| InterAmerican InterAction Newsletter |
September
2002
|
Hurricane Relief Goods Distribution
More
than 40 boxes of relief goods, collected by volunte
ers
from the Athens-San Pedro Columbia Sister Village Program, were sorted
with the assistance of several women in the village. The boxes contained
badly needed clothing, fabric, and household goods. The distribution
of the relief goods occurred at the Mother's Day Fair at the local primary
school. Each mother received a "hobo bag" with a variety of
clothing and linens wrapped in a sheet, a pillowcase, or a piece of
fabric. It was fun watching the women open the bags. Some received just
what they needed, while others laughed together when they found pairs
of too-large shoes or women's shorts or pants. (The women of Columbia
wear dresses only, but they are very resourceful seamstresses and are
transforming unneeded items into useful children's clothing.)
The women's names were placed in a bowl and the more valuable items, such as blankets and seven brand new large pots, were then "raffled" off.
Thank
you, Athens Countians, and thanks especially to Lucinda Moran, who offered
her garage as a drop-off location, to Judy Daso, who coordinated a wonderful
fabric collection, and to Toby Lawrence and Chrissie Richards, who led
a successful collection effort in the Glouster area.
In the meantime, the struggling, under-funded primary school in the
village received a healthy boost from the many school supplies that
arrived. In addition, the special prizes donated by IAIA for the children's
games at the Mother's Day Fair ensured a fundraising success for the
school. Thanks to WOUB-TV's "Watch Me Grow" program and to
Janet Santone at Schoolkids Music and Clothing in Athens, whose generous
donation of new toys, games, and sunglasses thrilled the children at
the Fish Pond game.