The Cormack Family Community Centers

two new community centers in CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA

NOW OPEN: Please enjoy this video of the new centers!

Lead donors Dave and Fiona Cormack (pictured at left) with their family and sponsored children.

Olaya’s story continues

The Cormack Family Community Centers were inaugurated on June 14, 2018.

The doors are open — but the change is just beginning! In the same way we partnered with generous supporters to renovate these buildings, we need partners who will help support the smart, selfless staff members and volunteers who ensure our kids feel valued and loved.

Every dollar we invest in our team is a dollar we invest in our children. A contribution to help cover the centers’ operating costs for the coming year will make a direct difference in the lives of our kids and teens.

Your gift will encourage and empower the dedicated people who keep the centers running efficiently, effectively and compassionately.

Support the centers | Need more info

BACK TO ALL COMMUNITY CENTER PROJECTS

Keep supporting the Olaya centers!

The centers have been renovated and re-opened. Your support can keep them running smoothly! Your donation will be used to cover the centers’ operating costs, allowing our staff to keep their focus on the children and the programs that are helping them leave poverty behind.

For gifts of $1,000+, your name, or that of a loved one, will be featured on a plaque in the center.

$500
$1,000
$1,500
Other

Critical issues

Cramped quarters made it difficult for our staff to work effectively.
Older, outdated facilities needed to be refreshed and modernized.
Our expanding programs for teens require more space than was currently available.
Kids and teens preferred age-appropriate spaces where they could socialize and work together with their peers.

Community center

Youth resource center

About the centers

The current buildings were originally two-story houses modified for our needs. As our sponsored population grew, our facilities did not grown with them. Limited space resulted in congested activities, making it difficult for staff to effectively implement our programs.

Because these two centers are located near each other, we chose to renovate them so each facility is uniquely suited to provide age-appropriate programming to a specific group:

Community center: Centralized health and dental operations, reading areas, computer lab and play areas specifically for younger children.
Youth resource center: Adequate space for teens to participate in workshops on financial literacy, leadership, health, sports and vocational skills.

The renovated centers now provide modern, safe spaces where children can grow and learn and teens can receive the life and job skills they need to succeed as adults.

More about the community

“Coming to the community center has helped me learn and be a better person. And, at the community center, I have learned to be disciplined, to strive for what I want the most. This has made my mom feel proud of me, and I’m even more motivated to finish school so I can become a professional.” — Ana María (12)

Large gifts and naming opportunities

CI’s community centers are the heartbeat of our organization. They provide safe, uplifting and caring environments from which CI kids can launch successful futures. But these centers are a big commitment — one that requires a lot of support.

So, to honor the big-hearted donors who so generously are able to help, we want to formally recognize you!

Contribute $1,000 or more: Your name — or the name of a loved one — will be inscribed on a plaque in the center.
Donate a gift of $10,000+: A room or outdoor area of one of the facilities will be dedicated and named in your honor. (See below for more information and which rooms are still available for naming rights.)

Name a room

The very spaces that are changing the lives of kids will feature your name or the name of someone you love. If you’re interested in donating, please contact us soon.

VIEW FLOOR PLAN

Watch the progress of the Barrio Olaya centers

Lead donors Dave and Fiona Cormack and family were on hand to inaugurate the Cormack Family Community Centers in Cartagena, Colombia, including this center for younger kids focusing on health and education benefits.

Nearby, the second center will serve as a youth resource center to help teens prepare for the workforce, with an emphasis on empowerment and employment programs.

The inauguration featured traditional music and dances, and attendees included the mayor of Cartagena, Yolanda Wong, who said, “This is one of the most important invitations I have received in my position.”

Children International President Susana Eshleman spoke with some young guests who eagerly anticipate participating in programs at the new centers.

Volunteer mom Irene Ayola Escobar gave the new library a thumbs-up. “When I arrived and saw how everything was: the colors, the neatness, the order, well, I was so moved that I almost cried.”

Donor Robert Roth, right, attended with his sister Cicely Reiss, left. “The centers are a haven for the children, a sort of magic bubble for them, but one in which they can learn and thrive and grow,” Roth reported. “I saw plenty of smiles and heard much laughter!”

Here is the ultimate reward for your generosity: the smiling faces of kids who are living better lives thanks to your support!
We are grateful to generous friends like you who made these centers possible.

A great deal of progress has been made on the renovation of two centers into a separate community center (shown here) and youth resource center.

CI staff make regular visits to the site to monitor the progress of the renovations.

The community center will serve as a refuge from poverty, where kids can play and learn in a safe environment.

The youth resource center will give teens a secure space to participate in youth programs and spend time with other success-oriented teens and adult mentors.

Work continues at a steady pace in anticipation of the June celebration.

Renovations have begun on our two centers in Barrio Olaya!

CI’s director in Colombia, Hermalinda Guarín, reviews building plans with the contractor.She can’t wait to see the centers open their doors.

Demolition crews are busy removing walls and flooring from the second floor of what will be the new community center.

The community center will be reconfigured to provide ample room to efficiently carry out our specialized programs for kids.

Nearby, workers are completing similar tasks on the youth resource center. This will be a dedicated place for teens to participate in programs and socialize.