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Earthquake Relief Host Families

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Dear friends of CGEE Mexico,

As the Mexico Site Director of Augsburg University's Center for Global Education and Experience (CGEE), which has worked in Cuernavaca sinc 1979, I continued to be moved with the relationships that we have developed in communities across our state. For many years, our students have had the the opportunity to spend time living not only with urban host families, but also with rural host famlies, where people have  opened up their hearts and homes to us.

Many of our host families in these communities were hit the hardest by the September 19th earthquake. 
The time has come to reciprocate the warmth and generosity of our host families in their time of need. The money raised by this campaign will go directly to buy supplies to be used by the families for the rebuilding efforts in Ixtlilco and Amatlan. 

Towns including Jojutla, Axochiapan, and Tepalcingo were devastated. Ixtlilco el Grande, where many CGEE students have participated in rural homestays lost at least 15 homes, some of which belong to former host families. Adjunct professor Raziel Valino, reports that the host families are physically fine and recovering from the trauma. Even as they work to rebuild their own homes, they are helping out the other towns in their region that have suffered greater loss. The show of solidarity is very inspiring.

Amatlan de Quetzalcoatl, where numerous CGEE groups have had homestays, also suffered from the earthquake. Like Ixtlilco, Amatlan did not suffer the loss of lives, but numerous homes were destroyed, including that of elderly farmer Dona Irene Ramirez, who has often given talks about farming to CGEE students and groups that visit.

(Pictured: Amatlan de Quetzalcoatl, before the earthquake)

In this great time of need, we ask that you donate what you can to buy building supplies that to help our families and their communities rebuild. Please also consider sharing the campaign with your friends and family to help us spread the word.

Thank you for your generosity and support!

Sincerely,
Dr. Ann Lutterman-Aguilar
Mexico Site Director and Instructor, Center for Global Education and Experience (CGEE) at Augsburg University

Go Fund Me has asked us to answer the following questions, in an effort to ensure the funds are being properly allocated to those suffering from this tragedy:

 (1)  Who you are and where you’re from: Dr. Ann Lutterman-Aguilar, Augsburg University Center for Global Education and Experience, Cuernavaca Mexico Study Center. Originally from Wisconsin and Washington, DC in the U.S.  I have lived in Cuernavaca for the past 24 years.

(2)  Your relationship or contact to the parties you're raising funds for: Community friend to many families in the towns of Amatlan de Quetzalcoatl and Ixtlilco el Grande, which were hit hard by the earthquake. These communities have hosted our study abroad students for lectures, visits, and host family stays for decades.

(3)  How the funds will be spent (be specific as possible): We will distribute the funds to the families that have lost homes to go toward their rebuilding efforts. This will help pay for any labor and/or materials used in rebuilding the houses, depending on the damage for each house. Depends on how much we raise but we will distribute according to the greatest need of the CGEE host families in these two communities.

(4)  Your withdrawal plan to get the funds from the campaign to the ultimate beneficiaries:  After withdrawing the funds, I will work through the appropriate channels in each town to distribute the funds among the families according to who has lost their home and/or had significant property damage.
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Donations 

  • Melissa Jameson
    • $100
    • 7 yrs
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Ann Lutterman-Aguilar
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Minneapolis, MN
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