Category «District Fourteen»

Altrusa te viste para tu Prom (Altrusa dresses you for your Prom)

During the month of May 2022, Altrusa International of Guánica, Puerto Rico carried out the activity “Altrusa te viste para tu Prom” (Altrusa dresses you for your Prom) with the aim that all low-income students can enjoy the celebration of their high school graduation party. Every year many young people in Puerto Rico cannot attend their Prom due to lack of economic resources to buy their clothes. Graduating students from the Áurea Quiles High School and José Rodríguez de Soto School managed to get their long-awaited suit, shoes, and accessories for the day of their Prom. Hair, makeup, and manicure arrangements were given away too.

We are here for you!

With the tagline “We are here for you” on October 24, 2021, Altrusa International of San Sebastián, PR Inc. held the “Make a Difference Day”. This year it was dedicated to the patients of the Hogar CREA of San Sebastián, a rehab facility that offers residential treatment to patients. We started with messages by the MADD Committee President and Club President. We shared general information about Altrusa and how we impact the community. The Representative of Hogar CREA, Mr. Raúl Vázquez, was very excited that we had chosen them to carry out the activity. He expressed how alone they felt, because since the pandemic they we not allowed to receive frequent visits. Also, that sometimes they feel forgotten by the rest of the community. We spoked about the International Peace Day activity where we intend to motivate others to perform acts of kindness to achieve peace and well-being. We then proceeded to raise the white flag as a peace symbol, which they received with great humility and spirituality. A motivational talk was conducted entitled “Happy Hormones”. Letting them know that we need to laugh more, promote happiness, and achieve a full life! The day concluded with lunch, gifts, and the signing of a collaborative agreement between the two organizations. It was an inspiring day of volunteering. Not only did we spend quality time with the patients, but we listen to their stories, acknowledge their needs, and created bonds of friendship with people in our community. We were reminded that sometimes a small gesture can have a great impact and can make a difference.

“Drugs are the enemies of ambition and hope – and when we fight against drugs we are fighting for the future.”- Bob Riley

“Dímelo” (Talk to me)

The project aimed at improving communication and reading skills of elementary school students through the intervention areas of orality, functional reading/ writing, creative reading/ writing and audiovisual literacy to facilitate their comprehension, communication and broadening their cultural horizons.
Deficiencies of elementary school students in Spanish was identified, particularly those of the Aurora Méndez school (socioeconomically disadvantaged students), affecting their academic achievement and effective communication.
The structure of the project was created in coordination with school representative to improve reading skills using different literary genres. Lesson plan was implemented using novels, stories, legends, and poetry. Student attended a theatrical play and a recital of Afro-Caribbean poetry. These experiences were reinforced with socialized discussion, debates, writing of a poetic verse and drawing. Students prepared a Christmas card that was sent to soldiers In Guatemala as part of our Club’s SOS Project.
Values such as respect, punctuality and responsibility were reinforced. Twenty-six students were benefited and a total of 435 hours in service was invested, along with a budget of $1,851.68 and active participation of 80% of club members.
We appreciate the opportunity to plant a seed of knowledge and wisdom to students in so much need.

Service Beyond Frontiers

Service Beyond Frontiers is the International Relations Project carried out in the
Dominican Republic, possible by establishing an alliance with a non-profit corporation,
Ferries del Caribe Foundation. The purpose was to provide, on behalf of Altrusa, humanitarian and educational aid to the “poorest of the poor”. Service Beyond Frontiers consists of providing humanitarian and educational aid to a very poor population in the Dominican Republic. The Altrusan service focused on 2 aspects: (1) Food and educational toys delivered to a special education school with children who have intellectual disabilities. (2) Participate in an annual health fair impacting the gynecological area by distributing 387 Days for Girls (DFG) backpack kits.

You are not alone, for Altrusa you are important.

Altrusa of San Sebastián established a special committee to coordinate the Make a Difference Day activity. The committee identified a great need to support seniors who live alone. In pandemic, seniors have suffered very much due to the lack of interaction with others, because of the physical distancing.

With the motto “You are not alone, for Altrusa you are important” we brought joy and love to the residents of Hacienda el Jibarito Elderly Home in San Sebastian, PR. After coordinating the activity with the administrators of the housing complex, the interaction with the residents was safely handled.

In the morning, a sound system with music and messages of encouragement entertained everyone from their balconies, while a group of altrusans left a package full of protective items on each resident’s door. Items included: face masks, alcohol, hand sanitizer, wet towels, and hygiene items, as well. A beautiful postcard with a special message of support and solidarity was also included. A total of 150 families were impacted on this day. During the afternoon, each resident received a nutritional box of food.

Seeing their smiles was a gratifying experience. We will certainly continue to make a difference by supporting older citizens.

Altrusa in the Community for the Prevention of COVID-19

A Steering Committee was appointed to study the urgent needs of our community. Members spoke with Hon. Roberto Ramírez Kurtz, our Mayor, Community service agencies Directors and Community Leaders. While conducting our study, it came to our attention that no other organization was providing the community with certain indispensable prevention items, that they were scarce, expensive and difficult to find. The services other groups were providing families around the community were products for staying at home cooking, meals to the elders taken to their homes and a place where the homeless can go get a meal. In the July membership virtual meeting the results of the study were reported and a motion was presented and voted upon. The results of the voting was unanimous in favor of working the service project to benefit disadvantaged families, the elderly, and the homeless by monthly donations of bags with the indispensable safety items needed for preventing the spread of COVID-19, such as washable face masks, liquid hand sanitizers, tissues, hands and bath liquid soap, liquid for sanitizing surfaces and towels for sanitizing. We will also give orientation and teach the participants the proper way to use the face mask, keep distance and take other preventive measures. For the families with children an extra bag will be provided to each additional child that includes face masks, hand sanitizers and tooth brushes and paste for dental hygiene. Our objective is to impact as many families as we can. We will also handout face masks to the homeless when we see they are walking around without protection. We prepared a plan of action for the project year that includes the goal, objectives, strategies, altrusans or person in charge and community collaborators. A proposed budget of funds needed and means for keeping track and evaluating the project. Communication is channeled through phone calls for communication between all and to keep everyone informed of the business at hand. We prepared Roster of Phone Callers. Duties were assigned making sure that all members participate in the project. Members of the project subcommittee were assigned the responsibility to be the leaders for the monthly donations with a support group assigned per month to be in charge of the monthly distribution of the bags. Guidelines for the evaluation of each activity was prepared. A copy of this form will be distributed to all group leaders, to be filled and returned to the project subcommittee President after each event. It includes a short summary of who participated, the work done, the hours spent, and other documentation of the distribution, including the signature of the person that received the bag. By our project, many individuals in our communities will win the battle against COVID -19, having been able to fight it with our help. Through the project, we will contribute to be part of the solution to this horrible Pandemic.

OPAPA- Organization in Pro of Attention of Patients with Alzheimer

OPAPA is a non-profit organization who works with those people with Alzheimer’s Disease and their caretaker. Is the only entity that works with Non-pharmacological therapy to delay the degenerative progress of this condition who, not only affect the patients, but also their entire family. In Puerto Rico, there is no legislation in favor for the people who take care of these patients and every day there is more people who are diagnosed with it. Every year, we see how this disease is affecting even younger people, and there is no available cure. This organization needs funds to maintain their qualified personnel and some improvements in order to provide specialized therapy that are proven to improve their social and mental behavior.

Altrusa, for Alzheimer’s

Altrusa Internacional de Yauco, PR began this Literacy project in order to raise awareness about Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s has become the plague of the century. It is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, it is the fourth cause of death in our country and the sixth in the United States. More and more people are diagnosed and suffering from this cruel disease, and it affects both the sick and their caregivers. Our goal is to provide guidance on the disease, provide guidance on its early detection, provide guidance on signs and symptoms, provide guidance on risk factors, raise awareness about it, and provide help and support to the family, caregivers, who are also greatly affected with this condition. For this we do it through a weekly radio program, in which we contact different professional resources that serve us as collaborators. Also through group talks, conversations, in alliance with other organizations, visits to elderly homes, visits to families affected by the condition.

Internacional servicio

Makes donations to Operation Smile and Roof To Live