110 kids now at Espinal Drop-in Center!
"If we build it, they will come". Perhaps this phrase best suits our Drop-in Centers. These unique homes are places of refuge, creating hope for the future for hundreds of homeless and street children in South America.
Children at our centers are eating warm meals each day, for most, the first time in their young lives.
For just $1 a day ($30 a month) you can sponsor a child at a Drop-in Center, helping us feed, clothe and provide skills for hundreds of children.
For those of you who can, please consider sponsoring and/or establishing a new Drop-in Center. We have many places in need. As soon as we have the financial means, we will build new facilities and children will come.
To sponsor a Drop-in Center and/or children at one of our Drop-in Centers, go to the Sponsor Pages at - www.sxhu.org. |
Spotlight:
Life at The Sunflower
By Yeison (Jason) Cruz Mels
(Translated by Summer School teacher
Colleen Burns)
Who am I?
I like to study at school, and I am eleven years old. I like to play soccer at the field. I like my math class and I like to walk by the river.
Before The Sunflower
I was born in Anparais. I grew up in Calca. My mom abandoned me in Calca and I lived with my uncle in Calca. Afterwards, he brought me to The Sunflower.
Now
I live in the home of The Sunflower and I am very happy with my Papa Juan in the home of the Sunflower. I get along very well with my Papa Juan.
What is The Sunflower?
It is a very happy home, the Sunflower. The children and I play in groups. It is so wonderful in this home of the Sunflower. I am very happy in this home for it is beautiful.
My Future
I want to be a police officer in my life. When I grow up, I want to study at the police academy, for then I'll help stop the cars from crashing and people from doing bad things.
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Thank
you for being part of the Southern Cross Humanitarian Family. Bridging
cultures, awakening hopes and dreams-one child at a time- we will make
the world a better place.
Sincerely,
Laura Chabries-President
Van Evans-Chairman
website: www.sxhu.org
email: laura@sxhu.org
Office:
2607 E. Casto Lane,
Salt Lake City, UT 84117
For copies of newsletter, you can go to www.sxhu.org. All past issues are archived.
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Tax Information
(If you have a tax advisor, it's best to check with them regarding your personal tax situation)
Expedition:
· If over half the time is spent at the orphanage (which our expeditions do), the entire airfare is deductible.
· Cost of side trips should be deducted
from the expedition total, since only expenses related to the voluntary
portion are deductible.
. For Machu Picchu the cost is about $400.
. For Machu Picchu & Lake Titicaca, the cost is about $300.
General Donations:
· For
donations to Southern Cross Humanitarian, you can use your thank you
letters or cancelled checks for your tax files.
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 Make a HUGE Difference with No Cost to You!(Last quarterly check from Albertsons was for $1,096!)
Register your Albertsons Preferred Customer card with Southern Cross Humanitarian as your charity.
By doing so, Albertsons will donate 1-3% of all your purchases to
Southern Cross. This is a fundraiser where small amounts by many
people can truly make a big difference!
All you need to do is email your name, address, phone# & Preferred Card#, to Ken@sxhu.org or complete the registration form on our website on our "How Can I Help" page. Registering Albertson's cards of
friends, neighbors, relatives and co-workers is an easy, no cost way to support Southern Cross and spread the word.
This is also a great service opportunity for high school &
church youth groups as well as a qualifying Eagle Scout project:
register people in front of a local Albertsons store - for more
information contact Ken@sxhu.org. |
Putting
in your 2 cents can make a big difference! Bookmarking and using
GoodSearch, an internet search engine powered by Yahoo, is a great no
cost way to help SXHU! Just enter Southern Cross Humanitarian for your
donation in the messages field and you're ready to search. It costs you nothing, but each time you search they pay SXHU 2 cents!
Email everyone in your address book and ask them to use goodsearch to benefit the orphans in Peru. 200 searches a day will help us earn enough to support a child at the Sunflower each year.
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Greetings!
It's the festive month of "love" and Southern Cross Humanitarian wants to let you know how much we love all you do to help us provide refuge for homeless and street children. This organization is about children, pure and simple. So here are some big hugs and kisses to you from all of us at SXHU! xoxoxoox!
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SXHU LOVES
the 2008
Humanitarian Expeditions!
If you've ever wanted to go, or go on an Expedition again, now is the time! In addition to the children at the Sunflower in Peru, there are many other children and peoples who will benefit from your love and presence in Ecuador and Colombia.
Peru - Sunflower Home & Macchu Pichu
Feel the magic of the Sacred Valley of the Incas for yourself and go on an expedition to Peru! Visit the children at the Sunflower orphanage, experience Cuzco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca. The Sunflower is in the final stages of becoming self-sustaining. Now would be an ideal time for you, your family and friends to share in our team efforts to meet our goals during this coming summer. For more information visit the expeditions page at: expeditions!
Ecuador - Otavalo & Galapagos Islands
"Nicest people in the world", "Beautiful", "Beyond my imagination" are all comments heard by returning travelers from Ecuador. This year would be ideal to experience Ecuador for yourself. You will be pivotal in setting up a new Drop-in Center and you will get the chance to explore the amazing Galapagos Islands.
For more information, visit the Ecuador expedition page: http://www.sxhu.org/ecuador.html
 New this Year! Colombia!
Southern Cross Humanitarian is excited to offer you the opportunity to serve the Colombian people. We will be visiting the beautiful and safe city of Cartagena and you will be trodding soil few Americans have walked.
For more information on Colombia, please visit: http://www.sxhu.org/colombia.html
Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding the expeditions by either calling 801-278-7102, or emailing van@sxhu.org.
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Love Happenings at the Sunflower Home:
It must be love! An adventureous group of people are giving up their wintery wonderlands to head to Peru the last two weeks of February to pilot an English Immersion Boot Camp! "We want our children to become self-sustaining once they leave the orphanage and knowing English is a huge advantage in the Peruvian job market", says SXHU President Laura Chabries who is heading down to help spread the love.
In addition to intergrating English, there's a Sunflower
Soccer team in the works. Boys at the orphanage want to start an official soccer team and play against other teams and schools in the area. However, they don't have soccer cleats (chimpunes), shin guards or uniforms. So, Neftali, the mastermind behind this project and an emerging soccer star, started asking about getting people to sponsor them. He created a list of all of the boys who will be playing and their shoe sizes and has passed the information on in hopes of making this happen.
Joseph Chabries, a 14 year old soccer fan living in Kaysville, UT., heard about this need, and decided he would love to make a difference. He contacted the Utah Rush soccer league, sent an email to the entire Rush family, and has started collecting cleats, shin guards, socks and uniforms to take down in Feb. Hopefully it will be enough to do the job! If you have equipment, in good condition, you'd like to donate, or wish to help sponsor the team by making a financial contribution, please email laura@sxhu.org.
To read more about Joseph's project, take a look at the Davis County Clipper: Cleats for Cusco
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Love in Action:
Sunflower Interns
SXHU Expedition veteran Linsey Gleed along with newtimer Kailan Andersen are current interns spreading SXHU love at the Sunflower home. Together they run daily tutoring classes, work on hygiene skills and are making sure the kids know they are all special. Each are pursuing social work programs at universities and are getting credit for their Sunflower experience. Our thanks goes out to them for braving a 3rd world country to perform such needed services. We cannot express how grateful we truly are for all they are doing to raise these kids to a higher level.
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SXHU Leadership Summit in La Paz!
Van Evans (SXHU founder) and South American field directors Rosario Meneses (Colombia), Leo Gavancho (Peru) and new assistant Bequer Lopez (Bolivia) (from left to right in the photo), all met last week in La Paz for the first annual SXHU South American Leadership Summit. The best way to make a true difference is to listen and learn from people on the ground actually implementing the work. The following is an excerpt from an email Van sent between meetings:
"This has been the most amazing 4 days. We only left the hotel 3 times to eat, plus our church meeting on Sunday. Other than that, we have worked into the night every day. The hotel service has been exceptional and a perfect ambience. Rosario has been sick most of the time, dizzy and vomitting, but has been a trooper and has stuck it out. I was sick the first day. La Paz is too high for the both of us, but the two Andean men had no problem.
Here we have gathered 4 people from 4 countries, with advanced degrees in psychology, education, medicine, and social work, and a combined total of 42 years of experience in this work. We have done research here and I realized how insightful our directors are. I am not ashamed to say there were moments of true inspiration. The modifications and advancements to our homes and policy will bear out this wisdom in the years to come. Stay tune for a clear, defined direction."
| For additional information on the summit and/or ways you can make a difference through SXHU, please feel free to contact laura@sxhu.org.
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Heartbeats!
"When people donate their time, they are giving of their valuable heartbeats"
· Terri Armstrong, of Northern CA, donated her time by knitting sweaters to take to Peru. Thank you for your heartbeats!
· We did it! The second round of fluoride treatments were successfully administered by Kurt Reintjes of Chicago, IL and Natalie Mano of SLC, UT. A big thanks to April Goodwin for getting the fluoride and the instructions down there. Kids at the orphanage helped with this round. Soon they might be able to do it themselves!
· Brent Babcock of Oklahoma City, OK., spoke at a singles fireside about his Peru Expedition. Thanks for spreading the word! (Especially on Super Bowl Sunday!)
· Thank you to Stacie Byers, our amazing SXHU "on call" doctor. We appreciate your quick responses to our questions, and your trips to Peru to meet personally with our children. We love you!
· Heartfelt thanks goes to Carolyn Mano, of Pleasanton, CA., for making draperies for the childrens rooms at the Sunflower.
· Margo Flint of Layton, UT arranged for SXHU Founder Van Evans to speak on Sunday evening, February 17th, from 7 -8 pm at the Fairfield Chapel in Layton. The topic is "Why Do Humanitarian Work." For more information on the fireside you can email Margo at: margoflint@netzero.com. Thank you for helping us reach more people Margo!
Please let us know how we can help you help Southern Cross. We would love to give you lots of support. For more info email laura@sxhu.org.
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Use PayPal for your donation !!
You can make a donation TODAY through PayPal, using your Visa, MC, Amex or Discover Credit Cards --
PayPal is an easy, safe, secure method of making donations.
After clicking the PayPal button, there are two ways to donate:
1) If you don't have a PayPal account (SKIP this section)
2) Using your CREDIT CARD
(Visa, MC, Amex, Discover)
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3) Please enter detail information for your donation in the messages field).
TO DONATE BY CHECK:
Mail to: Southern Cross Humanitarian 2607 Casto Lane,
Salt Lake City, UT 84117-6302
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