Hello, and greetings now from Ecuador!
I first want to thank those who have already donated to bring us already to $1,170 in the fundraiser to make something special happen in Ecuador. I really am always amazed and appreciative. In fact, it puts me back in touch with all the times I’ve been generous, and makes me feel close to all you who give, even though we might be 3,000 miles away from each other. Thank you!
As you notice, this fundraiser has taken more time than others. One reason is because of my own being busy in transition and travel, and the other reason is that I’ve wanted to be here in Ecuador with feet on the ground before giving new updates.
I arrived in Ecuador on June 26 in the wee hours of the morning, and have been blessed to see the sun continue to rise on some new steps. I’m just back from Chontal as I write this, and want to share a few changes.
First, Rafaela's family had been supported with $2,885 from the fundraiser done back in March, including the $400 we gave. That money has been set aside for expenses related to her treatment. Rafaela and her mother Janeth are in the coastal city of Guayaquil these days, awaiting treatment in a hospital there. In my stay in Chontal, I was able to speak with Janeth by phone, and I left $300 from this fundraiser for the family, to bring our total up to $700 to complement the community's effort in the March fundraiser. She was very grateful, as you might imagine. And more importantly, she's hoping to have news about Rafaela's treatment in the coming days.
Second, the community has raised about $1,500 of its own money for the $2,500 labor cost for the school patio roof. This is good news, and a better way: we can aim to match the community if we can, and give $1,500. In talking with the president of the community, Ines, they would like to have a little more funds because costs are increasing - they have already had to reduce the size of the roof a little bit. Having a little extra funds will be good, but if we don't reach $1,500 that’s ok, too. So this changes the fundraiser goal from $3,000 to $2,000 ($500 for Rafaela and $1,500 for the school). You'll see this reflected on the goal amount.
The community believes construction will start mid-August, so there are still several weeks to spread the word. I’m hoping to invite more people to participate this time because it's a little larger ask. Please consider sharing the news with others who you think might be interested! I'll continue to post all the updates - with more details and pictures - on the website:
www.barriers2bridges.org/giving-blog/make-something-special-happen
Thank you all again very much, and once again I hope you feel like you are a part of the communal experience of giving and receiving.
-Jerome
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NOTE: You can make a free transfer outside of GoFundMe. If you have PayPal (jeromeekiley@gmail.com) or Venmo (@Jerome-Kiley-1) in the US, these methods are free transfers. You can send me a personal gift, and I will add your anonymous gift to the GoFundMe’s fundraiser list of donations. However, you won’t receive the updates I post on GoFundMe.
Thank you for considering us!