Fair Trade Products

During the summer, Fair Trade products and religious articles will be sold at St. Marguerite d'Youville Church twice a month, according to schedule. Products are sold by the Faith in Action group in the parish.

One of the many product lines includes Cocoa Camino, which is a line of premium Fair Trade Certified and certified organic chocolate, cocoa and sugar products produced by La Siembra Co-operative. La Siembra’s mission is to offer high-quality Fair Trade Certified organic products that improve the livelihoods of family farmers and the well-being of communities at home and abroad.

Support this initiative to ensure that workers in countries such as the Dominican Republic receive fair wages.

Update from Colombia Project

The school in Colombia has sent a thank-you letter to the ACCESS Charity for the funds sent in April. Principal of the school, Miriam Rocio, explained that they are very glad that they will be able to start construction of the recreational patio for kindergarten students, thanks to the money that ACCESS has sent. The school has offered to send us pictures periodically of the development of the project.

Here is an image of the existing school in Itagui, Colombia. Currently, this is the only area in which the kindergarten children have to play.

Charity's Spring Raffle for Colombia

During the week of April 10 - April 13, 2007, ACCESS hosted a Charity Raffle, which was open to the students and staff of St. Marguerite d'Youville Secondary School. Ticket sales were very successful, raising almost $800.00, plus a donation from Student Council. The draw was held on the afternoon of April 13. Congratulations to those who won a prize and thank you to everyone who bought tickets and supported the charity's efforts in Colombia.

Presentation at St. Jean Brebeuf School

A presentation about the ACCESS Charity, Social Justice, and the Dominican Republic took place at St. Jean Brebeuf on Friday, April 13.

Thank you to the the grades 6 - 8 students who participated, asking many questions at St. Jean Brebeuf Elementary School in Brampton. Thank you to the Staff involved in arranging this presentation. Profits from the events in the school's upcoming Spirit Week will be donated to ACCESS.

Random Act of Kindness

April 11, 2007 - A large donation of school supplies was dropped off at St. Marguerite d'Youville Church anonymously.

The items have been delivered to Dr. Simone's warehouse in Mississauga (Canadian Food for Children) and were shipped immediately to the Honduras the following day!

Thank you to the donor for your generous contribution.

Easter Greetings from the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic: The Uniform project continues, based on the availability of uniforms. I have purchased a few for students in a recently-opened school for deaf-mute students, as well as a large purchase for students living in a distant batey. The number of students who have received uniforms is certainly well into the hundreds. I have been involved with 10 schools. May the Resurrected Christ be your source of Hope and Joy! - Sister Catherine O'Shea, Consuelo, Dominican Republic

Our Colombia Classroom Project in the News

In another feature article on TheBramptonNews.com, ACCESS announces its project in Colombia. Click the link to view the article: Building a Classroom in Colombia. To learn about the details of the project, read the posting below.

ACCESS Building School in Colombia!

Since April 2007, ACCESS has been funding the construction of a classroom for kindergarten children in Colombia (see our Country Information page). The classroom is being built as an extension of an existing school in Itagui, in the province of Antioquia, Colombia. The ACCESS Charity, thanks to generous donations and fundraising, is completely funding this project.

The recreational patio is to be used for kindergarten students as a safe place to learn and play. A secondary project, with excess donations, will add toys, decorations, learning activities, and furniture to the ACCESS classroom.

Generally, the government does not supply funding for the school (the government only pays the teachers’ salaries). Therefore there is no budget to build this necessary expansion for the young students. Currently, these young children are forced to remain outdoors even in inclement weather. The dusty environment causes respiratory problems in the children there. This is where ACCESS has stepped in to help.

The project has been coordinated through a teacher in Colombia, based on a request from the Principal (Myriam Rocio Correa Arroyave) which ACCESS has received. Communication with Colombia occurs through a Colombian-born Canadian here in Ontario.