Lía Calderón Rodríguez wrote to Operación San Andrés to express her appreciation for the help her family has received.

It is a pleasure to greet you and express my appreciation for your help. My name is Lía, and I am the mother of two children, Daniela (5th grade) and Gabriel (3rd grade), who participate in the morning session of the educational enrichment program at Operación San Andrés. In the afternoon, they are students at the primary school called Fe y Alegría No. 13.

When my children first arrived at Operación San Andrés at the end of January 2017, it was a time of grace from the Lord and a great help to my family, not only in their education but also in the area of feeding and spirituality. At the beginning of that year, severe economic problems commenced at our home, because their father, whom I was already separated from, was not sending money for child support. Therefore, I had to work all day to support my family and cover the required expenses. As a consequence, I was unable to see if my children had lunch or not.

Walking close to my house one day, I saw a flyer on a post, and the following slogan had a great impact on me: “Do you want the best training for your child?” Very soon I called by telephone to obtain more information which they provided and asked me to visit Operación San Andrés for an interview. I needed no additional encouragement and went to the OSA location to enroll my two children. 

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Daniela praying before eating lunch

Since enrolling, my children have changed their way of eating, and I know that they are eating healthy food. They like being at Operación San Andrés and have more energy and vitality. 

When I arrive at home every evening, they are waiting to tell me about the activities and food that they have had at Operación San Andrés. It is worth mentioning that during this time they have become accustomed to diverse menus at lunch including fruit and salads. For the time being, I am unable to prepare some of these new favorite dishes.

At Operación San Andrés, they receive healthy food and a balanced diet appropriate for their ages. In addition, you are teaching them Christian values and providing help with their studies. Without a doubt, this is a place of holistic assistance. I would like to reiterate my profound appreciation for the help with food and the teaching of Christian values that you offer to my children every day.

Many thanks for your service and support and may God greatly bless all the donors and workers in this nonprofit for the work that you offer every day to the children of Collique. I know that your planting will have a great harvest.