Please Consider Helping

It is traditional in Guatemala to eat Tamales at midnight on Christmas Eve, yet, so many families in Guatemala cannot afford such a meal. Mayan Families is a non-profit group working in Guatemala and runs an annual Christmas Tamale Basket Program. I know times are financially very tough here in the Unites States, but a $35 donation through Mayan Families will buy a Christmas Tamale Basket and feed a family of 12 or more. For many of us, a $35 donation simply means forfeiting one meal out at a restaurant and eating at home instead. Ken and I donated 4 Tamale baskets. Please consider brightening a family's holiday by buying a Tamale Basket.

From "Mayan Families":

"IT IS THE SEASON FOR SHARING.

At midnight on Christmas Eve 2005, two of our sponsored students went door to door hoping someone would give them a tamale to eat. This is the traditional meal at Christmas in Guatemala. Their single mother could not afford to buy the ingredients to make Tamales. We wondered how many other families could not afford to celebrate Christmas and how many other children were sad and hungry at this time of the year.

In 2006 we started the Christmas Tamale Basket Program. We gave out 215 baskets of food. In 2007 we gave out 650 baskets.

We are asking your help to feed more families this Christmas. Food prices have risen an exorbitant 38% this year. There are lots of families needing help. Please consider feeding an impoverished family this Holiday Season. Many families in Guatemala do not have enough food to eat this year. Many of the families that we work with cannot afford to have the traditional meal at midnight on Christmas Eve.

Please help us bring them a Christmas this year. For $35 you can give a Christmas Tamale Basket and feed a family of 12 or more. Our Christmas basket is made of plastic and will be used afterwards by the family to stack and wash dishes, hold food etc. The food items will include: Oil, 15 lbs of Rice to make the tamales, a block of drinking chocolate (this is traditional to drink at midnight), a loaf of bread with which they eat the tamales at midnight, raisins for the tamales, grapes, apples, sugar for the Tamales, 5lbs of meat, tomatoes, one pound of coffee and leaves to wrap the tamales.

To make a contribution for the Christmas Tamale baskets please go to our website http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=43873690&msgid=552677&act=FD91&c=316576&admin=0&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mayanfamilies.org%2Fchristmas.htm to send a donation. If you would like to nominate a special family or a sponsored student to receive your basket please send us their name or student number by e-mail to Sharon@mayanfamilies.org

If you would like to pay by check please send your donation made out to Mayan Families to: Mayan Families, 2609 Hartford St., San Diego, California 92110-2315.

If you would like to give this gift in Honor of someone special, please send us an email giving us the details and we will put them on our IN HONOR OF Blog.....if you would like to include a photo of your "someone special" we will also post their photo.......to have an e-card sent to the person you are honoring - please send us their email address.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM OUR FAMILIES TO YOURS."