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The Old Gallery Community Center

Join us for our 34th annual meeting this summer in the beautiful Colorado mountains.

Location: The Old Gallery and McKay’s home, Alenspark, Colorado

Time: Saturday, August 14th, 2010, 9:00 AM

Agenda:   Continental Breakfast and Fellowship ( 9-9:30 AM)

Reports (9:30-12:00 PM)

Lunch* (12:30-2:00 PM)

*Turkey, homemade bread and drinks will be provided

Following lunch there will be outdoor nature activities for those who can stay.   You can go hiking or just sit and look at the view.

In the weeks after the devastating earthquake struck Haiti, Oxfam provided displaced people with some essentials lost in the disaster: clean water, sanitation services, and shelter. To meet emergency water needs Oxfam supplied huge bladders, water taps, and tankers to replenish the water bladders it set up in camps. In some of the  makeshift camps, Oxfam supplied tarps and kits of rope and plastic sheeting. Oxfam shipped in one million square feet of plastic sheeting so people could construct temporary shelters.

Oxfam’s coordinator Alexandros Yiannopoulos stated, “We are not only looking at the present. We’re also looking at four years down the road and further. We’re trying to be creative about making sure there’s an overlap in our immediate response and our more long-term programs.”  As part of Oxfam’s strategy to help put people back to work. they have hired people to to help with organization and distribution of aid and to do work that will make the camps more livable.

For more information and updates refer to: www.oxfamamerica.org/emergencies/earthquake-in-haiti

This Sat. July 26th, EPIC members met in Allenspark, CO. to catch up on current projects, share some time together and enjoy the gorgeous natural surroundings.

The meeting began with a tasty breakfast and hot coffee from our Honduran growers.   As the crowd settled in, Mary McKay ran through an update on various projects in 2007. Loren Raymond, EPIC’s president, gave an informative overview of EPIC’s 31 year history.  Guest presenters, Gywneth Short and Dick Williams were both enthusiatic in their reports on their most recent visits to Central America.  Gwyneth shared her impressions of La Semilla del Progreso and answered many questions on importing the perfect coffee bean.  Dick Williams, EPIC’s treasurer, gave an update on Mujeres En Acción, a micro-lending program in Guatemala, and the Quick Books workshop he taught to 14 staff members.

Dick Williams guides a student using Quick Books

Paul Mckay was up next, sharing the May 29th, 2008 inauguration of the Casa para la Culture Maya in Guatemala. His Power Point presentation conveyed how very exciting the whole inauguration day was for all who attended.  The photos gave EPIC members a sense of the importance of the various event that took place.  These included a workshop on the “Farmer to Farmer” teaching methodology, a homage to Marcos Orozco Miranda, Father of Soil and Water Conservation for Central America, and the dedication of the Casa para la Cultura Maya.

When the meeting ajourned, all were treated to a fantastic lunch at the McKays and a nature walk to Olive Ridge. Geologist, Lauren Raymond and Birders, Becky and Bill Eeds, all provided fascinating lectures ‘on the spot’.

We all had fun at the meeting this year.  Thank you for joining us.