The Many Avenues of Charitable Giving

To achieve their goal of helping others, Alejandro and María Galindo use many avenues to pursue their charitable giving philosophy.

Remembering how the church helped him, Alejandro and his wife, María, give generously through the church to support helping others. Their motto of putting people first keeps them focused on their charitable giving goal.

When Alejandro's journey from Peru brought him to New Haven in 1984 he relied on the church to connect him to other Latinos and to assist with his adjustment in a new culture and city. Church members provided him with guidance during his job search, which led to his employment at the Park Plaza Hotel.

Alejandro's story is very familiar to Latinos not born in New Haven. While raising four children in the Fair Haven neighborhood, the couple began spending a significant amount of time at St. Rose Church. Alejandro and María are usually the first to volunteer for any activity that will benefit others. In addition to these activities, the couple counsels Latinos in their home to assist them in making their adjustment to the Greater New Haven area easier, and to help them avoid pitfalls of which the Galindos are well aware.

Giving through the church has enabled the Galindos to help in the development of the Fair Haven community. Because St. Rose is considered a "working church," Alejandro and María are also involved in community development efforts. María, who does not speak English, received leadership training from the Elm City Congregation Organized program (ECCO) to provide her with the necessary skills to become a community leader. The couple was involved in a project sponsored by the Fair Haven Housing Initiative and St. Rose to renovate 20 rental properties on Richards Street. Their community development efforts are now focused on the Quinnipiac Terrace Plan, which calls for the building of 66 apartments. This is the largest housing project ever undertaken by St. Rose and ECCO.

Supporting these community development projects provided the Galindos with another charitable giving avenue that enables them to collaborate with others and connect to resources that are already in place. Their involvement has provided much needed housing, which will ultimately build a healthy and viable community. Even though they are not wealthy, their generosity and compassion for others has motivated them to assist with countless fundraising efforts.

Like the Galindos, you too can help others through charitable giving opportunities. To learn more, please contact Sharon Cappetta at 203-777-7071.