Training Mayan Girls to be Leaders

        
        Photos of Sr. Marife' Hellman and  her Mayan students.

It has been a our Christmas custom to provide gifts or a small  amount of money to a particular family who are experiencing difficult times and are in need. We try to do this at Christmas time and in as direct a manner as possible, i.e. without going through a large fund-raising organization like Heifer International or Doctors Without Borders. We try to do this anonymously when possible, and sometimes it is difficult to decide on a recipient(s).

This year our decision was easy. We heard of the ambitious project of Sister Marife' Hellman, a Precious Blood Catholic nun, in the mountains of Guatemala.  She has established and operates a boarding school for indigenous Mayan girls. Her primary goal is to provide them with a well-rounded education, but in addition she is hoping to instill leadership skills in these young women so that they are not just self-reliant but also become leaders and agents of change.

I mention this because at this time of the year, others may also be searching for a worthy cause which will benefit directly from every dollar donated.

In the benefit of full disclosure, my sister, Joyce Langhals, is a Sister of the Precious Blood and is the one who informed us of the work of Sr. Marife' Hellman. Also, we have a six-year old grandson who is Mayan and was born in Guatemala.

If you are interested in supporting Sr. Marife' Hellman's work, you can do so by sending a check to:

Sisters of the Precious Blood
4000 Denlinger Rd.
Dayton, OH 45426-2399

Please indicate on the check that the donation is for Sr. Marife' Hellman's school --Holy Mary of the Most Precious Blood School. The donation is a tax deduction.