Thank you for your support!

why should you donate?


Donating to Las Manos de Christine will support our educational programming by providing funds for materials and supplies, transportation, training, and living assistance for our teachers. It is really the life-force of our operation - without your help, we wouldn't be able to do our job! Have a look at the bottom of the page for some of our favorite stories from past donations!

To specifically donate to particular projects simply note that when you make your donation. If you would like to donate regularly, perhaps you might be interested in our Helping Hands Sponsorship Program; alternatively, these monthly donations will allow us to plan for the future, with the knowledge that we can provide our students with what they need for the present:

  • $20: Provides a daily healthy snack to 10 students.
  • $50: Provides toilet paper, soap, and cleaning supplies.
  • $100: Provides materials for library, art, and extra curricular classes.
  • $150: Pays a living stipend for 1 English teacher.
  • $200: Provides a daily snack to 100 students.

You can sign up for a regular donation via Paypal here:

Options

how to donate

Las Manos accepts donations through:

  • Paypal
  • Crowdrise
  • The Old Fashioned Way
  • Amazon Smile
  • Wishlist

Paypal

Crowdrise

The old fashioned way

Make out your check or money order to Las Manos de Christineand send your donation to: 
            
Las Manos de Christine
824 Canterbury Arc
Las Cruces, N.M. 88005

Please include your address so that we can send you your tax deductible receipt.

Amazon Smile

This brilliant service allows a percentage of your Amazon shopping to come to us as a donation. Click here, and then continue your shopping as usual, and a donation will automatically be sent to Las Manos!

Wishlist

Planning a trip to Guatemala?  Obtaining supplies and teaching materials in Guatemala can sometimes be a challenge, so we really appreciate the Care packages that people bring us.


And remember that in-kind donations are tax deductible.  If you need it, be sure to ask James for a donation receipt for your US income taxes.

Thanks!

These are some stories of past donations, and the wonderful people that made them. 

The Computer Lab

Quietly going to and fro from the school for most of May and June, a long-haired fellow, José the Computer Guy, worked feverishly at repairing, updating, and upgrading the computer lab at El Hato.  In the beginning, only a couple of the computers worked and most wouldn't even bother turning on.  Days passed in which we'd see José disappear from Earth Lodge in early afternoon and saunter back in the doors around five or six, looking a little exhausted but not without inspiration.  The numbers started to roll in: six computers on, ten computers on, fourteen of sixteen running.  But, of course, for the computer guy, mere illuminated screens were not enough.  He compiled a list of equipment and programs necessary to make the machines actually useful for the kids, and he set about procuring and installing, installing and procuring.  All of this on his own coin, which he used for parts, for getting up and down the mountain, and, yes, even imbibing a few of the happy hour concoctions on behalf of the kids.  José became such a fixture at Earth Lodge that it felt a bit empty without him here, partly because, as he was a night owl, we became accustomed to having him lock up at night.  What a great guy to have around, full of support, smiles, and stories, as well as a great volunteer who took the reins of his project and scarcely asked for help in anyway.

Wish list

After learning that they would return to Guatemala, Emma and Jonathon decided to raise a load of materials to bring down to their new base in El Hato.  They set up a "wish list" of around seventy-five items on Amazon.com and then sent corresponding letters to their family and friends, asking for donations in the name of the cause.  Within a few days, all of the items had been purchased, and people were thirsty for more.  Consequently, they upped the ante to 100 items, the rest of which were bought and paid for with similarly blinding speed.  Their supporters were so enthused by the El Hato project that people began to send cash donations that added up to purchasing a top-flight printer for making supplementary materials for the school.

5 Suitcases

Seizing the spirit throughout the holidays and beyond, Claire Miller set out on a grand adventure of material-raising, indeed.  Not only did she call upon her friends and family to help her gather masses and masses of materials, but she also visited local businesses in Minnesota and requested bulk donations from them.  And, boy, was she successful.  Claire arrived in Guatemala with more baggage than an airline sees fit to allow (literally).  We have enough supplies now to sustain the art program for probably the next two years, and we were able to give a boat load of crayons, pencils, and the such to help meet the students' annual back-to-school needs.  There are great new prizes for the kids, and she also amassed a generous purse of cash-ola to go towards the art program.  And, stay tuned because the word is that Claire is just getting warmed up.  Nonetheless, thanks for filling our January with post-holiday gifts.

Monos Locos – Crazy Monkeys

In an act of oft-paralleled genius (let's not overdo it), Billy Burns, owner/operator of Antigua's famous Mono Loco restaurant, decided to do something new one Christmas: rather than his staff doing the usual old gift exchange of key rings and Santa sweaters, they used that money to benefit their neighbors in Aldea El Hato.  So, when the Mono Loco staff came to Earth Lodge for their Christmas party, they came bearing gifts galore.  Los Monos Locos helped us supply the school with some 900 notebooks, 1200 writing utensils, 300 erasers, 300 pencil sharpeners, and loads of love.  What an awesome idea and moving thing to do.  Thanks, Billy.  Thanks, Monos Locos--you guys are wonderful.

Empowering Guatemalan Children and Youth Through Educational and Economic Opportunities