APRIL 1 – APRIL 14, 2025
Making Communities Better Through Print.™
SANTA YNEZVALLEYSTAR.COM
Local volunteers travel to help Guatemalan tribe Solvang Rotary, Linda Vista Foundation share the same motivation: ‘Service Above Self’
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By Pamela Dozois Contributing Writer
olvang Rotary and Linda Vista Foundation joined forces on Feb. 8-17 for some challenging philanthropic work in Guatemala for the third year in a row. Solvang Rotarians Linda Johansen, Jan Clevenger, Dr. Art Kaslow, Dr. Bobby Brugnone, and Joe Brown teamed up with Linda Vista Foundation CEO Stu Gildred and his sister Tiffany Enermann as well as his new Director for Latin America Ana Paula Perez Martinez. “Because there were only five Solvang Rotarians leaving from the Solvang area this year, we had to improvise our round-trip transportation to the LAX airport,” Johansen began. “To the rescue was fellow Rotarian Tresha Sell and Rio Vista [Chevrolet] who offered to provide the group with a van and driver in each direction. We were lucky enough to have Maynard Bentley, a dear friend to some of us, be our driver. We love and appreciate so much our village of helpers as we all pay our own way as well as help to pay for all of the services that we provide in the underserved communities.”
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Children gather at the well dig site worked on by volunteers from Solvang Rotary and the Linda Vista Foundation. Photo courtesy of Linda Vista Foundation
And once the group got to Guatemala it was more planning for transportation. “We have always flown Avianca for this mission from Los Angeles directly into Guatemala City and stayed there overnight before leaving early the next morning for a long drive to our first destination,” Johan-
sen continued. “We rented two vehicles and divided up our team with Stu Gildred driving in the lead car followed by Dr. Bobby Brugnone and his team members. We communicate between the cars with our high-tech walkie-talkies for directions and entertainment.” Johansen explained that the group’s
mission was dedicated to projects for the underserved in the remote mountainous village of San Martin Chiquito, particularly the indigenous Mam tribe, who are of Mayan descent. They speak no Spanish, only Mam. “We all stayed at the nonprofit called Local Hope and Xela Aid Eco CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
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