Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Events in February: Memorial for Joan, Shipping Containers, Bolivia Trip Information Session

by | Jan 30, 2025 | Blog

Here are a few events Mano a Mano has coming up in February 2025 in Minnesota (click the link below to go to the section further down in the post):

February 2nd: Information Session on May Trip to Bolivia with Mano a Mano

To find out how you can join Mano a Mano’s next trip to Bolivia, May 5-15, 2025, come to an information session on Sunday, February 2, at 10:15 a.m., in the Gannett Room, and 12:30 p.m., in the DeCramer Room (at Unity Church in St. Paul, MN). If you cannot attend a session and you have questions or want to learn more, please contact Mano a Mano Board Member Ann Mabbott at [email protected]. 

Learn more about previous Mano a Mano trips to Bolivia here.

February 10th-15th: Shipping 3 Containers with Supplies & Equipment for Bolivia from our Minnesota Warehouse

Mano a Mano is getting ready for our first 2025 shipment of donated supplies and equipment from Minnesota to Bolivia. (The dates are tentative at the moment, but the process is underway.)

These supplies were destined for the landfill in Minnesota; instead, they will get put to good use for people and organizations throughout Bolivia. In 2024, Mano a Mano shipped 7 containers with 182,317 pounds of donated medical supplies, mobility equipment, and other in-demand items from Minnesota to Bolivia.

In Minnesota, Mano a Mano collects donated supplies and equipment for shipment to Bolivia, where we distribute them to people and organizations in need throughout the country.

February 26th: Memorial for Mano a Mano Co-Founder Joan Velásquez

In Memory of Mano a Mano Co-Founder Joan Velásquez: 1941-2024

Mano a Mano will be hosting a memorial on February 26th for our Co-Founder Joan Velásquez, who sadly passed away in early December 2024. We will be gathering with our local Mano a Mano community to share food, friendship, and memories of Joan – a truly remarkable person who impacted so many people over her lifetime. A more formal celebration of life will be held at a later date (Spring 2025) in St. Paul, Minnesota at Unity Church.

  • WHAT: Mano a Mano Memorial gathering for our Co-Founder Joan Velásquez
  • WHEN: Wednesday, February 26th from 11am-1pm CST
  • WHERE: Mano a Mano office/warehouse, 925 Pierce Butler Route, St. Paul, MN 55104
  • RSVP: This is an informal gathering with potluck-style food and drinks, and please stop by at any time between 11am-1pm that works. You are welcome to bring a light dish (cookies/dessert, hors d’oeuvres, drinks) for something to share. Though not required, an RSVP to [email protected] with your number of people planning to attend and if you plan to bring something to share is appreciated so we can have a general idea of what to expect.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Mano a Mano International Partners “in memory of Joan Velásquez” online (https://manoamano.org/donate/) or mailed to the Mano a Mano address (925 Pierce Butler Route, St. Paul, MN 55104). (Shared on behalf of Joan’s husband and Mano a Mano Co-Founder Segundo Velásquez.)

Thanks to everyone for your many condolences, kind words, memorial donations, and best wishes over these difficult months. You are welcome to continue to share condolences, stories, and memories of Joan by commenting on this page, sending cards to the Mano a Mano office (925 Pierce Butler Route, St. Paul, MN 55104), or emailing [email protected]. We will be sharing some memories at the memorial on February 26th; all cards, emails, comments are shared with Segundo.

Mano a Mano’s Daily Work

Take a tour with Mano a Mano to get a firsthand view of the organizations, programs, and projects located at our shared site in El Abra, Cochabamba, Bolivia where our daily work is centered.

Mano a Mano’s mission is: “Partnering together – Hand in Hand – to transform the health and well-being of Bolivian communities in need.” We accomplish that mission through 5 counterpart organizations: 4 counterpart organizations in Bolivia (3 of which have programs at El Abra) and 1 counterpart organization in Minnesota in the US. All of our projects are “mano a mano” and everyone has to do their part: Bolivian communities, individuals, and organizations request to partner with Mano a Mano; they and their local governments must play active roles; Mano a Mano in Bolivia provides support (much of which can be seen on this tour); and Mano a Mano in the US provides support through in-kind and financial resources.

The work of each Mano a Mano counterpart organization is accomplished through formal partnerships and informal relationships among the requesting communities, appropriate levels of Bolivian government, the relevant Mano a Mano counterpart organization in Bolivia, and may also include Mano a Mano staff, volunteers, and members of various communities in the US and elsewhere. In addition to the interrelated projects and programs seen here of our counterpart organizations Mano a Mano Bolivia, Mano a Mano Nuevo Mundo, and Mano a Mano Internacional, Mano a Mano has other sites in Bolivia (Mano a Mano Bolivia’s office/warehouse in nearby Sacaba; Mano a Mano Aviation’s current hangar at Jorge Wilstermann airport in Cochabamba and future airport under construction in Punata) and Minnesota (Mano a Mano International’s office/warehouse space in St. Paul).

These are some of the resources that Mano a Mano brings to the table, so that we can partner with Bolivian communities in need and accomplish together what none of us could do on our own. Everything is a partnership, and we are grateful to the many people that are a part of Mano a Mano!