Chilean American Foundation
The Chilean American Foundation (CAF) is a non-profit, non-political, and autonomous organization chartered in Washington, D.C. in 1990 to provide financial support for small social projects in Chile. The Internal Revenue Service recognizes it as a tax deductible organization.
Its members are Chileans and friends of Chile who reside in the United States, and its staff is composed of volunteers within the Chilean community in the Washington DC metropolitan area. Both the Embassy of Chile in the United States and the Permanent Mission of Chile to the Organization of American States (OAS) lend CAF their support.
The recipients of CAF's yearly donations are small institutions that provide education, healthcare, vocational training, or welfare to the most disadvantaged children and youngsters in Chile. Our aim is to make a small difference in their lives, to help them better themselves, and to keep them out of harm's way.
From the President's Desk - January 2008
We started this month with a Board of Directors meeting to plan the events of 2008.
Briefly, our annual BINGO will be on Saturday, April 12, 2008 -- put it in your agenda now! We will also be organizing a dinner at a local restaurant with a musical show. And a Tango night called "Crossing the Andes." See our web site for details.
We also reviewed our accomplishments of 2007:
$20.000 US to benefit 500 needy children in Chile!!!!!
• 150 children at the art workshops of CreArte;
• 61 children given meals all year at the Centro Abierto Cecilia Arrieta;
• 130 adolescents kept off the streets of Puente Alto provided group-guided sessions to learn about their talents and life options
• 48 youth and children in Fundación Rescate given special meals while recovering from HIV/AIDS
The same amount is being provided to projects this year. The generous personal contributions nearly US$8.000 from you our Members plus the fundraising events brought us to this amount. The Chile Annual Dinner contributed US$4.500.
But we hope to raise much more in 2008. Our goal is US$100.000 to benefit even more of the neediest children in Chile.
To help us achieve this, write to me at chileanamericanfoundation@hotmail.com or call my cell phone -- (703) 901-3901-- if you are interested in participating in the organization of the events mentioned above or have ideas for others.
The children in Chile who rely on our projects thank you for your support.
Thanks and greetings,
M. Teresa Soto-Aguilar
President