Natalie Urban ’69 writes …

“Every year hundreds of sponsors return from awareness trips changed and deeply touched by what they see. I was one of the sponsors on a recent trip to Costa Rica. For the past 20 years I have sponsored a child through CFCA, the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, a Catholic organization dedicated to helping children in poverty all over the world.

“On the last day of my stay in Costa Rica, January 16, 2013, my little girl, Lorena, and her family were brought from a remote mountain region where they live on the border of Costa Rica and Nicaragua to meet me. The mother and her three children—Antonio, age seven; Yanci, age eleven; and Lorena, age two—came to San José, the capital, for the first time. They met me at a hotel and rode in an elevator, all first-time experiences for them. My friend and I decided it would be great if they could visit the Children’s Museum in San José since they had also never been to a museum before. It was a hands-on experience for them, and the joy on their faces for what they saw was a reward in itself for me. They were so thrilled with their new experiences, and little Antonio said he wanted to live in the museum! The joy that they brought me far exceeded what I gave them. They made me see courage and humanity at its best. In spite of their poverty they are happy people who feel blessed with the little that they have. The organization is always in need of more sponsors.”

Send us your postcard!

Rhody Postcards features photo and video postcards from URI alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends. We spotlight alumni traveling or visiting interesting places (near or far) to work, study, volunteer, or seek adventure. If you’d like to be featured—or you know someone who should be featured—please contact Barbara Caron, QuadAngles Online editor.