To help sustain the foster home, the Mission started the Mama Joanna Guest House, an eight-room structure to house volunteers that come frequently to this part of Bolivia from all over the world. In our mission we have had volunteers from Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Switzerland, China, Italy, Vietnam, Spain, Brazil, Peru, and Macedonia. On one trip the group from Johns Hopkins Medical School spoke 13 languages together. The Home is being run by the foster home boys as part of a Rotary International Global Grant. Rotary doesn’t pay to build buildings, but it does pay to equip buildings and pay for education. Accordingly, a $40,000 grant has paid for all the furniture, air-conditioners, and all the appliances. It also covers the landscaping and most of the decorative trees have been planted by the boys.
This summer, a wheelchair giveaway will take place with several Rotary Clubs in Santa Cruz and we are looking for help to fund the project. The local Club, Grigota, has donated $10,000 to the project and The Wheelchair Foundation has donated $20,000. We need to raise $11,000 to complete the project and $4,000 has already been donated. Anyone wishing to donate, or better yet, go to help give the wheelchairs away can contact Dr. John Baumrucker at 828-200-0902 for more information.
- John Baumrucker
