September Delivery Came Fast
This month I'd like to spend a moment giving a giant shout out to Katy, Lucia and Jogeli. Without these three women, Los Paquetes would not be possible.
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| Left to Right: Katy, Lucia & Jogeli |
John and I are forever grateful for the work they do each month to secure transportation, spend the morning at multiple markets buying supplies, then the labor of repackaging it all into individual portions in whatever weather...To say nothing of the hours of actually delivering this food that then follows. As the photos roll in I am watching the sun slowly set in the sky while the smiles of these three faces get brighter and brighter.
For me, it is a day spent on the phone as photos and updates roll in from start to finish. Almost from the moment I receive word the funds have been successfully transfered, they are off and running. And so is the little notification bell on my phone! And it is those communications, which speak volumes toward the character of these three women, that I wanted to highlight. Jogeli (pictured to the right) does not typically send text updates but she is in no way excluded from this post. She is working this entire day for free.
Where Katy and Lucia, and the rented driver receive a small fee for their time and efforts, Jogeli chose to join the project as a volunteer. One day, we hope to increase our donations enough to budget in a fee for Jogeli. Until that day, we are grateful to see her show up each month ready to go.
Katy takes the lead with the updates and handles all the receipts each month. Having only met her this past winter, I knew immediately she was the one to head up the delivery side of our operation. At such a young age, she was already the primary provider for her family and one of the more mature and professional young women I've met anywhere in the world. It is no small task to be in charge of budgeting out the donation funds to cover driver fees, fluxuating gas and market prices while assuring that 50 families receive a packet. She keeps an ongoing list of families most in need, and will at times alternate families month to month to make sure that the money raised on our side stretches the farthest to help as many people as possible.
It was Katy's idea to have t-shirts made so that each photograph had the greatest impact and chance of generating even more donations. And scattered throughout the day amidst text updates and photos is her monthly attempt to convey to me just what a powerful experience this is for her. Yesterday, after a very long day of deliveries, she wrote this:
(translation) "It is amazing to work to help. I am happy when I see the smiles of each child, it is a pride for me to be Nicarguan. Thank you, I always dreamed of working to help, I always dreamed of this, thank you. I have fulfilled my dreams. Thanks to the donors. Today, tears fell from my eyes for being so happy."
-Katy
Lucia shares similar sentiments each month, writing to me this time, in response to my thanking her for her time and pointing out how much there was to do in a single day, "But it is done with much love."
What began as a simple idea to spread a little love in a country that has been so kind and welcoming to us, and in a time when there was so much fear and anxiety about the future...has grown into a real labor of love shared by the five of us. I cannot express enough gratitude to the donors so far and remain comitted to seeking out ever more donors month after month. And I absolutely can't wait to get back down there myself this winter, throw on a t-shirt too and get busy spreading the joy.
Thanks for reading. You can check out the full array of photos from this past delivery by visiting our Gallery. And as always, if you know someone who would be intersted in helping us out I urge you to share this page, and the link below with them. Thanks!
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