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From the Desk of the Associate Director. . .

Dear Alumni and Friends of the Augustinian Volunteers:

It is hard to believe that it is already the end of February. It has been a busy yet productive year for the Augustinian Volunteers. We have found ourselves with new work placements, both domestically and abroad and the Volunteers seem to be enjoying their work as much as their supervisors appreciate having them there.

All of our domestic sites are doing very well. Just after the new year we had a retreat for all those volunteering domestically this year. It gave them an opportunity to spend some time together sharing stories and reconnecting with one another. They really enjoyed their time together. It was also an opportunity for them to re-energize and recommit themselves to the next six months of living in community and volunteering at their various jobs.

Our international sites in both Peru and South Africa are also doing well. Fr. Joe had the opportunity to visit the four volunteers in Peru just this past week. Although work has slowed up a bit since it is summertime in Peru, the volunteer have enjoyed the work there and will begin teaching English once school starts again. In late January, I had the opportunity to spend twelve days with our volunteers in South Africa. It was great to see them and especially to see how appreciated and welcomed they are in the communities in which they are working.

This newsletter gives an update on some of the different positions and sites in which our volunteers work. Maureen Eichler writes about her experience at St. Patrick School in San Diego. This is the sixth year we have had volunteers at St. Pat’s and each year the volunteers’ jobs have evolved and they have added a bit more to the school community. Mary Dillon shares about the work that the volunteers in South Africa are doing since their arrival in September. Justin Knabb has an update on the great work that is continuing to be done with Water for Waslala, a program that one of our volunteers in Philadelphia last year, Matt Nespoli, began. Their goal has been to raise money to provide water systems to the people of Waslala, Nicaragua, as well as to raise awareness in our country about issues of injustice around the world. And finally, we have a couple reflections from some volunteer alumni about their lives and faith journeys since they completed their volunteer years.

If you enjoy these updates, please check the weblog on our website for weekly updates by our volunteers. It is a great way to get a deeper look into each of their experiences. Our volunteers continue to do great work, which has been possible only with your support and prayers. Thank you for all you do. We have our second annual fundraiser coming up on April 29th. We hope you can join us! Check our website for more information.

Sincerely,

April L. Gagne
Associate Director of the Augustinian Volunteers

St. Patrick School, San Diego, CA
by Maureen Eichler

When I returned from mid-year retreat, I came back with a sense of renewal and determination. I knew I had a lot I wanted to accomplish in the next few months. So it's no wonder I feel like there just aren't enough hours in one day. I'm sure most people have felt this way also, especially past and present volunteers. Two things that I have really enjoyed working on lately are the eighth grade retreat and the service club at St. Patrick's School. Fortunately both these projects have brought me closer to my roommates. Both Chuck and Abby will be leaders on the retreat and I have been bothering everyone in the house to give me songs and ideas to use.

The other project that I took on this year was starting a service and spirit club at St. Patrick's, the (KICS) Kindness in Community Service as named by the students. I decided to start to the club because I saw the people my roommates were working with – orphans in Tijuana, homeless men, women, and children at St. Vincent De Paul Shelter – and I felt like I wasn't doing enough to help the most marginalized people in our society. I can't think of a better way to serve and to demonstrate to 5th through 8th graders the importance of volunteering. My roommates have also been great in helping with the club whether it's rearranging the car schedule so I can take some students in the van after school, drawing me pictures and logos, proofreading articles for the school newsletter, or attending the trips with us.

The Club gives the students leadership opportunities and provides them with a voice for their ideas and the initiative to make changes large and small around school and in the community. One of their ideas is to donate some of the proceeds of a t-shirt sale to the volunteers in South Africa. Unfortunately, I cannot take credit for the idea. Rosie, an officer for the club, came up to me one day and said, "Oh yeah, where's Mr. D. (Pat DiDomenico, who volunteered at St. Patrick’s last year and is currently volunteering in South Africa) volunteering this year? We should send them some supplies or money." The Club is great because not only am I exposing the students to volunteering but I am leaving a legacy behind at St. Patrick's for future volunteers to continue. So even if some nights I feel like there aren't enough hours in the day, it's all well worth it.

South Africa
by Mary Dillon

Sanibona! We hope this finds everyone happy and healthy. Life in South Africa continues to be an unforgettable journey. In the past five months many relationships have formed as we have established stable work sites for the program. Currently, three volunteers are working at St. Leo’s teaching English and computers. St. Leo’s Primary School (grades R - 7) in Molweni provides education for over 400 students in the surrounding area. St. Leo's is not just a place for education. For many students it's somewhere to pass the time, to visit with friends, and most importantly it's a meal; the only meal that many children will eat in any given day. Yet, despite their hunger and thirst for food and water, their spirits are incredible, full of joy, laughter, and hope.

Another work site, St. Theresa’s Home, houses approximately 70 boys and four girls. Although some of these children are truly orphans, many are not. Many come from abusive home lives where they have had to deal with physical, mental or sexual abuse, as well as family members with alcohol and drug addictions. While others come from families that lack the money and basic resources needed to provide for their children. The Home provides these boys with a place to sleep, food to eat, and clothes to wear. They attend the school next door at St. Theresa's Primary School. During the day, we have one volunteer working full-time at the Home. She assists with the Creche (Day Care) program, caring for sick children, and helping with endless projects. In the afternoons, we all come together to tutor and help the children with their homework.

While these two ministries focus on education, and deal with the children’s laughter, crying, and endless energy, our other main ministry has a quieter focus. Two volunteers have dedicated their days to serving and caring for those with HIV/AIDS. Although a concrete work schedule is not yet in place, the volunteers are currently spending their time working at two hospices and assisting with home assessments for HIV/AIDS patients.

The Black Sash office, also with a more subdued focus, does not take up as much of our time, but is just as important as the other work sites. Black Sash is a human rights organization fighting for victims of injustice. Currently, their main focus is assisting those who suffer from governmental corruption, specifically in terms of the aide that they have been entitled to and promised by that same government. The aide exists in forms of grants such as welfare, child care, foster, and disability grants. We work along side paralegals within the organization to help process the information necessary for these grants to be received.

South Africa has provided us with a plethora of opportunities to learn and to grow personally, spiritually, and as a community. We thank you for all your support and we look forward to the upcoming months.

Water for Waslala
by Justin Knabb

Our project to bring clean water to Waslala, Nicaragua is growing and expanding tremendously! Since September 2005, Waslalans have completed two community water systems with WfW-funded materials and have already expressed their deep gratitude for the blessing of pure drinking water in their communities. Back here in the U.S., I have been directing the WfW project in San Diego. By the end of March, I will have presented the project to nearly 5,000 students in 10 different high schools and colleges; hundreds of business professionals in various Rotary Club chapters; and several Augustinian parishes in San Diego, Los Angeles and the Bay Area. I have helped raise about $15,000 so far, and am also striving to raise over $10,000 through an ongoing letter campaign.

Back east, Matt Nespoli, project founder and former Augustinian Volunteer, is working with WfW board members to organize the 2nd annual Walk for Water, which will be held at Villanova University on April 23, 2006. Our goal is to raise over $10,000 from this event, to have exceptional participation, and to have a fun time! The event will include a 5k walking course, live bands, food, drinks, merchandise and much more!

Just this past month, residents of the Santa Rosa Dudu community in Waslala completed their WfW-funded water system. About 150 more people finally have access to clean water. In addition, we are about to reach our $100,000 fundraising mark since WfW’s inception. This all excites us, but there is much work to be done. There are currently 46 Waslalan communities left without clean water to drink. Please visit www.waterforwaslala.org to help us make a lasting difference!

Alumni Reflections on their faith journeys
since their volunteer year

Claire Grabowski – Bronx ‘02-03

In the nearly three years since my volunteer experience, I have been attending law school. It was a big shift from the Bronx back to New Jersey, from spending my days with preschoolers to studying for long hours in the library. Coming back to school, I was extremely focused on my classes and coursework. I rarely made time to attend Church or to reflect on my faith.

As the first year wore on, I realized that I was missing something. Attending mass on Ash Wednesday reminded me that I was missing the Church and the community that it provides. I decided to start attending Church in my new town. I went to Mass alone – something I had rarely done growing up or during my volunteer year. But going alone to my new Church allowed me to reflect alone, and to reconnect with my faith on my own terms. While I continue to struggle to make the Church a bigger part of my life, I feel that my faith has continued to strengthen.

Ryan Heffernan – San Gimignano, Italy ‘01-02

One of the advantages of getting older is that you are able to look back upon certain experiences you have encountered in life and see where your life changed. I am sure that most of us would agree that our lives are slightly different from where we envisioned them to be. I know that is certainly true in my life. If you were to tell me back in 2002 as my time in San Gimignano was coming to end that in February 2005 I would be in Bagram, Afghanistan I would have laughed.

For me, the years since I left San Gimignano have been a mix of angst and excitement, successes and failures, joys and sadness. I learned many things during my year in San Gimignano, but none more important than knowing how important of a role faith plays in my life. One of the things I tried to do as often as possible during the year was to attend daily mass. It was the one time of the day that I was able to find some peace (both internal and external) from the distractions life offered. As I look back on that simple act of taking time away to be in God’s presence my faith strengthened.

In the two years I spent at Villanova following San Gimignano, I often found myself sitting in Corr Chapel, enjoying the silence and having that “peaceful” time I found during daily mass in Italy. Many times during these two rather turbulent years I found myself questioning why things were happening. It would be an understatement to say that my faith was tested, but again, being able to retreat to the comfort of my “alone” time spent at the Corr Chapel, I knew that somehow things would be ok. (I’d be remiss if I failed to mention the enormous impact the Augustinians played in my life during those two years. For that, I am forever grateful.)

Even here at Bagram Air Base, whenever I have a free moment (which is not that often!) or when I start to question why I am here, I’ll head over to the base’s Enduring Faith chapel and surround myself in its peace. Here, in a chapel in the midst of a war zone, I am again reminded of my faith, and am amazed at how comforted I am.

They say the more things change, the more they stay the same. Be it San Gimignano, Italy, Villanova, PA or Bagram, Afghanistan, I know how important of a role that faith plays in my life, and I know where to go to remind myself when I loose sight of it.

Congratulations to Matthew and Bea (Przybysz) Frey on the birth of their baby girl, Kiara Elizabeth Frey!!! Kiara was born on February 8, 2006, in Italy. All are doing well. Bea volunteered in the Bronx, NY, in 2002-03.

We would like to thank all of those who have supported the Augustinian Volunteers through your prayers, time, and financial contributions over the past year.

Follow along with the Augustinians Volunteers this year by checking out our photo album and blog entries!