What: 5K fun run/walk for Safe Passage (www.safepassage.org)
What time: 10:00 am
When: May 11, 2014
Where: Dorset Park in South Burlington
Cost: $19 pre-registration, $20 on race day
How to sign up? https://www.firstgiving.com/safepassage/vermont-esperanza-5k
Questions: contact vtfriends@safepassage.org and Jess or Liz will get back to you shortly!

Safe Passage, known as Camino Seguro in Guatemala, is a 501c3 organization with the mission to empower the children, teenagers, and families who live in the communities around the Guatemala City garbage dump through education.

The majority of the families we work with are single-mother homes and the primary source of income for many is the re-sale of items fished out of the garbage. The Guatemala City dump is a shocking reality where few restrictions result in the workers' exposure to chemical and medical waste every day. Despite these dire circumstances, mothers fight for their children's survival and descend into the dump for more than 10 hours a day.

Safe Passage offers more than 550 children and young adults the opportunity to rise from poverty through education by providing a complete scholarship and complementing local public education through special activities. There are more than 100 staff members, 40 international volunteers, and many long-term donors that are dedicated to this community.

In the community, one out of every three parents never attended school. Of those who did start primary school, few passed 4th grade. With every high school graduate, we are breaking the cycle in this community. High school graduates make five to eight times more than those working in the garbage dump. We are confident that educating this community will lead to more formally employed individuals and healthier families.

Come out and celebrate mother's day by honoring the amazing families living in difficult circumstances in the Guatemala City garbage dump community!