Project Salvador's Newest Board Member

Project Salvador is operated and managed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Our dedicated board members come from very diverse backgrounds, with some having served as Peace Corps Volunteers in El Salvador. Here is an introduction from our newest board member:

John (l) with friend Jerry in El Salvador.

     My name is John Kukankos, the newest member of the Board of Directors. I write these few words to introduce myself and to set forth what I hope to contribute to Project Salvador. 

     

    I was raised in the Western suburbs of Chicago where I graduated from Catholic grammar and high schools. I graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BA in English and then received my law degree from Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. I have three grown children and have been married to my wife Peggy for thirty-four years. We currently reside in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a suburb Northwest of Chicago.

     After I completed my first year of law school, I decided to apply to the Peace Corps and was accepted to a program in Turkey where I spent a year teaching English as a foreign language.  The Peace Corps abruptly ended the Turkish Peace Corps program a year into my 2-year volunteer service.   I managed to join another Peace Corps program in El Salvador where I spent two years working in community development. When my two years in El Salvador ended, I returned to the states to finish law school and have been practicing law in Chicago ever since. But, I never forgot El Salvador.

     As we grow older, I think we have a greater urgency to find fulfillment and to become involved in something worthwhile. My good friend Jerry and I would often talk about finding just such an endeavor, and I think we both always knew that our journey would begin in El Salvador. So, eight years ago, we decided to go to El Salvador. In El Salvador, Jerry and I looked at a number of different projects, but the project that most appealed to us involved education – especially for young women. Since that first trip, Jerry and I have helped raise funds to assist the Project Salvador scholarship program.  It is my hope that during my tenure on the Board, I can assist in fundraising efforts and continue to develop the scholarship program.

Welcome!

Welcome to Project Salvador's new blog! It is a work in progress and will be updated regularly, and photos will be added shortly. Project Salvador has also entered the Facebook world, so please be sure to "Like" us. You can either type "ProjectSalvador" in the search bar or go to the following link: https://www.facebook.com/#!/ProjectSalvador.

For those of you who are not familiar with Project Salvador, here is a very brief summary of our history, current projects, and plans for the next 5 years (as taken from our 2012-2016 Strategic Plan):

Project Salvador began in 1986 with the efforts of Dominican priest, Father Jim Barnett, who worked in the marginalized community of 22 de Abril in metropolitan San Salvador. Father Jim organized a group of young people who made crafts for sale in the United States to help generate some income for their families. Since these humble beginnings Project Salvador has funded over 150 development and material aid projects.  At our 25-year anniversary in 2011, we celebrated over $2.2 million in projects funded and $1.3 million in craft sales

Since 2006, the Board of Project Salvador has decided to focus our work in the following areas:

1-The Karen Adams Microlending Project establishes Microlending Committees for women in rural communities in north central El Salvador. This project expanded to 31 communities in 2012 and has a 98.5% payback rate on credit loans ranging from $50-200.  Since 2005, over 840 women and their families have benefited directly from this project.

    2-The Center for Arts for Peace in Suchitoto provides a community space for reconciliation and building a cultural identity for the former war zone. The Center sponsors community events, classes, and delegation visits throughout the year.

   3-Community Organizing Projects through PICO El Salvador by empowering local leaders to address local, regional and national issues in El Salvador including public safety & violence prevention, community health, infrastructure, and local economic development.  Development of local leadership is key to these efforts holding elected official accountable to address community needs. 

    4-Scholarship program for over 150 pre-school, elementary school, middle school, high school and university students in the Departments of Chalatenango, Sonsonate, La Libertad, Las Cabañas, Ahuachapán, Cuscatlán and San Salvador.

    5-Our Proyecto Los Niños monthly donors continue to sustain the Nutrition Program for Children and Senior Citizens in the parish of Plan del Pino serving 60-80 children and 120-150 seniors in various stages of malnutrition.  Funding covers the cost of basic foodstuffs and a Saturday morning medical clinic at the parish.

    6-Plan del Pino Youth Center is in its planning stages.  The site has been purchased with partial funds from Project Salvador.  

In addition to providing continuing support for the aforementioned projects, Project Salvador would like to focus on the following 5 goals for the future:

• Raise at least $25,000/year for funding development projects and operations

• Increase awareness of the plight of the marginalized of Central Americans

• Promote Project Salvador’s ongoing efforts

• Strengthen Project Salvador’s board and staff

• Expansion of reporting progress to existing and potential donors through website, newsletters, and other social media

A LOT more great information about Project Salvador's history and current projects can be found on our newly updated website at www.projectsalvador.org!

Thanks for reading our FIRST blog post! Please be sure to check-in regularly to see what is new with Project Salvador. Feel free to leave any questions or comments you may have.