Year 3, Volume 3: Cañada de Gómez

The small community of Cañada de Gómez traveled a long yet successful road to reach the dedication of the first HFHA house!! Among many other achievements, Cañada de Gómez is the Local Office which raised the largest amount of money to finance the first home in their city. Various fundraising events were organized with the help of volunteers and members of families in need of housing, and donations were received from important local businessmen and companies.

On the 14^th of October, after much work and with the collaboration of the group of volunteers who initiated and supported HFHA´s work in Cañada de Gómez, we celebrated the dedication of the first home built in Cañada, belonging to the Corbalán Family.

As always, each community adds its own personal touch and style to these celebrations. In Cañada de Gómez great emotion was felt when a letter written by Camila Corbalán´s school friends was read out loud, and a festive touch was added by “Javier & Victoria” (Daiana Corbalán´s school friends) who offered a Tango show.

Mr. Corbalan´s parents and relatives, other HFHA partner families, school friends of the Corbalan daughters’ Daiana and Camila Corbalan attended the event. Staff and volunteers of the HFHA Office in Cañada de Gómez and members of HFHA´s Local Advisory Council were also present. Ana Cutts, National Director, and M. Constanza Ledesma, National Resource Development Coordinator, traveled from Buenos Aires to join the Corbalán family on this special day.

Year 3, Volume 2: Cañada de Gómez

Double Celebration on a National Holiday

On Saturday 25^th of May, the neighbours or Cañada de Gómez in Santa Fe held a double celebration: the 196^th anniversary of Argentina’s first National Government and the arrival of the first Global Village Team at Cañada de Gómez! These men and women, young and middle aged, with different professions and occupations, worked in the construction of homes included in the Lands Project, which counts with the support of Habitat for Humanity International and Citibank Argentina.

Local authorities, donors, staff and volunteers from the local office in Cañada de Gómez, together with Patricia Caviezel, Vice-President of the National Board of Directors of HFHA, held a simple welcome ceremony for the team from USA and Canada.

As usually happens on such occasions, the emotional note was given by the families. Claudia Walter and Sonia Mella de Torres spoke on behalf of the HFHA families, and thanked each member of the Global Village Team for their work and concern. With great simplicity, Claudia confessed that on the day of the team’s arrival she went to her house and cried out of sheer happiness: “I waited so many years to have my house, I could not believe my eyes… but I do not cry in public”.

Owing to the work done by the Global Village Team, the construction which would have taken weeks was achieved in only 8 days! This not only accelerates the rate of construction, it also helps reduce the cost of each house.

In the name of the families, HFHA, and the Cañada de Gómez community, we heartily thank each member of the team!