Earlier during the week we were notified that our Thursday would be spent visiting some parents and homes of children at PPA. I some how failed to realize the need to emotionally prepare for such an event. Although I´ve worked in shelters throughout NYC nothing had prepped me for what we experienced.

We all skipped our morning assignments to join Mili (our team leader), the social worker and an 8 year old little girl Noemi to the other side of Lima. The agenda was for us to get an inside view of where children of PPA come from and the true value the orphanage adds to them and their families. First, we stopped off at Noemi´s home. Her mother didn´t show up until about 20 minutes after our arrival since she had been picking up her twin grandchildren (unfortunately, there was no way of contacting and notifying her of our visit in advance). This limited the amount of time Noemi spent with her family since we were on a time constraint having to visit 2 other homes. Her mother was amazing at giving us a full access interview (video will be uploaded upon my return to the states) in hopes of helping spread the word regarding the various needs of individuals such as her family, PPA and GV.

Their home is a 2 room place that was very small with a distinct odor. There is no water, no electricity (for the exception of what some neighbors give her access to) and no bathroom. The mother works from 5am - 8pm and recently discovered she has HIV. Noemi´s condition at home was obviously unsafe especially with the fact that the majority of the neighbors are male since it´s a furniture building region. Her mother mentioned fearing for Noemi´s well being during her time at work. There were many days she would come home from work unable to find Noemi who would always end up at some little friends home. Her mother is truly grateful for PPA which helps keep Noemi off the streets, clean and safe. The family managed to spend a brief time together alone until it was time to head out. Since Noemi´s living conditions at home aren´t safe, she's only permitted to visit her mothers home under supervision. Her mother however, has full visitation rights at PPA. When we had to leave, Noemi began wailing. It was so heart wrenching. She was inconsolable. Mili was incredible at managing the situation by holding her and speaking to her softly reminding her of the mothers future visits as well as the many friends Noemi had waiting for her at PPA. Lisa ran into the back of the bus and began crying at the sounds of Noemi. We all felt so bad for her but realized PPA truly is the best thing for this child.

After visiting with Noemi´s family we preceded with the 2 other homes of parents that haven´t visited their children in months. Turns out that the mothers in both homes have relocated with zero notification to the government or PPA, one ventured out with a new boyfriend and the other no one has heard from. It takes a minimum of 2 years for the government to take full custody of a child therefore they cannot be put up for adoption until after.

Once Mili realized we were out of luck locating the missing mothers we ventured into another part of town in which we visited a soup kitchen. The place is run by 2 sisters who have the continuous assistance of 3 other dedicated volunteers. They make the daily lunches for about 80 people in town a day with limited assistance from the government. They charge about 2 soles (about $1.50) for the meal which goes to purchasing more food for the next day.

As one could imagine, we were all pretty quiet after the entire morning experience. Although our energy was low we had to find it in us to continue with teaching English to the High School girls in the evening. The good thing was we actually went in with a curriculum (following Lisa´s example) which consisted of teaching words in English through Charades. This worked marvelously!

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Day 6 - Back in Business

Wednesday, April 15

Jozi was feeling well again and we were all able to head straight to our perspective assignments.

Lisa and Libby finally gained control of their class by creating a curriculum; poor Laura seemed to have no luck when she discovered a child with a full body rash ;(; Dan and Jozi ended up with 2 full classes instead of 1 with no assistance from a teacher which led them to deal with kids running wild; and I managed to keep my promise with my siblings.

I first picked up Eduardo, the eldest, who was ecstatic to see me and automatically asked if I would be picking up his brother as well. Then he asked for the cookies and whether or not I managed to bring them in after all. Once I picked up Eduardo we headed to the assigned park section and had a great time with bubbles, pop up puzzles, coloring and singing. During our time together a few of the boys from Luis´ class passed by and immediately begun squeezing Eduardo who is so tiny. Luis showed his jealous side and began punching the boys forcing them to steer away from his baby brother. It became worst when he heard Eduardo cry from being overwhelmed by so many boys. I sat him down and spoke to him about the need to control his anger. He mentioned all the boys like to hit so he didn´t want them to do the same with his brother. Turns out the little boys love to antagonize Luis since he´s new to PPA and such an easy target. Seems like I have a bigger issue then I imagined.

Good news, we managed to book our trip to Macchu Picchu as a group during our lunch. We were too excited for words.

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Day 5 - The Exciting yet Never Ending Day at PPA

Tuesday, April 14

This day turned out to be the longest day by far. We completed our morning, afternoon and evening assignments. Needless to say, by the time we were done, we were utterly exhausted.

Jozi spent the day at the hostal since she woke up nauseous with stomach pains and a fever. I was asked if I could join Dan (Jozi´s afternoon partner) with the occupational therapy project instead of working with my siblings Eduardo and Luis. I accepted as long as I was provided a moment to speak with the eldest, Luis, to explain the situation. I didn´t want him to feel as if someone else had just abruptly left him behind without saying anything after being told we would meet. I also had to get authorization to promise him cookies (volunteers aren´t permitted to make any kind of promises to the children).

Dan and I started with our individual kindergarten classes. Even though PPA has such limited funds and resources, the 5 year olds were provided with an array of classes which include computer lessons. During recreation Dan and I met again and juggled the kids of 3 – 4 classes. Dan spent it assisting the kids with the monkey bars, pushing them on swings and spinning the teeter totter. I taught them the hot potato with a plastic ball. The funny part was how my circle kept increasing instead of decreasing with the losers since the other kids in the playground were interested in participating….lol…too cute. The sad part is you notice the frustrations and anger in some of the children even during recreation time. More specifically with the new one´s who still need time to adjust.

After lunch Dan joined me in explaining things to Luis. Fortunately, it went well even though he appeared sad. I promised him that I would without a doubt pick him up the next day so that we may eat cookies and spend time with his brother. It was great being able to fulfil such a simple promise the following day.

Soon after we walked over to meet with the lady in charge of occupational therapy. When she finished explaining what we would be doing to develop the toddler’s motor skills Dan and I picked up the 5 girls selected for the project. It went amazingly well. We spent the afternoon creating numbers with beads and designs punching holes with small metal pens.

In regards to the others, Laura discovered a kicker but was grateful to have a fluent English speaking worker by her side. Lisa and Libby discovered Laura´s biter.

The entire group gathered in the afternoon to teach English to the high school girls and work with toddlers. We went in with no curriculum to meet with the girls….bad move. We split into 3 groups. Libby and I dealt with about 10 girls that just grilled her about who she was and what she consisted of. This was a bit awkward for Libby, especially since she doesn´t understand the language. After dealing with it for a few moments I decided to take them outside and have Libby teach them some of her gymnastics move. This has been such a hit with the girls. They gained so much respect for Libbly once we were done. Before you knew it all the girls were outside with us observing and many attempting to imitate her.

Soon after that was completed we proceeded with Dulce Sueños. This project consists of putting the toddlers to sleep. If you have a child, you could only imagine the difficulty of a stranger attempting this. Lisa was the first to throw her hands in the air and walk away after much rejection from the child she ended up with. Turns out she accidentally kept referring to the baby as a boy since the majority of them are. In actuality her child was a girl (all the little girls in PPA have short hair to avoid lice). Libby´s child wouldn´t sit still and kept bumping his head on the wooden bed; Laura had success singing the same song multiple times, Dan quietly sat by his child´s bed side and managed to keep him still and I managed to keep mine in bed while attempting to sing and story tell.

Overall, we all managed to keep each other sane and happy.

We ended with a quick and first/only not so great dinner.

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Day 4 (Part II) - Making an Impact

Monday, April 13

When I started this day I had no idea I would make an immediate impact on a child’s life. To do so with 2 children in one encounter was emotionally overwhelming and truly fulfilling.

When my participation in the siblings program was mentioned during our meeting with the staff there was a brief discussion of which children needed me the most. They selected between 2 sets of siblings. One consisting of 5 siblings that are in PPA due to having both parents in prison and the other of 2 brothers with a schizophrenic mother and a father no one has heard from. Apparently the 2 boys, ages 2 and 4, didn’t want any interaction with one another. Every time an attempt was made they’d refuse and act out. They decided the 2 brothers would benefit the most from my participation. I met them after my group lunch.

After lunch, we returned to the orphanage and were given an opportunity to select games, books or any other activity we’d think fit for our project. Since the siblings I had been assigned were so young, I figured bubbles and a book would be the best choice. I must state, Mili and I developed such an appreciation for bubbles after I was done.

Mili escorted me to pick up 2 year old Eduardo at the toddlers section. At first when he was brought to us he was ok until his care taker told him I would be taking him to his brother. He immediately began to resist us. I pulled out the bubbles and he started following me all the way to his brothers section. Once his brother was brought out I was still playing with the bubbles. He had no interest in joining us until his classmates were all giggling around me popping each bubble that floated in the air.

When I took the boys to the playground they remained separate. I began telling them my name and that I had 2 brothers whom I love dearly. Luis, the 4 year old spoke about all of his siblings and that he loves them all including his 2 year old brother Eduardo whom he knows has no love for him. When I asked Eduardo if he loved his brother Luis he yelled ¨NO!¨. I began playing games with them in hopes of having them collaborate with one another. I began chasing them and climbing the ladders to the slide in which Luis kept assisting Eduardo since he´s too small to climb fast. Once they got thirsty I served them water on the bottle cap which made Luis ensure his brother would get a turn and Eduardo began reciprocating. Before you knew it, they were actually acting like siblings. While I was helping them read a book one of the nuns passed by and asked if I was their mother. When I responded that I was a volunteer with GV she told me I had accomplished something truly amazing which made her want to cry. There had been numerous failed attempts in getting the boys to interact with one another. Seeing them together so peacefully and happy was overjoying for her. When the time arrived for me to return them to their groups they hugged each other and said they were looking forward to my picking them up the next day.

As for my other volunteer partners: Laura discovered a biter working at the hospital, Dan and Jozi spent the afternoon refuting love affair comments between the two made by the boys they were expected to teach English and Lisa with her daughter Libby spent the afternoon chasing toddlers who kept running away at a blink of an eye. At the end of the day, we all left looking forward to many other days of opportunities to make an impact. We had no clue what would be in store for us during the proceeding days.

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Day 4 (Part I) - PPA

Monday, April 13

We started the day with our daily morning breakfast meeting that ensures we’re provided with updates and are aware of our assignments. After breakfast we were finally taken to the orphanage.

First on the agenda was a meeting with the head of each department which included the program coordinator, social worker, head sister of the girls group, head brother of the boys group, head sister of the toddlers section and our team leader. Each gave us an idea of their section and needs. They were then told what projects we selected for the duration of our visit.

Once the meeting was over we were taken to an all access tour of PPA. There were no holds barred. We were shown the beautiful and not so great areas of the facility. The place is humongous consisting of different sections (infants, toddlers, girls, boys, schools, hospital, medical center, laundry room, kitchen, playgrounds, therapy and the main office). As you walk around you notice things such as the chaffing on the walls, need for construction and new playground equipment for some areas. PPA was built viewing the beach. Unfortunately, it’s currently being used as a dumpster in which huge trucks simply dump all of the town’s garbage straight into it. Besides the fact that these children are exposed to this, it’s a major global warming issue that apparently cannot be resolved due to bureaucratic issues.

Overall, PPA and GV manage to provide an amazing facility for these children regardless of their lack of funds and varying needs. We didn’t really grasp the full impact PPA and GV has on the children living here and their families until later in the week.

After our tour, we headed to lunch which once again was not at all disappointing. Delicious!

Please note: Photos of the orphanage will be posted after my arrival to the states.

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Day 3 - One Common Goal

Sunday, April 12

On my third day in Peru the group of 8 volunteers finally met during a breakfast followed by a half day meeting, ending with a group lunch at the hostal and city tour. It was great seeing what a diversified group we are.

• Laura (Minnesota) – A retiree who used to work in tourism has done 2 other volunteer projects with GV (Romania and Vietnam) and will be participating in the Peru program for 3 weeks.


• Lisa (Boston) – a 47 year old business consultant, wife and mother of 3 signed up for a 2 week program with her daughter. A couple of years ago she set a goal of completing volunteer projects abroad with each of her children when they turned 12. She´s completed 2 with each of her sons and now we have the joy of having her daughter Libby with us.


• Libby (Boston) – the 12 year old daughter of Lisa is currently missing classes to participate in this program and gaining a new perspective on life while earning an education which can’t be taught in any school.


• Josephine (Wisconsin) – My roommate who goes by the name of Jozi. She´s a hard working 18 year old High School student who had one class left for graduation (gym) and decided to complete a 6 week volunteer program instead. She took her savings and paid for the program fees after getting school approval.


• Dan (Wisconsin) – a 26 year old male nurse who until this meeting had never met Jozi, it turns out they live about 1.5 hours away from each other. He´s currently in the process of settling down to create a family and has signed up for a 3 week program.

Amazingly we´ve managed to create such a great bond which keeps us going through our long days.

Mili (team leader) did a fantastic job in getting us all acquainted. We introduced ourselves, learned about what could be expected, rules we need to follow and selected our morning, afternoon and evening projects. Yes, evening ;(. We decided we´d like to go to Macchu Picchu for a weekend and are required to make up the hours. Although exhausting, this turned out to be GREAT. During my morning shift I help out with the Kindergarten class and in the afternoon I do the Siblings Program. Tuesday and Thursday evening we all teach conversational English to the High School girls. Tuesdays after conversational English we do the “Dulces Sueños” project which consists of putting toddlers to sleep. Once our lunch at the Hostal was over we were picked up for a city tour (not included in package). This was great for a couple of reasons; we got to know the city of Lima in which we´d stay for the duration of our trip and gave each of us an opportunity to bond.

We ended the evening with Mili taking us to dinner at an amazing pizzeria restaurant which was a hit with everyone.

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Day 2 - Venturing Off

Saturday, April 11

I spent this day with Laura (one of my fellow volunteer partners) that arrived the same day I did. We ventured off to learn a bit of Peru´s Inca culture by taking a tour of Pachamarac.

Our tour lasted until late in the afternoon. Needless to say, we were famished. Luckily, the tour guide recommended an amazing Peruvian restaurant that offers a buffet with an array of the countries cuisine (appetizers, entrees and best of all desserts: D). Yes, I´ve been gaining weight and plan to head straight back to Pure Power Boot Camp when I´m back in the states :(.

Upon completing our never ending lunch I went back to the hostal and attempted to download the video of my interview with Mili. I must state that the staff in every shift at the Torreblanca Hostal is absolutely incredible. After trying out 4 different computers with full cooperation of each staff member I had zero success. The positive side of it was that I managed to meet 3 other volunteers during their evening arrivals. They confused me as staff since I greeted them while sitting behind the helpdesk on the computer when they registered into the hostal. Totally threw them off the next morning…lol

My roommate Jozi was expected to arrive around 10pm. Unfortunately, I didn´t get to greet her that evening since she encountered flight issues which led to her arriving at 4:30am. Talk about awkward morning encounter. I had no idea how to wake her up for our 7am breakfast meeting.

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Day 1 – Interview with Mili Flores (Global Volunteers Team Leader of PPA)

Friday, April 10

I´ve officially completed an entire week here in Peru. It’s been such an amazing experience over exceeding my expectations. There is so much to write about and limited time to do so. We really are put to work during our short period of time here. Fortunately, we´ve managed to squeeze in some cultural tours and fun in between while attempting to make an impact with the children at PPA.

On my second day here Milagros (Mili) Flores was kind enough to meet for lunch on her day off to welcome me and another volunteer. She´scurrently a team leader for Global Volunteers Peru program at the Perucultorio Perez Aranibar (PPA) orphanage. I learned so much from her in regards to the program during our lunch and interview which gave me a different perspective on my assignment.

Due to technical difficulties here at the hostal I´m unable to download the video but will do so upon my return to the states. Although the video is 40 minutes long, it consists of so much information regarding creation, maintenance and overall processes of the orphanage such as the selection process of the children, guardianship, needs and required funds. We also discuss Global Volunteers efforts and the many contributions individual volunteers such as myself could make during our short term visits.

Notes

• Most of the volunteers that attend these programs are woman. There is a need for male volunteers since the children at the orphanage lack a male figure/role model. If you´re interested in one of many international volunteer programs, go to http://www.globalvolunteers.org/.


• Global Volunteers has now created a scholarship program in which children of the PPA are given an opportunity to pursue an education when turning 18 (age in which their stay at the orphanage is expected to terminate). For less than $10 (tax-deductible) a week you could help provide reassurance of a future to a child. To find out more about sponsoring students go to http://www.globalvolunteers.org/sponsorship/peru.asp or contact Stacey Chase at (800) 487-1074 extension 6126.


• If you are interested in donating funds or any of the necessary material items to the orphanage, the best method will be to do so through Global Volunteers:

Global Volunteers
Attention: Stacey Chase
375 E. Little Canada Rd
St. Paul, Minnesota 55117-1628 USA

There are currently over 460 children in the orphanage with the goal of raising the numbers. Any contribution will help tremendously.

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