On location in Brazil, Coming Home

As we prepare to leave Brazil and return home, we are excited at the opportunities we have found.  We arrived expecting to find some great people, beautiful kids and hopefully an organization or two willing to hear our story - a story about hope and the tireless pursuit for a better tomorrow.  What we found was more than we’d planned and more than we’d hoped.  We are leaving Brazil with plans to return in February...

On-Location in Brazil, Day 7

There is no shortage of children in need in Brazil.  In our ongoing efforts to provide hope, education, and opportunity to children all over the world, we are establishing a new project in Almirante Tamandare, Brazil.  In contrast to so many communities in Latin America who are deeply proud of where they are from, the community in Almirante Tamandare is so impoverished and plagued by social problems that members of the...

On-Location in Brazil, Day 6

If you ever find yourself in Curitiba in December, make sure you attend the Christmas celebration sponsored by HSBC bank.  This annual event is celebrating it’s 20th anniversary this year and we were fortunate enough to experience this magical display.  HSBC supports the efforts of organizations like ACRIDAS and Children,Incorporated and believes in partnering today for a better world tomorrow.  That is why every year...

On-Location in Brazil, Day 5

The rural community of Correia Pinto is located about twenty minutes outside the small town of Lages, Brazil. The self-proclaimed “paper capital of the world” is home to approximately 14,000 people. The majority of the population that has a job works in either the paper production sector or apple farming. Because many of the local jobs are seasonal in nature, unemployment is a major problem. The unemployment situation is...