At the end of April, I traveled to Chicago to encounter a series of organizations, parish groups, and associations, who work in prison ministry, re-entry, and restorative justice.
On the International Family Day, we want to share Fabiola’s story and how the Sembrar Foundation has helped her embrace the gift of family.
So much has happened in the past weeks. We have celebrated My Father’s House fifth anniversary with an incredibly successful gala (you can read more about it here); had the surprising chance to show Unguarded in two correctional facilities in South Florida with two groups of 40 inside students; and we continue to see our network expanding across states and communities. In this newsletter, we add our voice to the many who are celebrating Second Chance Month 2023.
The 5th anniversary Gala of My Father’s House on March 15th was a great success!
It was encouraging to see more than 100 people sitting at the tables, interacting with MFH staff, volunteers, and residents, and listening attentively to the program in an evening that was blessed by the presence of the Archbishop of Denver, Samuel Aquila.
During the evening, Jim and the MFH family shared the origin of MFH, the present challenges and joys, and the projects and dreams for the future.
We started involving small groups of volunteers at My Father’s House during the Sunday dinners, a tradition offered since its foundation to current and former residents. To break “barriers and prejudice,” (Denio) we broke bread.
Join to the virtual side event Transitioning from Graduation to Resilience, part of USAID’s Agency Learning and Evidence month.
FIEDS – Italo – Ecuadorian Fund for Sustainable Development, celebrated 20 years of its debt swap between Ecuador and Italy, this mechanism represents a strategic tool that allows financing of development projects, making it possible to transform the lives of even more vulnerable people.
In commemoration of the 20th anniversary, FIEDS held an event last Wednesday, March 29. The celebration brought together officials from the Italian government, federal and provincial Ecuadorian government, United Nations, and key Ecuadorian universities, as well as beneficiaries from all over Ecuador, who have been participants and witnesses of the projects’ excellence.
We share a couple’s story of resilience. Peace Besime and Nsanze Sepiria were struggling after years of failed farming ventures, they could barely pay for their basic needs (medical expenses, school dues for their five children, and the construction of a decent shelter). Thankfully, they were introduced to the Graduating to Resilience Activity funded by USAID (led by AVSI Foundation, in partnership with American Institute for Research and Trickle Up). Peace and Nsanze were empowered with practical tools: goal setting, business coaching, good agronomic practices, and even more; finally, their voyage to self-reliance began!
One year after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, AVSI, with its historical partner AVSI Polska and thanks to a donation from the banking group Intesa Sanpaolo, has trained and placed 150 Ukrainian women in permanent positions on the Polish job market.
On this very special day, March 8th, 2023, AVSI Foundation celebrates International Women’s Day – a day dedicated to celebrating the remarkable achievements of all the strong women across the globe and to share awareness on the need for full gender equality in all spheres of life.
In the Fall, we started a series of workshops with Jim Blum, Founder of My Father’s House (MFH), and Denio Marx, Director of International Relations for APAC. During our November session, we learned about the importance of volunteers. They are the heart and soul of the APACs in Brazil.
We started involving small groups of volunteers at My Father’s House during the Sunday dinners, a tradition offered since its foundation to current and former residents. To break “barriers and prejudice,” (Denio) we broke bread.
