Easy ways to help
Sometimes people feel overwhelmed when confronted with the complexity of poverty in developing countries, and certainly none of us are going to eradicate poverty any time soon. However, we can make a few lives better or at least give a few people a chance at having a better life through access to education. You, too, can help us make a difference in some children and families’ lives. Every little bit helps.
Here’s what you can do:
Donate books in Spanish. You can find books in Spanish at Goodwill, the ARC, garage sales, or at Amazon.com. You can find USLA’s book registry on Amazon.
Donate educational materials such as jumbo crayons and markers, puzzles, Play-Doh®, finger paints, etc.
Donate a desktop or laptop computer. We collect computers, completely erase your data, install free learning software, and distribute them to almost every project.
Sponsor a child’s education for one year ($160) Although education is technically free in Guatemala, many parents cannot afford the cost of uniforms, shoes, and school supplies. These scholarships pay for all of these necessities as well as haircuts.
Help fund our soccer teams! We are trying to start two soccer teams for the kids who are helped by the ministry. Participating on a team will help instill a sense of responsibility in our kids as well as increase self-esteem, provide an incentive for passing grades, and literally keep them off the streets. The cost of each of these teams for training, uniforms, and playing nine games is $500. You can help by donating any amount of money or even doing a fundraiser.
Donate a van. The Ministry of Light and Truth is currently seeking a van so that they can transport the kids from their homes to the ministry. Walking at night in the area where the kids live is dangerous, and the ministry would like to help keep them safe. Transporting the van to Guatemala will be taken care of by the ministry.
Help us write a grant. We need to help find funding for a special education teacher and speech language pathologist for our special education school in Jocotenango, Guatemala.
Spread the word. Even if you can’t help us in the above ways, maybe someone you know can. Of course, we accept every level of financial donations… even $5 is helpful.
Donate Directly via Paypal
If you wish to donate immediately, Paypal offers one of the easiest and fastest way to send funds to USLA. When donating, please enter your name and address so we can send you a receipt for your donation.
So, where does your money go?
USLA uses all money donated to DIRECTLY BENEFIT the children and families it supports. USLA is a registered Section 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization run by volunteers…we don’t receive salaries. Additionally, all administrative costs (e.g. office supplies, travel, marketing, website, etc) are paid for out-of-pocket by Michael and Claire. We also pay for shipping costs out-of-pocket unless expressly requested by a donor. Moreover, any money donated to projects is accounted for by copies of receipts we collect from the projects. Therefore, you can rest assured that your money is being used in an honest, efficient manner!
