Our board members and library team have been hard at work navigating these difficult times for the past several months. Although our library and associated programs have been closed to the public since early March, our team has been busy finding ways to help our communities. We know many of you have been waiting to hear from us so here is what we have been up to these last few months!
Summer Matching grant: July 4th – August 15th
We are pleased to announce a generous supporter has offered to provide us with a 2020 Summer Matching Grant! This grant will begin July 4th and continue until August 15th. Pledges, including monthly pledges, can be accepted. The situation in Nicaragua is critical and we are doing everything we can to provide for those who need help. Your donation will help keep the library viable and allow us to fund more COVID-19 relief projects.
Our lives now
By Heidy Herrera Translated by Patricia Herron, Board member
We have come across a part of history that we never imagined living. At present our Biblioteca Movíl in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua has been closed to the public for two months. This decision was made due to the pandemic that is killing us and, to a large extent, the irresponsibility of our rulers not taking preventive and mitigating measures for each one of its inhabitants. This decision saddens us a lot. We are thankful that through the HJH Libraries, our umbrella group, we have been receiving our salaries. We have also been working to help our community and others with financial support from donors. The 3-D printers have been working and over 100 face shields have been distributed. We were able to provide masks and COVID caution flyers and hygiene supplies and information.
We are seven workers, that is, seven families who depend on this workplace and live in a community that depends upon the library’s support as well. We have lost a partner, Patricio, to a long term illness and were able to support his family through this loss. (See note from Jane) We continue to be a large family of librarians ready to support and be supported. Ninety percent of businesses have closed here, many unemployed families are living to live; for us, for our children, grandchildren, friends, and family; all of whom need each other. We wake up every day with the hope this crisis ends and each of us can return to our previous lives. We are overwhelmed by many situations including basic needs to be met in our homes. Thank you for thinking of us during this time of crisis.
Remembering Patricio
We want to take a moment to remember our dear friend and co-worker Patricio Salvador Garcia who passed away on June 14 2020 after a long illness. He began work with some of us at the Hotel Villa Isabella in 2001 and after retiring there worked at the library for many years as one of the Night Guys. His sweet gentle and steadfast way was always appreciated. We were proud and honored to be able to help with the funeral expenses and will continue to provide Patricio’s salary to his mom as a pension. God-speed Patricio we love you.
Library staff create and distribute COVID-19 Face Shields and Masks
By Pat Herron
During the quarantine, the Biblioteca has been closed to the public but our staff has been super-busy helping the people in the community protect themselves from COVID-19 by making and distributing face shields, cloth masks, and handouts about how to protect against the virus.
Edwin Vasquez, our library coordinator, brought together our team of 3D printing experts, Preston Tobery, Victor Zuniga, Jhossy Lopez Quiroz, and Alex Prado, to create face shields for the community, especially for those whose work puts them in close contact with a lot of people (health care workers, shop owners, etc.) The headbands for the shields are created using the 3D printers in the Biblioteca. After scouring the shops in San Juan del Sur and Rivas, Edwin was able to find the plastic needed to complete the shields. Holes are punched into the plastic sheets which are then affixed to the headbands – the result is a face shield that, along with a cloth face mask, provides excellent protection.
Preston Tobery, our team member from the University of Maryland and an expert in 3D printing, was instrumental in identifying the best software files for creating the headbands. He, Victor, and Jhossy, who all live in the US, worked closely with Edwin and Alex through Zoom and Whatsapp to fine-tune the design and generally troubleshoot the printers. The result was 80 face shields manufactured, 45 of which have been sold. Twelve were given to health care workers, taxicab drivers, and people who could not afford to purchase them. More will be produced once the staff is able to return to the Biblioteca.
Heidy Herrera, the Director of the Biblioteca, used her incredible artistic skills to create face shields for children. She wanted to make them a little different and at the same time pleasant for children, since it is not common for children to use face shields. She first thought about making one for her granddaughter, and from there the idea was born. The people who have bought them say they are a hit with their kids. They have been made for both girls and boys.
Along with our 3D printed face shields, our library staff also produced cloth face masks to be distributed with the care baskets and masks to be worn in conjunction with the printed face shields. The HJH Board worked with the staff in San Juan del Sur to create informational packets that were given out with each basket. These packets included essential information about the virus and instructions for making simple masks at home.
We are always looking for content in Spanish to post on our website or Facebook page or to use on handouts, so if you know of any good COVID-19 resources let us know at [email protected]!
Canastas: basic needs baskets delivered to community members in need
By Jill Gramling
The Coronavirus pandemic has once again devastated Nicaragua’s economy. We knew right away we needed to do what we could for our friends who were struggling. In early May, we hosted a small fundraiser on Facebook to purchase supplies for care baskets. We provided rice, beans, toilet paper, bleach, soap, and other essential items for 15 families. These families include people who have disabilities that prevent them from working, widows and many are recipients of our annual Christmas supply baskets. We have increased the number of baskets to 25 families and will continue to distribute them on a monthly basis.
We are in contact with many of our volunteer service groups that have expressed their concern. The Keen, NH Rotary Interact group provided us with the funds to provide a similar service to the Churecca (Dump) community in Masatepe. Edwin, Heidy, and Katia loaded up our trucks and provided baskets to this large community in the pouring rain! Masatepe is an area closer to Nicaragua’s capital where the impact of the virus is being felt more strongly than SJDS. Over 80 families received supplies.
Update on COVID in Nicaragua
By Jill Gramling
Nicaragua’s government is not providing testing and continues to downplay the severity of the virus within the country. Limited medical resources make treatment particularly difficult and ventilators are not available in many parts of the country. The virus has reached San Juan del Sur in the last few weeks and many families are quarantining at home. The safety of our staff is our biggest priority and we have asked them to remain at home until it is safe to return to work.
Union Church and SJDS: a 20 Year Relationship
In February, our first service group in over a year returned to Nicaragua for a week-long mission trip. Union Church, from Massachusetts, worked with one of San Juan del Sur’s local churches, Alpha Y Omega, located along the road going out to the beaches. Since returning home, Union Church has provided additional funding to supply baskets to members of the Alpha Y Omega Church. We are still coordinating these baskets with community leaders but expect they will be out within the next few days. Richard and Ruth Morales are providing leadership for this project. Below is a note from board member Karen Weisgerber about their trip!
The Union Church in Waban has sent travelers to San Juan del Sur over the course of 20 years. We engage in service projects in schools and barrios, often working to improve water systems or infrastructure. Over these many years, we have developed a loyal partnership with the Biblioteca Móvil and the HJH foundation.
This past February the library, through connections with local rotary, facilitated our work refurbishing a school and rebuilding a comedor for the students of Ojochal. All of our travelers also volunteered on the mobile library, which is always a highlight for everyone. We cherish the relationships we have developed and the partnership that enables these service trips to continue.
This past March Jane Mirandette joined our church service via Zoom to share the ongoing work of the Biblioteca, in particular the current efforts for COVID relief. In response, the church congregants raised over $2000 to support these efforts. We are constantly amazed by the scope and depth of reach the Biblioteca has and look forward to our partnership continuing.
Cataloging Projects
By Barb Thorne
Two projects to assist in cataloging books are in process during this time.
In Colorado, new books have been arriving at Jane’s house for use by the BibliotecaMóvil and Satellite libraries. Rather than just sitting in the garage until they are transported to Nicaragua, Jane, Jhossy Quiroz, and Whitney Knutson are working on getting them ready. They are being sorted by their destination library, a spine label with their category (11 categories, such as Juvenile Picture/Illustrated books, Juvenile Fiction, Poetry…) is being placed on the spine or cover. The spine label call numbers will help in evaluating the collection in each library and determining which new books should be ordered. Then, the library barcode is put on the back cover and the item is listed on a spreadsheet. Barb Thorne (in Maryland) is taking the information and entering the books into the system, so they will arrive already on the computer.
Meanwhile, in the San Juan del Sur Biblioteca, library staff, led by Heidy and Edwin, are taking the Móvil books, putting on spine labels by their category call number and entering them in a spreadsheet. Barb Thorne, will then update the items to have their spine label and inventory date in the item record. This will help us know which items on the computer are truly available. This is a project that will be done as time allows during COVID-19 restrictions.
Meet Our Board
For over a year, the HJH Foundation has been led by a dedicated advisory board! The board normally meets monthly to discuss foundation business but we have had so much going on lately that we have been meeting once a week. Our board recently welcomed Jhossy Lopez Quiroz, a former Biblioteca employee who recently relocated to Colorado and is working again with us from Colorado as a volunteer and Advisory Board member.
Board members from top left to right: Jane, Jill, Edwin, Alexander, Heidy, Jhossy, Barb, Victor, Preston, Alex, Karen, Pat, Lily, Rosemary, Ann
You can read the bios of all of our board members on our new website!
Proud to be from San Juan del sur, Nicaragua, I worked at the library for 5 years with Jane up until I met Whitney, who came in 2017 with the GRIP Program. With the fiancé visa I moved to Colorado with Whitney this January. Since then, I have been involved with the library here in Colorado. Through the HJH Advisory board, I have been happily volunteering to prepare books that will be sent to the library in San Juan del Sur, as well as designing different 3D printer projects. We plan to return for vacations soon in Nicaragua.
A final note from Jane:
I am pleased to introduce our Advisory Board to you all and am grateful for their enthusiastic and dedicated participation in our increasingly important program. I am sure we will see much more from all of them as we continue to persevere.
I want to pause a moment to honor the many losses we all have had in these past months with sadly no clear end in sight and I am thankful for all of you who have been part of our HJH Program these many years. We have been able to provide full salaries for the SJDS staff as well as particpate in the COVID relief projects listed in the articles here. Thank you. In these days, as the Virus sweeps Nicaragua and we have uncertainty here as well, we each needs must take responsibility for our small part in staying steady and helping where we can.
We want to take a moment to remember our dear friend and co-worker Patricio Salvador Garcia who passed away on June 14 2020 after a long illness. He began work with some of us at the Hotel Villa Isabella in 2001 and after retiring there worked at the library for many years as one of the Night Guys. His sweet gentle and steadfast way was always appreciated. We were proud and honored to be able to help with the funeral expenses and will continue to provide Patricio’s salary to his mom as a pension. God-speed Patricio we love you.
Proud to be from San Juan del sur, Nicaragua, I worked at the library for 5 years with Jane up until I met Whitney, who came in 2017 with the GRIP Program. With the fiancé visa I moved to Colorado with Whitney this January. Since then, I have been involved with the library here in Colorado. Through the HJH Advisory board, I have been happily volunteering to prepare books that will be sent to the library in San Juan del Sur, as well as designing different 3D printer projects. We plan to return for vacations soon in Nicaragua.
