In This Issue:
Another New Homeowner!
Georgia State Respiratory Therapy
Celebrating our Community Mason
Yarisleidy's Birthday Wish
Surfers for Autism & Comunidad Connect
Aura Garcia Hernandez has a new home in Los Robles, Nicaragua thanks to your generosity. Read her story and see her home transformation by following the button below.
Homes For GoodGeorgia State Respiratory Therapy students and professors recently joined us in the Dominican Republic for an unforgettable service-learning journey. They visited residents from the assisted living facility, met with and surveyed residents of Caraballo, a Haitian settlement in the Montellano municipality, and painted and put roofs on 14 bathrooms! In addition, they ended the week with a standing-room only conference about Respiratory Therapy at the Universidad Catolica Santo Domingo.
See more photos from the trip!If you are interested in learning more about our Cultural Connections program, please visit our website: https://comunidadconnect.org/cultural-connections/ or contact us directly at info@comunidadconnect.org
At the young age of 72, our Nicaragua community mason, Don Guadalupe Gadea Altamirano, has decided to retire. He has led the construction of over 30 homes and words cannot describe how grateful we are to him. Supported by donors and his fellow community members, Guadalupe has helped change the lives of hundreds of his neighbors. "There are people living in extreme poverty. I am poor, but there are others much poorer than me and they need our support. God gave me these skills so I can work for this cause", says Guadalupe. Even though he retired as lead mason, you will still find him volunteering on home builds. "He can't stay still", laughs Director of Community of Development, Yarisleidy Cortez.
On behalf of the Comunidad Connect team, donors, and community partners, thank you, Guadalupe, for the memories, the lessons, and your hard work.
Director of Community of Development, Yarisleidy Cortez celebrated a birthday in April! In lieu of gifts, she is asking her friends and family to support a project near and dear to her heart.
Read Her Birthday WishComunidad Connect recently sponsored a Surfers For Autism event in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. Surfers For Autism is a Florida-based non-profit that provides free surf sessions for children and adults with autism and other related developmental delays and disabilities. Studies that show the experience of being in the ocean can be very calming and soothing for those living with autism, as their regular daily routine can sometimes leave them feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated. The recent event in Puerto Plata was the first of its kind on the North Coast. Over 50 kids participated with their families and volunteers alike enjoying a full day of smiles, laughter, art, games and surfing lessons. Comunidad Connect is proud to partner with such an incredible organization and we look forward to supporting events like this in the future.
Your support has helped us design a project with Los Robles residents that will solve the sanitation problem, one family at a time. We are currently installing two bathrooms with self-contained septic systems and bio-digesters, each attached to a home we have built. This technology improves the health, safety, and security of vulnerable families whose only other option is open-air defecation. Stay tuned for more information about this exciting pilot project that could potentially change the paradigm for families living in rural Nicaragua and beyond.