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2025 is Here!

June 10, 2025Uncategorizedfaithinactiones Leave a comment

Are we really halfway through the year? 2025 is flying by as we continue to support FUNDAHMER through a variety of projects.

This year, FACES continues to facilitate the scholarship programs for U.S. sister communities and Fundahmer in the communities of Monseñor Romero, Torola/Madison, and the late Padre Tomás/Champaign sister relationship. In addition, FACES directly supports 19 high school and university students, most requiring a monthly fee that ranges between $50 -$100 per month. These monthly expenses cover items such as tuition, transportation, and in some cases uniforms or other supplies. We have recently committed to supporting two new students, and our total budget goal for this academic year is approximately $25,000.

We thank those of you who currently contribute to FACES and the projects we support with Fundahmer. Your gifts bring education and much needed support to our friends in El Salvador. We hope you continue to feel inspired and called to give as we strive to make lasting change at the grassroots level. If you know of anyone who may be interested in joining in solidarity with the larger community, please pass along our information and we would be happy to communicate with them about opportunities to support our mission.

If you are not already contributing to FACES, we invite you to stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in El Salvador and offer what you can so we may continue to support these impactful projects.

Donate Here

Thank you again for all you do to support FACES and FUNDAHMER, and we look forward to making dreams come true through our love and solidarity!

Greetings from our Scholarship Students

August 26, 2024Uncategorizedfaithinactiones Leave a comment

August 26, 2024

We recently received videos from 20 students, sending their greetings and updating us on their studies. Thank you, Wendy, for putting this all together for us! There were a couple of videos in English, which you may see below. We selected a couple of the Spanish videos to translate, and the others may be translated upon request, just send us an email.

We are so proud of our students and the challenges they face while committed to earning their degrees. Below you will find a list of all 20 students, what they’re studying, and a select number of videos.

On behalf of the FACES board, and all the scholarship students, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting the scholarship program. Lives are being changed for the better with each contribution each and everyone of you makes. Thank you! Gracias!

Andrea Michell Cortez, Laboratory Chemistry, 4th year

Diego Ochoa Román, 2nd year technical high school, studying Tourism

Mercedes Jasmín Pérez, 3rd year of university, Bachelor of Arts

José Daniel Pérez, 4th year of university, studying Modern Languages

Esmeralda Jasmín Flores, 2nd year university, studying Judiciary Sciences

Ricardo Eulises Herrera, 3rd year university, studying to be a Physical Education Teacher

Andrea Leticia Portillo, 3rd year university, studying Journalism

Gabriela Samantha Hernández, 1st year university, studying Graphic Design

Adriana Abigail Ramírez, 2nd year university, studying Medicine

Óscar Roberto Parras, 1st year university, studying Medicine

Judith Alexandra Rodríguez, finishing her last year of high school

Violeta Saraí Méndez, 3rd year university, studying Veterinarian Medicine

Andy Alexander Cortez, 3rd year, studying International Business

Hazel Pamela Cortez, 3rd year university, studying Psychology

Álvaro Misael Luna, studying a degree in Physical Education

Diego Edgardo Luna, 4th year, studying Health Sciences, focused in Nutrition

Yessica Marleny Vigil, 1st year university, studying Nursing

Leticia Jasmín Argueta, 5th year university, studying Sociology

Yanci Lourdes Luna, 1st year university, studying Engineering

Happy 2024 from FACES!

January 22, 2024Uncategorizedfaithinactiones Leave a comment

It’s difficult to believe that we already wrapped up 2023 and are running full force ahead into a
bright new year. As we reflect on the past year and all the amazing opportunities and challenges
it provided, and as we look ahead to our future, let us not forget our friends and families in El
Salvador. The love we show one another through solidarity is the greatest gift we can give or
receive, and the nurturing of our sister relationships is a manifestation of that love and solidarity.

FACES shared love by supporting various projects throughout the year, including a
FUNDAHMER delegate visit to various communities in the states, the women’s project in the
Monseñor Romero Community, assisting elderly women with the purchase of medicine and
medical appointments, and of course, supporting multiple scholarship students.

We have so many things to be grateful for as we plunge into 2024, and one of those being our
four scholarship graduates! Please join us in congratulating these four young men and women
on their accomplishments, and wishing them the very best for their future. Congratulations!

Douglas Luna Vásquez
Comunidad Colón, Cacaopera, Morazán
Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology
Universidad Modular Abierta, San Miguel

Paz Elizabeth Gómez Luna
Comunidad Yancolo, Cacaopera, Morazán
High School Degree
Complejo Educativo Naciones Unidas, Cacaopera, Morazán

Yancy Lourdes Luna Gómez
Comunidad Yancolo, Cacaopera
High School Degree
Complejo Educativo Naciones Unidas, Cacaopera, Morazán.

Azucena Estefaía Márquez Argueta
San Salvador
Bachelor’s Degree in Fashion Design
Universidad Francisco Gavidia, San Salvador

With the coming of the new year, we want to wish you all the very best in 2024! We look forward
to continuing our commitment to sustaining and growing our relationship with El Salvador and
our mission of supporting sustainable, Salvadoran led social and economic development
projects, and engaging others to join us.

Feliz año nuevo!
Happy New Year!
Que Viva Romero!

Happy 2024 from FACES!

January 22, 2024Uncategorizedfaithinactiones Leave a comment

We have wrapped up 2023 and are running full force ahead into a bright new year. As we reflect on the past year and all the amazing opportunities and challenges it provided, and as we look ahead to our future, let us not forget our friends and families in El Salvador. The love we show to one another through solidarity is the greatest gift we can give or receive, and the nurturing of our sister relationships is a manifestation of that love and solidarity.

With your support, FACES shared love by supporting various projects throughout the year, including a FUNDAHMER delegate visit to various communities in the U.S., the women’s project in the Monsignor Romero Community, assisting elderly women with the purchase of medicine and medical appointments, and of course, supporting multiple scholarship students.

We have so many things to be grateful for as we plunge into 2024, one of those being our four scholarship graduates! Please join us in congratulating these four young men and women on their accomplishments, and wishing them the very best for the future. Congratulations!

Douglas Luna Vasquez
Comunidad Colon, Cacaopera, Morazan
Bachelors Degree in Psychology
Universidad Modular Abierta, San Miguel

Paz Elizabeth Gomez Luna
Comunidad Yancolo, Cacaopera, Morazan
High School Degree
Complejo Educativo Naciones Unidas

Yancy Lourdes Luna Gomez
Comunidad Yancolo, Cacaopera, Morazan
High School Degree
Complejo Educativo Naciones Unidas

Azucena Estefaia Marquez Argueta
Bachelors Degree in Fashion Design
Universidad Francisco Gavidia, San Salvador

With the coming of the new year, we want to wish each one of our generous supporters best wishes for a peaceful 2024. With your help we look forward to continuing our mission of supporting sustainable, Salvadoran-led social and economic development projects, and engaging others to join us!

Feliz ano nuevo!
Que Viva Romero!

Welcome

October 2, 2019Uncategorizedfaithinactiones Leave a comment

Welcome our website! Faith in Action with El Salvador (FACES) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization from the United States.

We are committed to supporting sustainable, Salvadoran-led social and economic development projects and engaging others to join us in this mission.

COURAGE: Romero and International Women’s Day

March 9, 2019UncategorizedCourage, FUNDAHMER, International Women's Day, Oscar Romerofaithinactiones Leave a comment

I first traveled to El Salvador in 1999. In the years since that first visit, Oscar Romero has continued to challenge me in profound ways as I consider what it means to be a Christian. Now recognized universally as a saint, Romero grew up in poverty, hidden from the world, quiet and conservative by nature. Despite this, he was named Archbishop of San Salvador during a brutal civil war, with an expectation that he would continue a tradition of offering no challenge to a repressive military government. Instead, faced with glaring economic injustice and horrific human rights abuses, Romero embraced his role as pastor, speaking out against oppression and directly challenging those in power. This month will mark the 39th anniversary of his murder at the hands of that power.

When I think of Romero I am most struck by his courage. He could have taken a far safer route by adjusting his understanding and proclamation of the gospel in ways that would keep the powerful – including himself – more comfortable. He may have lived a longer life, and most of us would have never heard of him. He is a saint today because he had the courage to allow his ministry to be animated by the example of Jesus, and that is always a threat to corrupt power.

I write this on the eve of International Women’s Day, and it is certainly the case that women, too, have forever found it necessary to act with courage in the face of patriarchal power. On my first trip, hosted by CEBES (now Fundahmer), we traveled to a tiny rural community called El Ocotillo in the department of Morazán. There I met many wonderful people, including a woman named Claudia Perez who was a leader of the women’s cooperative in the community. Machismo continues to be a reality in El Salvador, but there is no escaping the fact that any vision or progress made in communities like El Ocotillo is the result of courageous women who organize – often despite opposition from men. Claudia and the women of El Ocotillo – daughters, mothers, and grandmothers – have worked cooperatively to produced outcomes that include a scholarship program for children, sewing and musical projects, and computers and other technology for the local school. Organizations like Fundahmer play an essential role in supporting Salvadoran women by providing training and a network of partnerships.

I am so proud to support the work of FACES. I invite you to join us!

Dan Ponsetto, author of this reflection and current board member of FACES, is pictured here with Claudia Perez, community organizer from the community of El Ocotillo in Morazán, El Salvador.

Celebrating Día de Amistad: A Day of Friendship

February 12, 2019Uncategorizedaccompaniment, Dia de Amistad, friendship, volunteersfaithinactiones View all 3 comments

The automatic doors slid open smoothly and a rush of hot air hit me in the face. I rolled my bag outside to wait, weaving my way through families and tourist groups, women selling lottery tickets and kids proffering bundles of roasted cashews. Perching on top of my suitcase, I settled in to wait for my ride outside the arrivals gate. Right on (Salvadoran) time, about an hour later, the familiar truck rolled up, the door opened, and out clambered several familiar faces.

I hadn’t expected a welcoming delegation quite so large, but as we all squeezed back into the car, I couldn’t stop smiling. This is true friendship. Picking right back up where we had left off over a year earlier, laughing and joking, piled on top of one another and eating pupusas with salsa dripping down our fingers. These friendships that span distance and time and language and all likelihood are some of the most precious relationships that I have.

When I came to El Salvador as a volunteer in 2017, I had no idea what to expect. I had hoped that I would be able to share myself in some small way to further the work that many people before me had begun. I definitely did not anticipate the deep friendships that I grew during my time working at Fundahmer.

This Thursday, February 14th, on the Día de Amistad, almost two years after I first visited El Salvador, I will be celebrating in a special way the love, friendship, and confianza that I share with my Salvadoran friends, and looking forward to the next round of pupusas when we see each other again.

Post by former FUNDAHMER volunteer and current FACES board member, Eva Mergner. She is pictured with Salvadoran friends Laura and Angela (left to right).

Do YOU feel the call to accompany the Salvadoran community in a personal way? FUNDAHMER, one of our partner organizations, is looking for in-person volunteers to support various aspects of their work including accompanying delegations. Please contact Maria Elena (en español) at malenadecruz@fundahmer.org.sv.

Happy New Year 2019

January 15, 2019Uncategorizeddonations, happy new year, thank you, volunteersfaithinactiones Leave a comment

On behalf of the FACES board we wish you and your loved ones a Happy New Year filled with purpose and resolve to make a difference in 2019! We pray that this finds you well having celebrated the end of one year and the start of the next. We are grateful for the support we have received and want to thank you to those of you who made contributions to our campaign at the end of the year. For those who may have missed the end of the year deadline, there is still time!

Students all over El Salvador are preparing to start a new school year, and FACES is looking to support a few more individuals seeking to continue their education in spite of trying circumstances. Sponsorship of a student or a one-time donation could be life-changing.

We invite you to donate to FACES projects online or reach out to FACES directly if you would like more information about sponsoring a student for the year faithinactiones@gmail.com.

Click HERE to donate

Looking for more ways to get involved?

Another way to impact the work of FACES is to volunteer directly with one of our Salvadoran partner organizations, FUNDAHMER. Many of us on the board made our initial connection with El Salvador through the work of FUNDAHMER and continue to be inspired by their commitment to accompany communities. It is truly a gift to get to learn from the lived experience of individuals in El Salvador, walk alongside them, and hear their story. If you or someone you know might be interested in volunteering your time, e-mail us at faithinactiones@gmail.com.

Former Delegations volunteers Mike Tarkey and Christine Wanzeck accompany students from Notre Dame High School on a community visit, 2013

End of Year Giving 2018

December 7, 2018UncategorizedAnnual Giving, El Salvadorfaithinactiones Leave a comment

The complex challenges of life in Latin America have been broadcast on US news outlets every day this past year: children separated from their families at our borders, caravans of desperate people braving unthinkable landscapes in hopes of creating a better life for their children. For those of us who have spent time getting to know the hearts of people in the communities of El Salvador, these stories feel even more personal, as we recognize glimpses of faces and stories that are familiar to us.

FACES was founded in 2013 to accompany Salvadoran communities by making it easier for people in the US to financially support the extraordinary work being done by FUNDAHMER, the CEBES network, and other similar groups in El Salvador. Sadly, the need for support has only increased since we began, but we are constantly buoyed by the resilience and determined hope of our Salvadoran sisters and brothers.

During this holiday season, we invite you to remember the Salvadoran families you have met or heard about over the years: the joyful and tenacious women’s groups, the earnest and fiercely faithful young people, the beautiful folk songs, the simple and delicious meals prepared, and the way your heart was moved by the faith and generosity of the Salvadoran people.

Your financial support can make a real difference in the lives of the people you met and others like them. Right now, we are especially in need of funding for scholarship students to be able to continue in their education– a gift from you could be literally life-changing.

We hope you will consider making a one-time or recurring donation– every little bit helps. Contributions can be sent to the address below (via check, payable to FACES) or via PayPal:

Donate!

Here are some examples of the Salvadoran projects we have been able to support this year, with the help of people like you:

Community Initiatives: community led projects like raising livestock, making natural medicines, celebrating martyrial and community anniversaries, and educational workshops.

These projects help to ensure the long-term self-sustainability of the communities of El Salvador.

Scholarship Program: FACES helps facilitate scholarships through FUNDAHMER to give young people in El Salvador access to education, including University.

In 2018, our donors were able to support 22 students in their education. There are many more young people hoping for a chance to continue their education in 2019.

Dignified Housing: This project seeks to make permanent housing more accessible in Morazán by designing and teaching a blend of ancestral and modern natural construction techniques.

Through the program 3 new houses have been built this year,and, with your help, we hope to complete 3 more in 2019!

Donate!

Donations in any amount are appreciated. For more information about supporting student scholarships, please contact Laurel directly (soy.laurel@gmail.com). Thank you!

We encourage you to contact us with any questions you have (see below for contact information). We send our most sincere wishes for joy and peace to you and your loved ones during this holiday season.

FACES Board (volunteer): Laurel Marshall, Mary Lou Bozza, Glenn Darilek, Dan Ponsetto, Christine Wanzeck, Eva Mergner, Colleen Blanton, Angel Cruz
Ex oficio: Armando Marquez-Ochoa, Anita Ortiz Luna, Maria Elena Sanabria.

Mailing Address: FACES / P.O. Box 5411 / Wayland, MA 01778

Email: faithinactiones@gmail.com Phone: (330) 807-6886

Support A Scholarship Student

August 10, 2018Uncategorizedfaithinactiones One comment

Dear friends and family of FACES and FUNDAHMER,

We are writing you to today to update you about FUNDAHMERs thriving scholarship program and encourage some of you to sponsor one of the 7 students that still lack a scholarship sponsor.

FUNDAHMER’s scholarship program is an effort that has grown out of the sister relationships to support youth in the communities as they continue to work through middle school, high school, and university here in El Salvador. Many of the communities they work with are seeing youth graduate high school and college for the first time because of these scholarships. For more information on the scholarship program check out their website.

Currently FACES is seeking to support those students who are not directly connected to a sister community but who are committed to their own education and are involved in the life of their home community through youth group, church participation, or community meetings. Without the generous contributions of donors, these students would have little recourse but to discontinue their formal education after ninth grade.

Details about sponsoring a scholarship student:

Who are we sponsoring?

The 7 students who currently do not have a scholarship sponsor live in communities that are not directly connected to a sister community, but who are committed to their own education and demonstrated participation in the life of their home community. These students would likely not be able to continue studying after 9th grade without the support of a scholarship.

What does the monthly scholarship amount cover?

The monthly stipend amount covers some of a students transportation, lunch, and school supplies, as well as tuition, if applicable. It also takes into account FUNDAHMER’s monthly meetings with students for support and encouragement. While not all of the students’ costs are covered by a scholarship, it does ease the burden on the students and their families.

How do I sponsor a student?

Email Angel Cruz, coordinator of scholarships for FACES (angel.cruz08@gmail.com) and let her know who you would like to sponsor.

Once you hear the ok from Angel, you can simply go to the Support FACES page and click donate. You can donate the full year amount at once or do it as a recurrent monthly payment. In the comments section put the name of the student to make your intention clear.

In accordance with 501(c)3 tax code, FACES reserves ultimate discretion and control over all donations.

Will I receive any communication from my student?

You will receive 1 or 2 letters a year from your student and FACES will make sure either the original letter or an electronic copy will be sent to you.

What if I can’t sponsor a student for the whole year?

No problem! You can make a general donation to the scholarship fund to cover unexpected expenses for students (e.g. graduation can be very expensive for salvadoran students). This fund also helps cover new scholarship students that don’t yet have sponsors.

Can I make a general donation to the scholarship fund without sponsoring a specific student?

Absolutely! The general scholarship fund helps cover unexpected expenses for students (e.g. graduation can be very expensive for salvadoran students). It also helps cover new scholarship students that don’t yet have sponsors.

If you have more questions, feel free to contact Angel Cruz (angel.cruz08@gmail.com)