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2016 Mission Trip Dates

VolunteersThe Emiliani Project has set the dates for the next mission trips to Medellin, Colombia where you’ll have the opportunity to volunteer your time to work with 170 orphaned and abandoned kids, while supporting our efforts to build a new home to save another 160 from the streets of the city.  There will be two trips this upcoming year:

– April 23 to May 1, 2016

– July 30 to August 7, 2016

Choose one or both, but these are going to be great trips! The cost of each trip is a tax-deductible donation of $500/person or $800/couple (shared room). We provide a sponsor packet to help you raise your donations with friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, etc.. Your donation includes lodging, food, transport, and all mission trip activities. Airfare is not included. Free time activities/tours are also not included. The donations are used solely to cover costs. The unused portion of your donations will be given directly to the children’s home at the conclusion of the trip(s). On our August 2015 trip we ended up donating almost $3500 directly to the home to be used for clothes, shoes, books, health care and other essentials for the children!

On our 2016 mission trips, volunteers will have two options:
Option 1 – Children’s Home Volunteer – Hogar Bohio de Maria
You will work daily with 170 children (ages 1-18yrs) at the home. You will stay at the home, eat all of your meals with the kids, and help to support the operations of the home while working with kids in need of love. Volunteer duties will be based on the needs of the children and your personal interests.

Option 2 – New Home Construction Volunteer – Hogar de Cristo
You will work at our construction site where we are in the process of building our new children’s home. You will stay in guest house. Each day you will volunteer your time and skills assisting our construction crew. Work duties will be based on our needs and on your particular skillsets or interests.

For more details on the upcoming trip, please see our 2016 Mission Trip Flyer and our more detailed 2016 Volunteer Information Packet. They have information on costs, schedule, the types of work you’ll be doing with our kids, and a host of information on travel and Medellin.  If you’re interested in joining us this summer, register on our Mission Trips webpage, or if your just interested in learning more, please contact our Director of Missions at: missions@emilianiproject.org.

It’s going to be an exciting time and hard work…and experience that you and the children will never forget. So join us, and help us put some smiles on some well-deserving faces!

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First Annual Golf Tournament

Emiliani Golf Advertisement

Mark your calendars!  The Emiliani Project will be hosting its first annual charity golf tournament on Monday October 12.  The event will take place at The Crossings at Carlsbad golf course, a beautiful golf course with views of the ocean and surrounding county, nestled in the heart of North County San Diego.  We would like to get the word out to as many golfers as possible, to join us for a fun day of supporting a good cause.  These events are fun because golfers of all skill levels are invited and encouraged to participate- and there will be contests, prizes and memories to be made.  Additionally, should your business would like to sponsor the event through donations for our silent auction or participating with hospitality or sampling-related giveaways, we are looking for companies willing to support.  Dinner following play will be provided with a short program about the Emiliani Project, and what we are achieving to change the lives of children here in the U.S. and abroad. You can register for the event on our tournament website here or on the image below:

Golf Homepage button

 

The Glory Days of Summer

As the summer starts, and life takes on a more leisurely pace, we are grateful to you our supporters, benefactors and prayer warriors.  Even as the pace of life seems to be slowing down, our work does not stop as the children in our homes still need the care, support, education and spiritual formation which we are offering.  To that end, things are accelerating for The Emiliani Project.

Mission Trip Departs Soon

Our Summer 2015 Mission trip departs to Colombia soon.  From August 1st – August 9th, volunteers will be joining us in our work at the Hogar (the home) working with the children, and also at the new home which is under construction, helping lend a hand in the project’s completion. For many, this trip is not only an opportunity to experience the work of The Emiliani Project first hand, but can be a very spiritually nourishing experience. Please pray for the volunteers and we thank them for their service to the children.

If you are interested in future Missions trips, please contact Chuck Navarette at missions@emilianiproject.org.  We will be announcing dates soon for the next trip.

St. Mary Star of the Sea La Jolla and St. Michael’s in San Diego – Outreach Visits

The Emiliani Project was invited to speak at the masses at St. Mary Star of the Sea church in La Jolla, on the weekend of May 23-24; and at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in San Diego, on the weekend of July 18-19.  Thank you for all those we met those days, and who came up to offer prayer and financial support for our cause.  Thank you to Fr. Jim Rafferty and Fr. Manny Ediza who invited us to their parishes, and to all who donated to support our mission.  We are blessed by your generosity.

 

http://www.birdeasepro.com/EmilianiProject

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Easter and the New Home

Reflecting on Holy Week & Easter

This week we pause with the Church to commemorate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are thankful for all our benefactors, volunteers, supporters and friends, and know we are praying for you and your intentions this Holy Week.  May God pour out His blessings of This Week, and of Easter, upon you and your families.

Pushing Forward: Phase 2 of our Building Project

IMG_2280Since we began our work in Colombia, The Emiliani Project has been working in three key areas of activity: (1) to support the home and the 170 kids which have been rescued, through spiritual, emotional and financial support, (2) to raise awareness and create opportunities for volunteers to work in missionary roles, at the home in Colombia, and (3) to fund the construction of a new home that will create shelter, care and a school for 160 more children in need.  We have made great progress on all three fronts, however this year we are starting on the critical second phase of construction of the new home.  We are about to start construction on the electrical, water treatment, septic and other key infrastructure installation for the property in Colombia.  We want to thank our benefactors and supporters for your generosity, and in the coming month we’ll be making a special appeal to drive this second phase to completion.  As you are probably aware, the Emiliani Project is a 501(c)(3) organization and each and every dollar donated goes to support the kids: we keep none of your generous donations for overhead or other expenditures.  We are proud of the progress made, and look forward to building on our success and providing more updates on the new home later in the year.

Update on our August Mission Trip

The Emiliani Project will be leaving on August 1st to accompany a group of volunteers who will be making the trip to Medellin, to work in the home with the children.  The mission trip will be from August 1 – 9, with opportunities to work with the kids or serve in the construction of the new home. We are offering a no-obligation information packet for all who are interested. Many of our former volunteers who have made this trip have stated their experiences were full of blessings and unexpected joy. We invite you to consider traveling with us: For more information about our mission trips, and participating in one of our mission trips in 2015, please e-mail Chuck Navarette at missions@emilianiproject.org.

 

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August 2015 Mission Trip

The Emiliani Project has set the dates for the next mission trip to Medellin, Colombia – August 1st to 9th.  This trip will be our best yet.  In our August trip you’ll have the opportunity to volunteer your time to work with orphaned and abandoned kids, while supporting our efforts to build a new home to save another 160 from the streets of the city.  For details on the upcoming trip, please see our Aug 15 Mission Trip Flyer and our more detailed Aug 15 Volunteer Information Packet.  They have  information on costs, schedule, the types of work you’ll be doing with our kids, and a host of information on travel and Medellin.

If you’re interested in joining us this summer, or just interested in learning more, please contact our Director of Missions at: missions@emilianiproject.org for additional information.

It’s going to be an exciting time and hard work…and experience that you and the children will never forget.  So join us, and help us put some smiles on some well-deserving faces!

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The Emiliani Project: Looking Ahead to 2015

Looking Ahead: The Emiliani Project 2015

This year promises to be a year that furthers the mission of The Emiliani Project in helping the children in Colombia, and here at home in Southern California.  Key initiatives include raising awareness and funds for the Project through multiple Spring festivals in various communities around San Diego and Orange County, where we will sell coffee, tell our story and help people connect with the work we are doing.  In the summer, we will again be traveling to various parishes in dioceses around the country to speak to the need in Colombia, and how the Emiliani Project is fulfilling the charism of its patron St. Jerome Emiliani to reach these kids.

In August we will make our third Mission Trip to Medellin, and are taking applications now for volunteers that want to travel to work with the children or to help in the construction of the home.  Additionally, thanks to the generosity of our many benefactors, we are continuing each week to make progress on the construction of the Hogar (the home) in Colombia where we hope to have classrooms and living quarters completed by the end of the year. As some of you may know, on a recent trip to Colombia our founders were recognized by Padre Villalobos for their leadership and tireless efforts on behalf of the kids. We receive the blessing on our work, and share it with you all.

Appeal for Volunteers

As we start this new year, we are actively recruiting volunteers to help forward the work and mission of the Emiliani Project.  The Emiliani Project is a 100% volunteer-based initiative, and one of the pillars of our organization is to offer people the opportunity to work with us, to directly benefit the children.  There are a number of different ways in which we need your help. First, we need your help to spread the word about our work, and the opportunities we are creating for children both in Colombia as well as here in the US.  We need volunteers to help staff our outreach events, where we meet the public, have the opportunity to tell our story, and sample and sell our coffee.

We need volunteers to help prepare and pack our coffee, as we source the beans from California, have them roasted locally, and pack them ourselves in our own Emiliani Project branded packaging.  We need volunteers to help work in Colombia along-side our volunteer staff.  We need volunteers to support us with various ad-hoc projects which come up from time to time.  As you can see – The Emiliani Project takes on much and has accomplished much, but we can’t do any of it without your help.  Please consider one of our key service areas, and please sign up at the Join Us page on our website to volunteer. Have questions?  Reach us at info@emilianiproject.org. You will be richly blessed – and will be a blessing to others.

Mission Trip August 2015

As mentioned above, we are already planning for our next Mission Trip in August 1-9 2015.  If you are interested in seeing the work of The Emiliani Project first hand, and experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go to South America and see both the city of Medellin and work with those in need, please send us an email to missions@emilianiproject.org so we can send you a brief flyer about the August trip, and include you in a list of those who will receive information packets that will better explain what the trip will entail, and more importantly, what it will offer to the volunteers who attend.

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2014: A Year in Review

3 kids2014 Was a Great Year!

This past year of activity for The Emiliani Project was an important year for our growth and our mission. Some highlights include the following: in February 2014 we launched our “Giselle” Coffee, named for Giselle Davia who was rescued from the streets of Medellin.  In March we were invited to speak on Immaculate Heart radio, and was featured in the Southern Cross newspaper. In April, we led our missionary trip to Medellin where volunteers from the US and Canada joined in our efforts to support the children.

In May we launched our “Gilberto” dark roast coffee, named for Gilberto Elias Graciano.  Special thanks to Parishes throughout Southern California that supported both the packing and the sale of our coffee. In August, three of the children from the Hogar travelled to the US with some volunteers from Colombia, and they experienced much of the fun and adventure which Southern California has to offer.  In September we continued to speak at parishes through the dioceses of San Diego, Orange and Baltimore, enabling us to spread awareness of our work and our message.  In October and November, The Emiliani Project participated in a number of neighborhood fairs and festivals, selling coffee and raising funds for the children.

Lastly in December, we led our second missionary trip of the year, and volunteers worked with us to help bring some Christmas cheer to the children.  Thank you to all our supporters, benefactors and volunteers, and we look forward to continuing to build on our success in 2015.

An Appeal for Volunteers!

As we start this new year, we are actively recruiting volunteers to help forward the work and mission of The Emiliani Project.  As you may know, The Emiliani Project is a 100% volunteer-based initiative, and one of the pillars of our organization is to offer people the opportunity to work with us, to directly benefit the children.

There are a number of different ways in which we need your help. First, we need your help to spread the word about our work, and the opportunities we are creating for children both in Colombia as well as here in the US.  We need volunteers to help staff our outreach events, where we meet the public, have the opportunity to tell our story, and sample and sell our coffee.  We need volunteers to help prepare and pack our coffee, as we source the beans from California, have them roasted locally, and pack them ourselves in our own Emiliani Project branded packaging.  We need volunteers to help work in Colombia along-side our volunteer staff.  We need volunteers to support us with various ad-hoc projects which come up from time to time.

As you can see – The Emiliani Project takes on much and has accomplished much, but we can’t do any of it without your help.  Please consider one of our key service areas, and please sign up at the Join Us page on our website to volunteer. Have questions Reach us at info@emilianiproject.org. You will be richly blessed – and will be a blessing to others.

The Emiliani Project children of Colombia
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Christmas in Medellin

Mission Trip: Celebrating Christmas with the Kids

The Emiliani Project December Mission Trip was a success as ten volunteers traveled to Medellin with Emiliani Project staff to work with the children and help with the construction of the new home.   A major highlight of the trip was the Christmas party hosted by the Emiliani Project, during which each of the children received new shoes courtesy of the Emiliani Project and Shoes for Souls, as well as hand-made gifts which were made by supporters in the States and transported down by the Emiliani Project for the event.
Thanks to the volunteers and many of you, our supporters, the Christmas party was a success, and brought joy to the kids and those working with them.

We are grateful to all the volunteers who traveled to Colombia, as well as all our supporters back in the States who helped make the trip and out work possible.  We pray that God blesses your Christmas abundantly for the charity and generosity you have shown to the children and through your support for the Emiliani Project.We will be leading another Mission Trip in August 2015. If you are interested in finding out more information, please e-mail us at missions@emilianiproject.org.

Charitable Giving to The Emiliani Project

As the end of the calendar and tax year approaches, we want to thank all those who have financially supported the Emiliani Project this year.  We are a 501(c)(3) registered charity that ensures every dollar donated is used to directly support the children.  Our work is carried out entirely by volunteers who have a heart for orphaned and abandoned children.

As December comes to a close, there is still time to make donations through our Donate Page, to receive a tax receipt for 2014.  If you are re-evaluating your charitable contributions in 2015, we hope that would would continue to support the Emiliani Project and the vital work we are doing on behalf of the children in Colombia and here in Southern California.

Coffee Available for Purchase Online

This Christmas season, we were proud to offer gift-packed coffee for purchase, and many of you our supporters gave coffee to friends, family and co-workers.  We want to make it easy for you and those you gave coffee to to re-order, as each bag sold directly benefits the kids.  If you gave coffee as a gift this Christmas season, or would like to continue to order, please visit our Online Store. All our coffee is grown in the region where we are doing our work in Colombia, and is sourced from small farms and plantations in a manner that benefits the farmers. Online orders are shipped out promptly: For more information please e-mail us at coffee@emilianiproject.org.

Monthly Prayer Intention

We are asking you our benefactors to pray for God’s blessings on our work in the New Year, and that He will continue to bless our work and help us raise awareness of the need for and the mission of the Emiliani Project.

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Coffee Gifts and Shoes for Kids

Christmas Coffee Specials – Perfect Gifts for Friends or Coworkers

The Emiliani Project will be offering specially wrapped whole bean and ground coffee in our signature Ximena, Giselle and Gilberto variety roasts this Christmas. If you are looking for gifts for friends, family or coworkers, consider Emiliani Project as a gift, the proceeds of which will directly go to helping build the new home in Colombia.   Each gift pack is accompanied with a small card introducing the Emiliani Project, and how the gift of coffee truly is a gift of charity this holy season.  You can find The Emiliani Project booths at the following local fairs this holiday season, selling our coffee, gift baskets and giving away free samples of brewed coffee:

SoCal Etsy Guild Village – SeaPort Village San Diego – Dec 6

Santa’s Magical Village, San Marcos – Dec 6-7

For more information on these events and how you can get involved, contact us at coffee@emilianiproject.org.

The Emiliani Project & Shoes for Souls

As the work of the Emiliani Project has grown, and more people have become aware of our mission and work with the children of Colombia, we have been approached by various charities who work in the region seeking to serve the poor.  This month we want to feature Shoes for Souls.  Shoes for Souls began in Southern California as an appeal to purchase shoes for children in Colombia.

In 2013, Shoes for Souls raised enough money to purchase 3,000 pairs of shoes for needy children in Colombia. In 2014, Shoes for Souls partnered with The Emiliani Project and enough money was raised to purchase 4,000 pairs of shoes, and a portion of the shoes donation will be going to the children at the Hogar served by Emiliani Project.  As our December Mission Project kicks off next week, we will be distributing the shoes during the mission trip.  We are grateful to our friends at Shoes for Souls for their generosity and cooperative work in Colombia.

December Mission Trip

The Emiliani Project will be leaving on December 1st to accompany a group of volunteers who will be making the trip to Medellin, to work with our kids.  The mission trip will be from Dec 1-14, and a particular highlight will be the Christmas Party which the Emiliani Project will be hosting for the 100 kids.  For more information about our mission trips, and participating in one of our mission trips in 2015, please e-mail Chuck Navarrete at missions@emilianiproject.org.

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Help Kids Without Donating a Dollar!

iGive Donates a Percentage of your Online Purchases to The Emiliani Project

The Emiliani Project is registered with iGive.com to help us fund the construction of our new children’s home.  iGive links to your web browser and automatically contributes a percentage of your online purchases to The Emiliani Project.  You have to do very little, and it costs you NOTHING to participate.

Simply click on our Emiliani Project iGive Instructions and a PDF document will open with a step-by-step set of instructions to get you set up.  It only takes 2 minutes of your time!  After that, you do nothing!  You’ll be automatically helping The Emiliani Project with your normal online shopping.  It’s quick, easy, and it doesn’t cost you a thing!

Please find 2 minutes of your time to help our kids!

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2014 Mission Cooperative Update

Volunteer!Mission Cooperative Complete

As many of you may know, The Emiliani Project was officially registered to participate in the 2014 Missionary Cooperative in both the Diocese of San Diego and the Diocese of Orange.  This year, our volunteers visited six parishes in three dioceses and spoke to thousands of faithful.  These speaking engagements were instrumental in raising awareness for the Emiliani Project, being able to spread the word about our mission, and most importantly, enabled us to personally meet many of you in your home parishes. These parishes and parishioners generously donated to the Emiliani Project, and many allowed us to sell our coffee after mass.  Thank you to all who donated through the mission cooperative!

We are expanding our efforts and making preparations now to reach even more parishes next year, in more parts of the country.  Please pray that we may receive invitations from other dioceses, so we can continue to get our message out to people like you.

December Mission Trip Update

In December the Emiliani Project will be leading a group of volunteers to travel to the children’s home in Colombia, as part of the pillar of our mission to help people engage in works of charity in the service of the poor.   If you are interested in travelling with us to Medellin, please ensure your name is added to the list of those interested in making the trip.  Additionally, we recently sent out helpful information packets for those interested, which answer many of the questions volunteers have when making such a trip.

This trip is expected to be offer rich memories and experiences, including a planned Christmas party for the children December 6th, and for those that will be in Medellin December 8th, you will be able to see the festival of lights which occurs in that city in honor of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Emiliani Project provides full orientation for the trip, and will have staff members present during the entire time you are there.  No skills are required and you don’t have to speak Spanish.  You will have the opportunity to work on the construction site, teach classes for the children, help the administrators with operations of the home, or simply spend time with these great kids.

For more information, contact Chuck Navarrete at: missions@emilianiproject.org or (760) 470-0425.

Holiday Gift Ideas / Fall Craft Fairs

As the holidays approach, the Emiliani Project will for the first time be offering a range of gift baskets featuring our Emiliani Project Coffees, the proceeds of which will go to helping build the new home in Colombia.  We will be sending out an appeal in the coming weeks for volunteers with craft-making skills to help us put together the baskets, and please keep us in mind as you consider gifts for friends, colleagues and loved ones.

You can find The Emiliani Project booths at the following local fairs this fall, selling our coffee, gift baskets and giving away free samples.  A list of more fairs will be posted to Facebook soon.

October 26: Dia De Los Muertos Mission San Luis Rey, Oceanside

November 1st and 2nd:  Vista Annual Christmas Bazaar, St. Francis Parish

November 15: Nutcracker Market (San Diego Ballet), Liberty Station Point Loma

For more information contact us at coffee@emilianiproject.org.