Mir Pace is pleased to announce the appointment of Maureen McQuiggan
to its Board of Directors. Maureen is a clinical analyst in Information Systems at Central Vermont Medical Center,
where she also held the position of psychiatric nurse. She has worked as a psychiatric nurse consultant
for the Department of Mental Health and has worked many years in fundraising for St. Elizabeth's Hospital
and the Tuberous Sclerosis Foundation in the Boston area. Maureen received her Associates Degree in Nursing
from Vermont College and B.A. in Human Services from Trinity College. Maureen and her husband Bill live in
Vermont with their four children, two of whom have participated in Mir Pace's IHSM programs.
On August 27th, Mir Pace held its first Paddle for Poverty kayak race off Steamboat Pier in Hull, MA. Bright sunshine, calm waters, and a gentle breeze made for ideal race conditions and was a gift from heaven, as were our race participants, volunteers, sponsors, and friends.
Both the long (3+ miles) and short course (1 mile) races went off without a hitch. In the short course, Justin Dausch maintained the lead throughout, followed closely behind by Craig and Caroline Comins (winners of the "inflatable division"). In the long race, Adam Traina, took first place, followed by Doug Randall. Michael and Taryn Sacchitella came into view next, followed closely behind by our very own Terry Mullen! The long course was a challenge, but all who participated enjoyed the competition and magnificent scenery.
At the conclusion of the races, trophies and prizes were awarded. Throughout the day, our friends from Java Jungle provided refreshments, and beautiful handcrafted items were offered for sale by our own Tamahú (Guatemala) weaver's collaborative and Alpaca Suri, a local Peruvian gift shop.
We wish to extend our deepest gratitude, however, to Mark Morris and Catunes. Mark and the guys played true to form - spirited and engerized! Thank you guys for your graciousness, for supporting us, and we hope to see you again next year!
Our sincere thanks to all of our supporters, volunteers, and race participants. You helped us to raise
much needed program funds and we look forward to seeing you again next year!
We at Mir Pace express our sorrow and sympathy for all those affected by Hurricane Katrina. While the
hurricane affected hundreds of thousands of people, those living in deep poverty were hit the hardest. Mir
Pace generally focuses its relief and development efforts in regions beyond the United States where
governments and civil society groups have little or no capacity to effectively improve livlihoods, which is
seldom the case here in the US. Yet, despite all the resources available for relief after Katrina, we
realized that some poor communities still may not receive the support they need. Through your kind support and the generosity of Daly & Wanza for
transportation, Mir Pace provided much needed clothing and school supplies to families affected by the
hurricane.
During the week of April 13 - 22, twenty IHSM volunteers will assist the Missionaries of Charity Fathers and the local community in a weeklong program that includes building a cinderblock home for a mountain family, assisting a collaborative of local weavers in improving and expanding their products and sales, preparing and serving meals at a day shelter for the elderly population, and visiting the local schools.
From July 27 through August 11,
IHSM volunteers will work in the northwest region of Tanzania, the Kagera District, assisting local
communities in the construction of water harvesting and sanitation systems, interior repair and improvement
projects at a rural medical clinic, assisting at a shelter for street children, and visiting the local schools.
Knowledge of the Swahili language is NOT required!
For more information about being a part of these rewarding experiences, please visit
our Mission Locations page. Also, please watch
for our next Newsletter, as our young volunteers will report their extraordinary experiences from the field!
