170 individuals and organizations in Canada donated just over $100,000 to Heart-Links to make this work possible. When Trish Gergich, chair of Heart-Links’ board of directors, spoke at our annual general meeting, she summed it up best: “When I think of kindness, I think of our donors.”

Reflecting on the extraordinary challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, Trish went on: “We knew our donors would understand the need to be flexible with the funds sent to Peru and that they would be there to help. Our thanks to each of you who gave generously to support Heart-Links in 2020 or made special emergency donations.”

Who did your donations help? What impact did you make? Who else is part of the Heart-Links community?

Our 2020 Impact Report will answer many of these questions. And we’d be happy to answer any others you may have. You can reach us at info@heart-links.org or by telephone at 226-884-2845.

We leave 2020 behind, inspired to carry on. We will continue to work in solidarity—with you and with our partners in Peru—to create a more just and equitable world.  

At Heart-Links we are ready to support our partner organizations in Peru as they design flexible, responsive programs to help the people most in need in their communities through this next phase of the pandemic.

Your support in 2020 made this possible.

Thanks to you, community leaders in José Leonardo Ortiz are engaging their neighbours in civic action and in improving living standards in their community.

Thanks to you, rural families in San Isidro are developing an ecologically sustainable chicken hatchery—a project that will not only provide sorely needed income but will also make this community more resilient.

Thanks to you, adults and children with developmental disabilities in Nuevo Mocupe are getting medical attention and life skills counselling that will help them take part as full members of their community.

In all, Heart-Links financed 11 longer-term and emergency projects in northern Peru in 2020. Hundreds of individuals, their families and their communities benefitted—thanks to you.

Over 145 individuals and organizations donated a total of $101,000 to Heart-Links to make these projects happen. You can see many of our donors’ names here.

We are grateful to each of you for your passion and your support of the work we do. And we want you to know that our joint commitment to build a more just world will continue well into the future.

Heart-Links’ new 2020–2025 Strategic Plan lays out our goals and the steps we will take to ensure Canada-Peru solidarity stays strong. You can read it by clicking through the slides below. With you, despite the pandemic, we will move forward.

The Esperanza Centre provides a new and permanent home for the work of our partner ACIES. ACIES offers children in the impoverished urban neighbourhoods of Esperanza and Quiritimayo educational programs that respect and value their Indigenous heritage. Until now, ACIES did this work in space loaned to them in an abandoned market.

Construction of the centre, which began in 2017, saw some setbacks. But last October, members of Heart-Links’ board of directors were present for an informal opening and in January of this year, ACIES and their programs took full possession.

It’s a truly beautiful building that makes use of rainwater and natural sunlight and reflects the Indigenous culture of the region. The children who participate in programs there helped design the fountain and plant the herb garden. The entire neighbourhood, which is made up of rural Indigenous migrants who have come to the city in hope of a better life, see the building as a community hub. Adults, youth and children participate in programs there and contribute to its care.

For ACIES, having a permanent home for their programs has strengthened their organization and inspired more people (university students, for example) to volunteer their time and their skills to creating a more just world.

Both Heart-Links and ACIES are very grateful to OECTA for contributing to this project, which has really brightened the lives of people in this community.

When Sr. Joanne joined, the Sisters of St. Martha had just celebrated their 100th anniversary. Their accomplishments included founding, among many other hospitals they started in Canada, St. Mary’s Hospital in Inverness, Cape Breton, and the St. Martha’s Regional Hospital in Antigonish. Marthas also pioneered in household management, health care, education and social work throughout the country.

“Our roots as a congregation go back to the Antigonish movement,” Sr. Joanne says. “There is a strong connection to community development. The link is in our DNA. We believe that change often comes out of grassroots movements.”

Collaboration is also a key value for the Sisters, who always make decisions as a group.

Why do the Sisters of St. Martha support Heart-Links? Sr. Joanne says, “Heart-Links speaks to us in our roots in the Antigonish movement and a commitment to the same values of solidarity and collaboration. We recognize the like-mindedness. And as we get smaller, we see the future differently and those connections become more important.”

She adds, “We truly see ourselves as sisters and brothers and want people to be who they are, to learn and for them to be teachers to us.”

We asked Sr. Joanne for her thoughts on the pandemic and how the Sisters are managing. “We are doing what we can to help each other and to stay connected in meaningful ways,” she says. “We started a weekly Together in Isolation publication that includes poems, reflections, family news and pictures.” It is one small way, she says, to reduce isolation and keep spirits high.

There are 74 Sisters currently in the Congregation. Recently, the Sisters deconstructed their Bethany Motherhouse in an environmentally focused way, and they are now living together in community in small houses and at Parkland Antigonish facility. All have been safe and healthy during the pandemic.

Sr. Joanne had some final thoughts at the end of our call: “Our interconnectedness cannot be overstated at this time,” she says. “If we really believe in collaboration and equal work, we must trust people, give them the freedom to do what is right for them.”

Thank you, Sr. Joanne, for speaking to us. Thank you, Sisters of St. Martha, for your unwavering support of Heart-Links and the people of Peru over all these years. We, too, recognize you as a like-minded partner in creating a more just world.

Have you considered donating to Heart-Links like the Sisters of St. Martha? You can make a gift right here or fill out our printable Donor Form and mail it with your cheque to Heart-Links, 201 King Street, London, ON, N6A 1C9.

This post is part of Heart-Links’ series Spotlight on Our Supporters, which introduces readers to some of the amazing people and organizations who donate to Heart-Links—and why.

On a stormy day one November, David caught the train from Toronto to Windsor. He was off to visit family near his hometown of Essex. He rarely took the train, but he felt good about his decision as the snow began to fall.

As he settled in for the trip, David struck up a conversation with the stranger next to him. Her name was Lina. They chatted about his extensive travels, her work in the financial world and her involvement with a small charity called Heart-Links. David says, “What captured my interest was her heart-felt belief in the need to assist the people in Peru and to help them achieve more financial independence. This was not a sales pitch for a donation but a deep-felt desire to give the people in this sector of Peru the means to have a better life.”

The conversation left David with a desire to learn more and to support the cause in a small way. Since this chance meeting many years ago, he and his wife, Sharon, have donated regularly to Heart-Links. David says, “If someone asks me how this involvement with Heart-Links started, I say because of a lady on the train.”

While David and Sharon have no direct connection to Peru, David has been there a couple of times on work-related travel that has taken him to over 60 countries around the world. Their desire to help others started many years ago when they realized how many people in the world are suffering from lack of adequate food, clothing and water. In our interview, David told us, “My wife and I donate to a number of charities because we want to help people find ways to sustain a reasonable level of life.”

Since Lina Bowden—the lady on the train—is a long-time Heart-Links supporter, we reached out to share David’s story with her and get her side. What did she say?

“This story reminds me just how valuable our human connection is. I feel blessed to have struck such an important human connection with David that day—and I am just as blessed to know the great leaders of the programs in Peru that Heart-Links supports. Our humanity is alive and rich when we seek to connect at a deeper level with each other. Thanks, David, for caring enough to engage in dialogue with me that day and for acting on something that spoke to your heart.”

We thank you, too, David, for supporting Heart-Links and for sharing your story with us. And, thank you, Lina, for inspiring David that day on the train.

Have you considered becoming a donor to Heart-Links like David? You can read more about our giving options right here or email info@heart-links.org for more information. Ready to make your donation? Go to our online giving page to give now.

We are proud to list the names of many of our donors on our webpage dedicated to Our Supporters—both to say THANK YOU and to recognize their ongoing commitment. If you wish to remain anonymous, that’s okay, too. We will honour your wish.

This post is part of Heart-Links’ new series Spotlight on Our Supporters, which introduces readers to some of the amazing people who donate to Heart-Links—and why.