Semillas de Amor 2019 Gratitude Report

CELEBRATING

YOU

AND ALL YOU MADE POSSIBLE IN 2019!

2019 Gratitude Report

Thank you!!

The one and only purpose of this report is to say thank you, and to celebrate you!

Flip through the pages and look at all that you helped accomplish in 2019. You are truly incredible! Your generosity during 2019 put food on the table and nourished the young bodies of the Semillas de Amor kids. Fresh fruit, veggies, protein, and more, all provided by your kindness and generosity.

Thanks to you, the Semillas kids learned valuable math skills, did science experiments, studied history across the globe, presented projects (overcame stage-fright!), read dozens of books, and grew in both knowledge, insight and critical thinking.

You sent the kids on eye-opening adventures outside of the children's home. You stimulated their minds and their imaginations. You helped the kids expand their artistic talents, both on an easel and on the theatrical stage! You placed them on soccer fields, basketball courts, and in track lanes where they could learn valuable life lessons about teamwork, personal endurance and achievement.

You showed the kids that you value them and you care about their quality of life; you might as well have been right there in the stands cheering them on, with the amazing support you showed them this last year!

Through your own compassion and generosity, you taught the Semillas kids to care about others, regardless of whether or not they had something to offer you in return.

Today, right now, I want to celebrate you.

I want to celebrate all the incredible things you accomplished and made possible for the Semillas kids through your generous donations in 2019.

You did so much!

As you look through the photos and read the captions that fill the following pages, I want you to hold this in your mind: "My generosity made all of this possible."

With all of the gratitude and humble thanks that fills my heart, I extend my most sincere 'thank you' to you, on behalf of all the kids of Semillas de Amor and the Seeds of Love Board Members.

With Sincere Gratitude,

Nancy Susan Bailey Founder, Semillas de Amor & Seeds of Love

Thank you!

Your generosity provided for the kids in 2019!

Marta

Maribel

Frankie

Birthday: 03/25/2001

Birthday: 07/26/2003

Birthday: 12/28/2003

Espe

Denis

Rosa

Birthday: 12/28/2003

Birthday: 04/29/2006

Birthday: 06/16/2007

Fatima

Victor

Carol

Birthday: 09/06/2007

Birthday: 10/27/2007

Birthday: 11/20/2007

Education

2019 was a big year for the kids at school!

Thanks to you, Carolina, Victor, Rosa, and Fatima made the leap from elementary school to middle school!! This was a huge and exciting step for the “Fab Four,” and it was possible because of your generosity and investment in their education!!

Your generosity made it possible for Frankie and Espe to graduate from middle school and advance to high schoo in 2019! Wow!

In Guatemala, school is only mandatory for kids up through 6th grade.

Don't take for granted that you made it possible for the Frankie and Espe to stay in school and enter into high school- we don't!

Without physical resources or parental guidance, most orphaned kids in Guatemala have little choice but to drop out of school and survive on the streets.

The fact that Frankie and Espe are able to still be in school, because of you, is a BIG DEAL! The same goes for Denis, Maribel, and Marta. They're all in school and receiving an education because of you!

Academic Support

Espe's Brain

One of the MOST IMPACTFUL ways you made a difference in 2019 was by providing Carolina, Frankie and Espe with much-needed treatment for ADHD.

I wish you could see with your own eyes the incredible difference your intervention has made in the lives of these three kids!

You helped them make a shift from long hours of painful, frustrating and ineffective studying, to being empowered, whose hard work finally pays off!

Your compassion not only helped these three kids improve academically, it also helped them with their self-esteem.

Let me share with you one beautiful example with Carolina. Last year, Carolina couldn't tell you what 8 x 7 was, despite hours on end of working with her classmates, teachers, and tutoring. How frustrating! Today, with just a few months of treatment, Carolina not only knows her times tables, she's also been moved into the advanced math class at school! WOW!! You did this!!

The differences you make through your donations are so real.

Thank you for helping the kids succeed!

HEALTH You kept the kids healthy throughout 2019!

You fed three nutritious meals a day, plus healthy snacks, for a group of hungry, growing kids. In a country where malnutrition rates are among the highest in the hemisphere, this is a big deal... thank you!!

You also kept the kids active with after school activities like soccer, basketball, track and field, and other great outdoor activities.

You took the kids hiking, swimming, and so much more! The Semillas kids would not have had these valuable, positive experiences this last year if it weren't for you.

Thank you!!

The Arts Thank you for supporting the artists of the Semillas home in 2019!!

There is so much young talent here, and you helped the kids shine their brightest.

You made it possible for Marta to perform in the school musical The Little Mermaid. She played one of Ariel's jealous sisters!

Your contributions to the kids' education also meant they had access to the school art room and resources. Several of the kids had pieces displayed in the school art show.

Marta's art piece was even chosen for the art show invitation. She was beaming with pride because of what you made possible.

And your generosity made it possible for the four "Littles" to take art classes over the summer! Which they LOVED!! Thank you!!

Celebrations Happy 12th birthdays to the “Fab Four”!

Happy 16th birthdays to Frankie, Esperanza, and Maribel!

Happy 18th and 13th birthdays to Marta and Denis!!

Thank you for giving each of the Semillas kids a reason to celebrate, as they’ve each spent another year at Semillas de Amor.

Whether it’s wearing the birthday hat, building a massive nativity scene at Christmas, sharing Valentine’s with each other, or ‘Trick or Treating’ together, you made it possible for the kids to create positive memories and a sense of belonging in the home.

CATS AND DOGS

Your compassion keeps spreading!

Nearly every Saturday of 2019 (and more often, when they weren’t in school), Carol, Rosa, Victor and Esperanza spent at the local animal rescue.

They helped care for the dogs and cats sheltered there by cleaning runs, exercising and training pups, and socializing them for adoption.

Espe and Marta were even veterinarian assistance during spay and neuter clinics!

Your kindness to the kids allows them to spread the love and learn the value of compassion, selflessness, and making a meaningful contribution to their community.

You have also helped to bring more love into the kids’ home, through cats and dogs!

By giving Victor a cat to cuddle, you’ve helped him cope with feelings of loneliness and anxiety.

You’ve helped Rosa improve her impulse control as she learned to reign in her enthusiasm around little furry friends.

You’ve helped teach all of the Semillas kids about responsibility and caring for another life, as they each take turns with feedings and cleaning.

Having pets has also helped improve the kids’ self-esteem, social skills, and even helping them recover from PTSD.

Field Trips & Outings Without even knowing it at the time, you gave the kids an even more valuable gift than you could have imagined.

With the coronavirus pandemic following hot on the heels of 2019, the world has changed entirely for the kids.

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s to not take life and community for granted.

Visiting the United Buddy Bears, visiting an art museum, going to the movies, eating at a restaurant for someone’s birthday, ‌ these are precious experiences that you gave the Semillas kids in 2019.

Thank you!!

Special Gifts and Donations Whether your donations during 2019 were monetary or otherwise, your gifts to the kids were real and tangible!Â

Thank you for the generous giftsof books, backpacks, water bottles, and glasses.

Thank you for the birthday and Christmas presents!

And THANK YOU for the sturdy van that provides the kids with safe, dependable transportation.

The Semillas de Amor Kids & The Seeds of Love Board of Directors, Joel Peters, Colleen Crowley, Diane Eldred, Mary Sebastian & Nancy Bailey

Seeds of Love 101 Willow Hill Court Los Gatos CAÂ 95032

info@semillasdeamor.org 305.600.4517 www.semillasdeamor.org