Summer 2024 newsletter
Melissa & Peter Altman, El Salvador
Peter Altman distributes food packets to families in the rural community of Quesalapa, El Salvador.
In April the Soy Nutrition Program launched a monthly food distribution initiative for 35 families in Quesalapa, a rural community in Panchimalco, El Salvador. Isolated during the worst of the gang violence, Quesalapa had long been overlooked.
For years, we would pass Quesalapa on our way to El Cedro, where we support children, families and seniors, but we had never ventured in. For the past six years, Pete has worked with the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul to build dignified homes for women with children in substandard housing in El Cedro. Two years ago, Sor Ana Rosa, a Vincentian Sister overseeing our partner program in El Cedro, suggested expanding our efforts to include Quesalapa due to the community’s significant needs.
As part of the housing project’s selection process, we visited families to assess their living conditions. It became clear that many families were not only living in inadequate housing but were also facing food insecurity. We relied on local contacts in Quesalapa to identify the families most in need, as trusted local knowledge is essential when entering a new community.
Families listen to a nutrition workshop led by a Maryknoll Lay Missioners scholarship student in Quesalapa.
A community leader generously offered his yard for our soy milk and food packet distributions. In March we held an informational meeting with the families. We explained the program: Participants would receive about 2 liters of soy milk and a package of staple foods, including beans, rice and other essentials, each month. Additionally, there would be presentations and discussions on topics related to nutrition, health and well-being. Families committed to attending monthly and contributing $1 to help cover transportation costs, ensuring they are active participants rather than mere recipients.
To our delight, every family decided to join the program. We provided them with the dates for our monthly visits throughout the year.
When we arrived for the first distribution in April, we didn’t know what to expect. Despite being a few minutes late, we were amazed to find all the families already there, seated, and with containers for their soy milk, as requested. This speaks to the pressing need within the community.
A local university student, supported by a scholarship through Maryknoll Lay Missioners and studying health, offered a brief presentation on balancing food groups and led a discussion. It was heartwarming to see our program creating opportunities for young community members to give back.
The enthusiasm and promptness of the families in Quesalapa have underscored the critical need for our program. We are grateful for the support from local leaders and look forward to continuing our work to improve nutrition and living conditions in this resilient community.
The food that we are distributing in Quesalapa and other communities in El Salvador is a manifestation of the generosity of those of you who support the Soy Nutrition Program through donations and prayer. We are grateful for all of the ways you support us!
Please consider supporting our mission work at the Soy Project with a donation through the link below. You can follow us on Facebook @Soy Nutrition Program El Salvador and Instagram @soy_nutrition_elsalvador.
We also invite you to walk with us as our “COMPANIONS IN MISSION.” Companions in Mission are friends and generous donors who give financial gifts on a regular (usually monthly) basis. For more information, click on the Become a Companion in Mission button below. Thank you so much for your generosity!
Melissa and Peter Altman, with their two children, Eli and Evey, are serving as Maryknoll lay missioners in El Salvador.
