|
|
Holiday Greetings from the
Hester J. Hodgdon Libraries for All and San Juan del Sur Biblioteca Staff!
|
|
|
22nd Anniversary Event – Celebrating 22 years of books in the hands of children and so much more!
On November 11th, we celebrated the 22nd anniversary of the San Juan del Sur Library. Children, teens, students, chess players, and soccer champions joined us for an action-packed day of festivities. In addition to the annual chess and soccer tournaments, the morning was filled with arts and crafts, and piñatas. Teachers and librarians, who work with the Mobile Project all year, joined us for an annual appreciation event of a coffee hour and craft workshop. Lunch was served to over 400 community members. |
|
 | Morning craft activities in the park |
|
 | Annual Chess competition! |
|
 | Lunch for 400! |
|
 | Teachers and Librarians enjoying lunch with the crafts they made at the workshop |
|
The afternoon stage events featured Jumpstart’s Read for the Record 2023 book Con Mucho Amor. Every year, JumpStart announces a book that is read all around the world on a certain day in October. Rather than celebrating this book for just one day, our library celebrates it for the entire year! We began our anniversary celebration with a live reading of the book. We also read the book during the coffee hour and craft workshop with teachers and librarians. We will continue to celebrate this book throughout the year during our Mobile Project visits and create activities students can engage with in their classrooms. Our Library in A Box Recipient projects throughout Nicaragua will be able to enjoy the book and craft activities as well.
The afternoon event included a gift of dance from our sister library community in Ameya Nicaragua. Professor Jacqueline Gazo gave the first public reading of Con Mucho Amor and Jane Mirandette offered a few words. We gave out awards to the winners of the chess and soccer tournaments, the poetry and art contests, as well as for the most books read in several categories for children and adults. Leilani Michele Cortez Hunter, shown in the photo below with Jane, is the youngest child to ever win in her category for best reader. The festivities ended as all good festivities do – with cake and singing. |
|
 | Jane and Leilani with her award for best reader in the children’s category. |
|
 | Chess competitors proudly displaying their trophies |
|
 | Friends from our sister library in Ameya present their annual dance gifted to the library |
|
 | Birthday cake for everyone! |
|
The library is a stable stepping stone for pursuing dreams and aspirations:
In November, Heidy Herrera retired from her long time position as a library administrator to spend more time with her family and pursue a small business of her own. Heidy has been such an integral part of our program and it was hard to imagine our program without her. She has been a key element in our event planning and brought all of our crafts and activity to life within the library walls. Like so many before her, the library has served as a stepping stone to foster the skills, education, and financial basis to go on and pursue key dreams and entrepreneurial success! Heidy, we thank you for everything you have done for the biblioteca and for your community, and we wish you all the best.
|
|
 | Heidy and teacher Carla González display crafts to teachers who joined us on the Anniversary for a teacher appreciation morning of coffee, craft activities, and lunch.
|
|
Meet Norman Diaz and Maria Paula García |
|
Norman and Maria Paula were hired the weekend of the 22nd anniversary. They both grew up as library kids and came highly recommended by two other local foundations for their high level of achievement, passion for reading, and desire to work with children.
Norman and Maria Paula jumped into action to assist us with the anniversary celebration, our largest event of the year. Since their first weekend, they have found a natural place in our library and have brought new life into some of our programs.
Thanks to Norman and Maria Paula, we have been able to provide a regular story hour in the park with a corresponding craft – which has brought us back to our roots! |
|
 | Norman and Maria Paula hosting their weekly wednesday
reading and craft hour in the park. |
|
We cannot wait to see the innovative ways they will change our programs and we will be there to support them in their goals and dreams as we have for so many over the years.
Norman has created his first weekly report for library happenings! Click here to read his first report. |
|
Celebrating a Successful Giving Tuesday Thanks To You! |
|
Giving Tuesday 2023 was a great success, showing that many hands make light work! Together, we raised over one month’s operating costs in a single day and funded a new set of 3D printing classes. We came together on social media, through this newsletter, and in person to support this fundraising effort. We cannot thank our donors enough for your generosity and compassion this year, and every year before.
Click here for the Giving Tuesday 2023 newsletter with more Anniversary poems, details and photos!
As we enter 2024, we have another request for you to join in demonstrating the power of your support.
Our foundation has a growing need for monthly recurring donations. We have a small handful of gracious donors who make up about $1200 of the needed $3900 a month to keep our library open and our mobile truck running. Some of these donors contribute $25 dollars a month, and others contribute up to $500. Regardless of the amount, these very special donors help lift some of the heavy fundraising burden that allows us to continue operating throughout the year.
As we enter the New Year, we would greatly appreciate your assistance in lifting some of this burden by becoming a recurring monthly donor. We know we have an entire group of dedicated supporters who are ready to jump into action when we have a need. This is the greatest need facing our foundation and is crucial to the sustainability of our programs. If you feel you can support our program on a monthly basis, please consider signing up to become a recurring donor we can depend on.
Becoming a recurring donor is simple. When you make a donation through Paypal or Justgiving, select monthly rather than one time, and your donations will automatically occur monthly.
|
|
Looking ahead to the New Year
2024 is just around the corner and we want to share some of the exciting events and offerings we have planned.
- Jane and Jill will travel to Nicaragua in January in the company of great friends and volunteers to bring a myriad of new books, share time with our new staff and support the VOSH Eye care project for its 20th year.
- We will also check in on the progress of programs initiated in November.
- The RACHEL project will expand to serve more students.
- More 3D printing courses will be offered to local students.
- The mobile project is expanding service to older students as well as preschool and Kinder/first grade.
- Several service groups will return! VOSH eye doctors in January and Council Tree Church in July. We cannot wait to welcome everyone back!
|
|
Happy Holidays from all of us at HJH and the San Juan del Sur Biblioteca |
|
 | Pictured left to right: Library staff Edwin Vasquez, Claudia Herrera, Winston Noguera, Katia Noguera, Denis Vasquez, Maria Paula García, Norman Diaz, and Volunteer/Advisory Board member Susana Field. |
|
A note from Jane:
The Holidays are upon us and the year end is close! I would like to express my appreciation to everyone for all the support and efforts made on our behalf. I am pleased to share my delight in our new staff configuration which includes our young stars Norman and Maria Paula and our mobile project volunteer Susana Field who has recently joined our advisory board. She is a long time resident of San Juan del Sur and an avid reader. Her passion for putting books in the hands of children nicely compliments my own passion.
The articles above offer a wonderful window into our hopes and aspirations for 2024. We wish you a pleasant and rewarding holiday and welcome you to share in our enthusiasm for a fresh start and a brilliant 2024.
This is the beginning of my 80th year on the planet and I am pleased and invigorated to be working with such wonderful HJH Foundation board members, and staff and volunteers at the SJDS Biblioteca.
So many people my age have retired, not just from jobs, but from having a vibrant life. Sharing the passion and vision for HJH and the library for the past 22 years has been a blessing and brought great joy to me.
We often focus on the question: is the glass half full or half empty? I find these many years in Nicaragua have taught me to do as so many Nicaraguans do – focus on gratitude for having a glass at all and what can be done and offered with it.
Please join us as 2024 beckons in making this the best, and most effective year yet. I value each of you and appreciate you all so much.
Con Mucho Amor/With lots of Love,
Jane |
|
|
We are registered as Hester J. Hodgdon Libraries for All. Please donate today with the PayPal or JustGiving buttons above OR by check made payable to:
HJH Programs
1716 Del Norte Ave.
Loveland, CO 80538 |
|
|
|
Notice: If you’d like to subscribe to these mailings please click here, if you’d like to unsubscribe click here. |
|
| |
|
