A well-worth trip to Ecuador!

April 10, 2013 Editorial Staff
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A group of youngsters will be visiting Ecuador this summer and sharing the strength of their two hands to help construct homes for families without adequate housing.

For the second year, Trinity Lutheran Church, in Sunset Park, has joined the efforts of Adopta una Familia (AUF), a United States-based non-profit organization that partners with local leaders in Ecuador, as part of an annual mission aimed at improving access to quality housing, education and healthcare.

“I think it’s wonderful for our young people to have the spirit of civic and moral commitment; not only are they helping people locally, but also internationally,” said Reverend Samuel Cruz, explaining that Associate Pastor Vanessa Cardinale began taking the group when she was young.

“It was a good experience for her and now that she’s at Trinity, we have decided to join in on the efforts,” he added.

The program has a solid history. What started in 1999 with 28 members and friends of the First Congregational Church, in Connecticut leaving for Guayaquil , Ecuador, has 14 years later grown into a multi-tiered program “that has that has enriched the lives of hundreds of people in Ecuador and North America,” according to AUF’s website. A total of 50 youngsters and adults will be flying to South America this year from Trinity Lutheran and other churches.

“They don’t finish the whole home; it’s important to know that these are very basic homes,” remarked Cruz.

Join the congregation on April 19 as they get together at 8 p.m. to raise money for the trip. “Having fun while raising funds,” Cruz called it. They will be hosting a dance fundraiser featuring “Abrazos Orchestra,” with tickets costing only $20.

Proceeds will go directly towards travel costs and construction supplies.

For more information, visit www.auf-ecuador.org. The church is located at 411 46th Street.

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