Dear Friends, family and colleagues,
Last Sunday was World Food Day – a day of action against hunger. “On October 16 people around the world come together to declare their commitment to eradicate hunger in our lifetime. Because when it comes to hunger, the only acceptable number in the world is zero.
“Every human being has a fundamental right to be free from hunger… The right to adequate food is realized when every man, woman and child has the physical and economic access at all times to adequate food or means for its procurement.”
In our Yom Kippur service at Temple Israel this year, we read a passage:
You shall not oppress a stranger,
for you know the stranger’s heart…
Let justice well up like water,
Righteousness like an unfailing stream…
You must not remain indifferent…
Love your neighbor as yourself…
and: “[We] … must stand up for a society that is bound by human morality – and speak truth to power.”
As of October 22nd we have $1940 in Sowing Opportunities’ account. We have 58% more to go towards our goal. In order to send Ricardo and the CorGuate team to travel to Fray Bartolomé de las Casas we need $2,660 more by November 6th. Can you help with any amount?
This will cover the costs of travel at 12-13 hours per day, over 7 days for 3 people and 2,340 miles. The team of 5 will oversee the transfer of Olivia’s land, the wellbeing of Olivia, her 2-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son, and negotiations with the owner of the land for the Chajmaic chili pepper project.
One year ago we had a successful Kickstarter campaign: you helped us to raise $5,400 within one month. We observed a chili pepper operation in Péten, Guatemala, found a sponsor to buy chili peppers, met with the owner of the land in Fray Bartolomé, established trust with the village residents, and received approval from the village leaders. We now must move on to the next phase. Can you help us raisehalf that amount within the next two weeks?
There are several opportunities for you to contribute towards this next, important step in establishing the chili pepper farm. Once CorGuate rents the land, the plan for 2017 is to train a group of workers, to prepare the land, and to find solutions for irrigation and potable water for the village.
Donations can be made through GoFundMe or through our fiscal agent, Temple Tiferet Shalom of the North Shore. You can buy a chili pepper lapel pin made by Ginny. (See photo.) Or, you can come to our fundraiser at the home of our Board Member Helene Weitzenkorn’s on November 20th.
Please join us in creating food stability for the village of Chajmaic, and realize the goal of World Food Day, where there is zero acceptance for hunger? Together we can stand up for human morality.
Thank you and blessings for your generosity,
Fern and Ginny
