Hands for Peacemaking

In the SJ Update mailbag we find this letter from Dawn Alger requesting your support for her upcoming mission to Guatemala…

Dear Friends and Family,

Some of you may know that last August, Mark and I , along with a 6 person (small but mighty) team of family members and friends, went on a trip to Guatemala to install small wood burning cooking stoves in two villages. It was a trip that we will never forget and made such an impact on us that I have decided to do it again this July. I will also be joined by Sean and Libby Scott, and Anne-Marie Ryan, from Friday Harbor.

This year’s team will have 13 people going to install 115 stoves as part of a humanitarian/mission team under the auspices of the Hands for Peacemaking Foundation. Hands for Peacemaking is a non-profit Christian relief and development organization, established in 1991 to provide aid to Guatemalan villages. I am writing to let you know in the hope that you might help to support our effort.

Our team will be installing simple and efficient plancha type wood burning stoves in the family homes of Centinela Chiquito, and San Pedro Centinela – two remote villages near the town of Barillas in the northwestern highlands of Guatemala. These stoves change – and save lives by improving the quality of air inside the homes and by reducing the risk for respiratory illnesses due to smoke inhalation, as well as burn injuries to little ones. Not to mention it is a huge quality of life improvement for the women of the village.

Because the stoves burn wood much more efficiently than open fires, the amount of wood required to cook is much less. This reduces the pressures on the Guatemalan forests and significantly reduced the time needed for gathering firewood.

In addition to installing the stoves, our team will be bringing much needed school supplies to the 120 children in the school. We are planning on giving each child a backpack, filled with school supplies, as well as a letter in Spanish from the Spanish students of Friday Harbor High School. Each backpack/supply kit, costs less than $12.00.

As in years past I will also be taking medical supplies to the hospital in Barillas. I have already covered my own costs for travel to and from Guatemala, but most of the costs of the stoves are covered by funds raised by team members which is why I am sending this letter to ask if you would be interested in supporting this great cause.

Our team is working to raise enough money to purchase and install 115 stoves. The stoves are made by local craftsmen in the Hands for Peacemaking Aler Center in Barillas, Guatemala. Each stove costs about $200, which includes one year of follow-up support that Hands for Peacemaking provides to make sure that the stoves are being used properly and are in working order. We are also raising money to purchase children’s bibles as well as school supplies and toys for the children.

With your help the families in the villages will breathe easier, help preserve their environment, and have a stove to cook on instead of a campfire.

If you are able and willing to help with the cost on one stove ($200), or part of a stove, or school supplies, any donation would be very much appreciated. These are tax deductible contributions. Please make checks payable to:

Hands for Peacemaking Foundation
P.O. Box 964
Everett, WA 98206

Please add “Alger/Means Team” in the memo line. Or you may donate on-line at: http://www.handsforpeacemaking.org/give-financial-support.

Under the “make a one-time donation” after designating the amount, please designate “Alger/Means Team” (our team) under “Team Sponsorship” on the donation page.

Thank-you in advance for considering this appeal! And please know that your contribution will make a huge difference in the lives of deserving families. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you in advance for considering this appeal.

Dawn Alger
360-622-8297
[email protected]

You can support the San Juan Update by doing business with our loyal advertisers, and by making a one-time contribution or a recurring donation.