This week the Vivir Juntos Foundation received a fantastic amount from Books4Life Groningen, the result of their February 2020 campaign. Books4 life is a second hand book store run by volunteers in Groningen, the capital of the north of the Netherlands. They collect and sell good books with profits going to ‘good causes’ including Amnesty International, Oxfam Novib and a variety of small charities.
In February Ruach was chosen by customers as the favourite among four small charities. It is fantastic news that Ruach received the top prize! On behalf of the Vivir Juntos board, Astrid wrote the following thank-you letter:
La Fundación Cristiana Comunitaria para Personas con Discapacidad Ruach says: Thanks!
Juigalpa, 2nd August 2020
Dear employees and members of the board of Books4Life,
What a surprise, yesterday, when I received an email from the Vivir Juntos Treasurer who informed us that they had received the money for first prize, in support of the work we do in Juigalpa for people with an intellectual disability.
Here in Nicaragua the Government hardly provides any support for this target group. People with an intellectual disability are sometimes hidden from society because of felt shame. Parents do not always know how to feed their disabled child. That is why we started the Ruach Foundation four years ago, to contribute to improving the lives of some of intellectually disabled adults, by offering them a Home, or an activity in our Activities Centre, or by raising awareness in the society so that their human rights will be observed.
It is fantastic that people who, as you do, live far away are committed to people near and far who are less privileged. And what a fantastic ‘business model’ Books4Life has got: collecting books, selling books, and sharing the profit; everything made possible by a group of volunteers who run the book shop, and who engage your clientele with your projects by asking them to vote via Facebook or in the shop for their favourite charity.
It is a shame that due to COVID-19 the presentation could not take place. If there is an opportune time later for a belated presentation, please ask our contact person Rob in Groningen, as he will gladly share with you his knowledge of our work.
The money prize we received exceeded the requested amount for diapers, medicines, and salaries for our staff running the night shifts in our home. We assure you that every euro received will be used to benefit the well-being of our core members in the Home and the participants of our Activities Centre. Please let us know if you’d like to know how we will be spending the extra amount.
When you give from the goodness of your hearts, you will always gain, because life is like an echo: whatever you give gets back to you!
Only together can we create a more humane world. On behalf of everyone at Ruach, many many thanks for your contribution.
Warm regards,
Astrid Delleman
Coördinator Ruach Home and Activities Centre