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Queridos Amigos, And why, as the sun rises over the nearby mountains, people in this community line up, patiently waiting outside this clinic, occasionally for hours. You’ll see how, as a result of what’s happening there, lives are transformed. We Can’t Do it Without You Locals and tourists alike visit the clinic, which provides 24-hour combined on-site and on-call care every day of the week. They’re treated for a wide variety of issues, from a simple cut to the birth of a child. Before the clinic opened in 2004, many mothers gave birth in their own homes, if they didn’t have the time, money, or transportation to go to the closest hospital, 45 minutes away over bumpy dirt roads. The current budget for 2013 is $190,000. This is very little money for the impact the clinic has on the surrounding communities… from disease prevention, immunizations, healthy babies being born, to life-saving emergency care. This small budget includes money for building supplies and maintenance of the clinic building and grounds… medical equipment and supplies, from operating tables down to cotton swabs… a variety of medicines and vaccinations… community outreach programs, volunteer work, and educating the locals on how to better take care of themselves… running our ambulance, and salaries for our hardworking doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians and staff working to keep the clinic open 24/7. We would like to expand our facilities and add two more rooms for mini-surgery and medical examinations. The second room would also afford patients more privacy during gynecological exams and other procedures. And one day we hope to add another building to our grounds, as the need for space is great. (Please click here to donate.) With the many needed medicines, the low-cost to free care, the additional medical staff we’ve added, and maintenance on the facility, we’re in constant need of operating funds just to stay open. And it’s thanks to your donations that we’re able to do even a fraction of what we do. Every penny you donate helps in a big way. Our hard-working doctors and nurses have helped turn the Roberto Clemente-Santa Ana Clinic into a model healthcare facility for the area. And we want to continue to add to that and make it so much more.
The region is growing, and so are the demands on the Clinic We’ve expanded beyond medical care to offer health education, and educational supplies to the residents of the area. Prevention is the most effective healthcare, and we strive to provide that “missing link” so often found in other clinics of this type: simple education. From its inception, the Roberto Clemente-Santa Ana Clinic has held regular education programs, including seminars on breast self-examination, prenatal care, nutrition, how to create better sanitary conditions at home, and other preventative healthcare issues. But what is probably the most important part of our health education programs is our outreach to the youth. Boys and girls ages 12 to 20 meet regularly with Nurse Miranda to talk openly and honestly about issues facing young people, to promote well-being in the mind and body, and sustained health. In addition, Dr. Flores visits local schools each month, passing out donated supplies of toothbrushes, books, pencils, and paper to the children. We’ve received many requests for help and sponsorship from children, their parents, and young adults at the beginning of their careers. They work hard to further their lives and education, but in many cases children and young adults aren’t going to school because they can’t afford it, or are quitting because they need to work to support themselves and their families. And so the need for sponsorship is great. Please click here to donate.
A Little Goes a Long Way…  And a lot… well, that’s life-changing. Here’s an example of how your generous donation would help:
Unfortunately, charitable giving has experienced a downturn in the last year, especially in developing countries, due to the recession. The people in the nearby villages are worried that our doors will close like so many local businesses have had to do. But we've reassured them we have a long-term commitment to improving healthcare and education in the region and we’re determined to be there for them always. But we need donations to realize that commitment. We don’t have any large benefactors or grant money, we’re still completely dependent on individual donations. Imagine not being able to get the regular, routine medical attention you need. Imagine suffering from a chronic illness that requires medicine but not being able to get it, or even know it exists. Imagine you or your wife, sister, or daughter, not being able to give birth in a clean and safe environment. Imagine having trouble breathing and no access to oxygen. Imagine working so hard to better your life, but because of where you were born it’s next to impossible. In Nicaragua, there are no 911 emergency services, so people often must travel several hours, sometimes on foot, to get to the Clinic. If you think of all that we really do have in our lives – the basic necessities for living healthy, comfortable lives - you’ll probably think as I do, that we’re so lucky to be in a position to help those less fortunate. Because even with all the economic woes our country and we as individuals may be facing, it’s nothing compared to what some citizens of Nicaragua have seen their whole lives.
You Can Easily Improve One Person’s Life, or the Lives of an Entire Family That’s why I’m coming to you. Please take a moment out of your day to think of this community and do what you can to help. Since the Roberto Clemente-Santa Ana Health Clinic is recognized as exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, donations are 100% tax deductable. With a donation of $5,000 or more, we would like to place your name on a plaque at the Clinic, and send you a special handmade gift from Nicaragua as our thank you. And, we’d also like to thank you for your generosity with two free nights at the nearby Rancho Santana Resort on the stunning Pacific coast (www.ranchosantana.com). If you’d like, you could visit the Clinic while you’re there, to see exactly how much good your donation is doing. No matter how much you give, your donation will have a tremendous impact on the thousands of people who visit the clinic each year. It will give newborn babies a better chance at life… it will give the elderly the care and relief they need to live out their lives in peace and comfort… and help everyone in between in big and small ways. Simply put: Your donation saves lives. Please click here to donate. My Sincere Thanks,  Julia C. Guth Chair of the Board The Roberto Clemente-Santa Ana Health Clinic |
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