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Ways our parish is “Making a Difference” are:
FAMILY TO FAMILY PROGRAM
With over 40,000 people in Fr. Joe Uhen’s parish there are plenty of families in Piura that could benefit from a St. Anthony sponsor family. Monthly support helps supply rice, beans, powdered milk, oil and various other sundries. These supplies help supplement the monthly food needs for approximately two weeks, which gives the family a means of stretching their income for the month. The average wage for most members of Santisimo Sacramento is between $3-5 per day for 8 hours of work.
The cost to sponsor a family is $25 per month or $300 per year. St. Anthony’s currently sponsor over 350 families in Piura. Sponsorship Form.
FARM FUND
42 Farmers have been given $1000 each as a loan to be able to plant, grow and harvest rice, cotton or corn. Land is owned by the farmers but they did not have the means to cultivate until these loans. In the past they rented their property to the government for $250 per year. With the loans they can now grow the crops themselves and then sell them. The $1000 loan is repaid to the parish after harvest, and a profit is realized by the farmer that far exceeds the $250 received from renting. There are about 150 more farmers who could benefit from this type of loan.
HOSPICE CENTER
A Hospice center has been constructed with donations made in memory of Mark Redmond. The facility was designed to be a place where the terminally ill can go to get compassionate medical care and be with their family during their final days. A chapel was also built on the premises where prayer and Mass can be celebrated.
MEDICAL
A medical clinic has been constructed where families will be able to go to get medical attention. This too is being funded with help from several St. Anthony members. Currently other members of St. Anthony’s are making donations to a Medical Fund which helps pay nurse salaries, various surgery costs and other medical needs.
CASA CONSTRUCTION
For $550 a home can be built for a Piuran family. These homes are built of bamboo poles, reed walls with a metal roof and door. To date St. Anthony members have built over 200 homes for families in Peru.
GROCERY STORES
Approximately 17 in home “tiendas” have been sponsored enabling the mother of a family to stay home and sell staples right out the front window of her casa. The cost to start up one of these stores is $300 and generates about an income of approximately $3-5 per day.
QUILTERS for PERU
The parish Quilting Group works diligently all year to create beautiful works of art which are sold with proceeds benefiting a Peru family and the Senior Center in the village of LaLegua.
EDUCATION FUNDS
Educational funds donated by members of our parish are used to help children with needs. Many do not go to school because of a $10-50 entrance fee that their parents cannot afford. Uniforms and supplies are also provided with these funds.
SPONSOR AN ANGEL
This is a program created to support the Mother of Redeemer Orphanage, which has generated amazing interest. There are currently about 115 girls at the Orphanage run by a Peruvian order of nuns. Santisimo Sacramento has taken this orphanage under their wing so we are able to help directly through them. The girls make candy and sell it in the market as a means of income. A program “Sponsor An Angel” is now in place where donated monies are sent to provide food, water, electricity, clothing and basic needs to keep this facility going and the girls comfortable. To help sponsor an orphan the cost is $100 per girl. Part of the $100 also provides each girl with a Birthday and Christmas gift.
PENNIES FOR PERU
The children of St. Anthony’s School and Christian Formation collect “Pennies for Peru” which provides breakfast for the children of several villages six days per week. These children would go to school without anything to eat otherwise. Initially these funds built a chapel in one of the villages from where the breakfast program is now being run.
ANNUAL SHIPPING CONTAINER
A semi sized container is sent to our sister parish each year. Participants in the Family to Family program are able to send items to their Peru family. Other members of our parish community are also invited to send useful items on this container. We've sent church pews on many of our containers that are extremely beneficial in the many chapels of Padre Joe's parish. Monetary donations to help offset the cost of shipping the actual container are most welcome!
CHAPEL CONSTRUCTION
There are two chapels that have been constructed with donations from several St. Anthony families. One chapel in particular is called “San Antonio del Lago” or “St. Anthony on the Lake”. Most of the money needed to build this chapel came from our generous parishioners. There are currently over 25 small chapels throughout this parish situated in various villages. They are used not only for Mass and Prayer but also serve as a community center for the parishioners.
WE “CAN” FOR PERU
“We Can for Peru” is a monthly drive to collect aluminum cans which are then taken to a recycling center generating about $250-$300 in proceeds for Peru.
ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE
A pilgrimage to Peru is made each year in early January. About 25 people travel every year, some for the first time and others on a return visit. The awareness generated from these trips has made such an impact that it has resulted in establishing the many programs on-going within this sister parish relationship.
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