Alexandra Chewning, CRT member and former Peace Corps volunteer, leaves for Honduras this week to volunteer at La Estancia Santa Gertrudis this summer. 

"The Estancia" is a small, local non-profit organization dedicated to improving the daily lives of Danli's most vulnerable children. The organization provides free schooling, meals, supplies, and clothing to 25 children who would otherwise not have the opportunity to access an education. The children it serves face numerous challenges such as extreme poverty, street living, malnutrition, home and community violence, and social marginalization. Although many of the students have families, few are able to provide the children with the physical and emotional care they require.

After a delayed start due to the political unrest in Honduras, Chewning was cleared for departure early this week.   She brings with her donations made through CRT as well as from Tufts University’s Eliot Pearson Children’s School. Chewning said “parents had donated many gently used children's t-shirts, as well as packages of new children's underwear and socks.  In all, it was about four paper grocery bags of stuff, which was perfect because I wouldn't have been able to carry much more!”

During her Peace Corps service as a Youth Development Volunteer, Chewning worked as co-administrator of the Estancia project from December 2005-December 2007.  You can read about her experiences there on her blog. Good luck to Alex and thank you to all those who contributed.