The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it many questions that I needed to answer as a father of four children in New York City. How would my wife and I keep them safe? How would we keep their lives intact during lockdown? (The questions eventually shifted towards how I would keep my sanity intact amid the endless energy of my young children ... but that came later.)
I hope you have already seen the messages of gratitude that our youth from Latin America have been sending us. As cases have spiked in their countries, causing the World Health Organization to name Latin America the new epicenter of the pandemic, they have also sent us photos of how they and their families are trying to keep safe. Maintain social distance ... wear a face mask ... stay at home. The families of our children overseas have been asking themselves the same questions I asked myself in New York. How do we keep our children safe and healthy? But in the impoverished communities we serve in Bolivia, Guatemala, Peru, Mexico and Colombia, they've had to grapple with even more difficult questions. How can I stay at home when we have no money - how will I feed my family? Do I continue working to put food on the table and risk getting my family sick, or do I watch our children go hungry? How can my child keep up with schoolwork when we don't have a computer or smart phone? Luckily, we have the answers. Or rather, you do! A gift from you allows us to continue providing this life-saving aid to our youth, and begin working with our partners overseas to ensure no child loses access to an education in the coming year. To help with this endeavor, a partner foundation has offered to match any donation to our #MonthofMeals campaign given before June 30 - providing TWICE the amount of support and doubling your impact on the lives of children around the world! To say thank you and help you stay safe as well, we'll send an A Chance In Life face mask (photo below) to anyone who gives at the $100 level or above. The families of our youth face increasingly difficult questions about their children's health and education. I hope you will join me today in providing them with resources they need to answer them. Thank you. Gabriele Delmonaco President/Executive Director
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