IMPACT NOVEMBER 2014
OPP ORTUNIT Y
FAMILY RAISES TURKEYS TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE
G
ratitude. It’s what Thanksgiving is
“Our family was left without a source of
all about, and it’s what one mom,
income,” Doña Jesus said. “Things were so
Doña Jesus, expresses when she talks
bad we were only able to eat once a day. “My husband said, ‘We have to do
about how her son’s sponsorship helped restore her fami-
something,
ly’s livelihood.
“Things were so bad we were only able to eat once a day.“
don’t we raise tur-
— DOÑA JESUS, MOTHER OF DIEGO
idea, but he was
Doña Jesus said she started raising turkeys at her home in Guate-
keys?’ I don’t know where he got this right. We had to do something.”
mala seven years
Doña Jesus tends to her turkeys.
why
ago “out of the need to feed my children.”
Doña Jesus sold a small piece of land
Her husband was a mason and couldn’t
her father had given her. She used the
work after a health condition left him
money to get medical treatment for her (continued)
without the use of one arm.
INTRODUCING THE UNBOUND STORE
REGISTER ONLINE
Many of you have expressed interest in purchasing Unbound T-shirts, mugs, bags and other gear. We listened and last month launched our very own online store. Check it out at unbound.org/store.
Need to update your address but don’t have a chance to call during the day? Or maybe you want to send a Christmas greeting to your sponsored friend, but it’s too late to send it by mail. You can accomplish those tasks and more by setting up your online account at unbound.org/register. All you need is your name, member ID and zip code.
Giving THANKS
Doña Jesus dishes out turkey stew from her kitchen.
In honor of Thanksgiving, we’re highlighting a few of the many messages of gratitude shared this year by members of our Unbound community around the world. On behalf of the entire community, thank you for walking with us on this journey of love and limitless possibility.
Support helps family recover from setback “They are very noisy but I like them
(continued from front) husband and buy their first few turkeys,
because they are helping our family move
which quickly multiplied. Her son Diego
forward,” Diego said.
became sponsored through Unbound about that time.
Diego enjoys his high school information technology classes and wants to go
“Everything was going well and then my
to college to become a computer systems
turkeys got sick and started to die,” Doña
engineer. He’s grateful for the educational
Jesus said. “All of our turkeys died.”
opportunities sponsorship affords him.
The family was discouraged but the local Unbound staff urged them not to give up.
“It has given me the chance to continue my education and I thank my
“They gave us seven small turkeys for
sponsor for that,” Diego said. “I always
our monthly benefit and we started our
do my best in school so that my sponsor
business again,” Doña Jesus said. “These
can be proud of me.
seven turkeys grew and multiplied, and this has been my business ever since.
repay my sponsor for his kindness.” Doña Jesus, for her part, dreams of one
food for my turkeys as part of our monthly
day having a farm with thousands of tur-
benefits. But most importantly, they
keys and seeing Diego and her younger
helped us by encouraging us to continue
children complete their educations.
our business. us to continue.”
She also wants to share what she’s learned. She belongs to an Unbound mothers group of 14 women who encourage and
The family sells turkeys live or butchers
support each other, and she got a chance
them for meat. A full-grown, live male tur-
to give a workshop on raising turkeys to
key is worth about $38 US while a female
mothers in another community.
goes for about $20 US. Diego, 17, helps with the business on
“I want to thank Unbound for giving us hope. Now we have hope for our children.” - Jeaninne, mother of Diamondra in Madagascar
“My good grades are the only way I can
“Unbound also helped me by giving me
“Their support was very important for
“I wanted to say thank you to all the staff of Unbound locally and internationally and to my sponsors. You opened up a lot of opportunity for me to succeed in life. …” – Cieleto, former sponsored youth in the Philippines
Doña Jesus gives thanks for such opportunities and for Diego’s sponsor in Oregon.
weekends. He grinds corn to feed the tur-
“We always pray for our sponsor, and
keys, gives the turkeys water and cleans
we thank him for encouraging us and
their pen.
especially Diego,” she said.
TRY TASTY TURKEY DISH FROM GUATEMALA
“I want to say thank you to the sponsors and Education donors for their support of young people, like me, that have a desire to move forward.” - Erika, sponsored youth in El Salvador
“I am glad my family will eat today with a smile on their faces because this food is very sweet and comes by quite rarely. We thank Unbound for all the support.” – Elizabeth, mother of Josephine in Kenya, referring to a holiday meal made possible by her daughter’s sponsorship
Want a way to spice up this year’s Thanksgiving fare? Doña Jesus, mom of sponsored youth Diego in Guatemala, shared her recipe for turkey stew. She makes the stew for her family every Christmas. Go to unbound.org/turkeystew to get her recipe! 1 ELMWOOD AVENUE, KANSAS CITY, KS 66103
“Thankful for the situations that made me what I am today, the prayers that are heard of many that I may fulfill my responsibilities sincerely, and the work that makes me feel content at the end of a long day.” –Sarita Mendanha, coordinator of Unbound’s program in Hyderabad, India
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