How to Get Involved in Volleyball-athon to Benefit El Salvadoran Children

While Maria Anaya now lives in North Canton, she was born and raised in El Salvador. She knows the people there, the suffering children and the great need for medical supplies. For the past two years, Maria and her daughter Alexandra have been raising money to take medical equipment and supplies back to El Salvador for children in medical crisis. There is only one children’s hospital in the country and they don’t have the money to install updated dialysis machines, or to supply the proper vitamins and calcium the kids need or even purchase antibacterial soap.

“Due to a 12-year civil war, multiple natural disasters such as earthquakes, El Salvador remains a country plagued with residual damages resulting in high levels of poverty,” Alexandra said.

The two of them have made raising money and helping the children a personal mission. Maria and her daughter have been leading the El Salvador Children’s Hospital Mission. With the help of parishioners of St. Mary’s and St. Barbara’s in Massillon, plus many members of  (including a youth group called LIFETEEN), Maria has been able to bring many supplies to the kids during her numerous trips.

On one trip she personally delivered a nine-month supply of vitamins, calcium, soap and sanitizer by the gallons and a DVD player with children’s movies. Another trip, she helped deliver a refrigerator to keep medicine from spoiling along with scales and other supplies.

“All donations are hand delivered by our group to the patients and the hospital staff to prevent them from being misused or stolen en route,” Alexandra said.

The latest fundraiser starts at noon on Saturday, Aug. 20 and ends at noon on Sunday, Aug. 21. The LIFETEEN group will host a Volleyball-athon fundraiser in the Main Street parking lot of St. Paul’s church during the . People who want to participate are encouraged to build a six-person team with each team raising at least $10 in sponsorship.

The monies raised will help build portable dialysis rooms that will include a table, chair and IV pole, a skylight, a scale, blood pressure cuff and a floor. The rooms are completely enclosed to prevent dust and dirt from entering and the rooms can be collapsed and moved when needed. Maria’s goal is to raise enough money to build 11 units.  

According to Maria, the need is great for the children. The water filtration is poor in the country and causes widespread kidney problems.

“The country lacks resources for people to live life as a human being,” Maria said. “People in the country are either very wealthy or very poor.”

Maria’s next trip to El Salvador begins Aug. 23.

“I’d like to ask everyone to pray for my safety on the next trip. The areas I’m traveling to are not safe because people there do not have a safe and easy life in those areas,” Maria said.

For more information about donating to help the children in El Salvador or to register a volleyball team for the fundraiser, call Michele Blate at St. Paul’s, 330-499-2201, ext. 309, or email mblate@stpaulncanton.org.