Our Sister City of Ataco has suffered greatly over the past year due to the extreme warm, dry weather affecting the coffee production and the lack of rain which generally provides the rivers heavy water from which the residents draw their daily use,”

Honorable Consul Emeritus to El Salvador Enrique Melendez

Fountain Hills Sister Cities and Mountain View Kitchen hosted a Sister City Ataco fundraiser to support humanitarian relief to the community in El Salvador.

During 2023 Fountain Hills Sister Cities focused humanitarian efforts on the Sister City of Zamosc, Poland,  where an influx of war refugees from nearby Ukraine resulted in an emergency there.

The focus this year will turn to Ataco, where over the past years, the COVID pandemic, along with repeated natural disasters, have left their mark on that small town. Floods and mudslides in this mountainous region of El Salvador have severely reduced output of the primary cash crops. Coffee bean harvests are a major contributor to the health of the local economy. Without them, the community suffers.

“Our Sister City of Ataco has suffered greatly over the past year due to the extreme warm, dry weather affecting the coffee production and the lack of rain which generally provides the rivers heavy water from which the residents draw their daily use,” said Honorable Consul Emeritus to El Salvador Enrique Melendez, a Fountain Hills resident and former Town Council member.

“Transportation of supplies from the capital of San Salvador were diminished which included medical as well as food for the residents.

“Our community support is greatly needed as Ataco’s Fountain Hills Village proudly displays daily our American flag since 2011 when 44 Fountain Hills High School students and chaperones constructed 20 houses which was named Fountain Hills Village.”

As a result many of Ataco citizens, particularly the elderly, have experienced food insecurities.

For 2024, Fountain Hills Sister Cities will host fundraising events and collect donations to provide Ataco with nutritious meal kits. The goal is to provide 1,000 of these meal kits to Ataco on behalf of the Fountain Hills community. In this way, FHSC upholds one of four main missions of the Sister City Program: Community Development and Aid.

The first Sister City Ataco fundraiser of the year netted almost $3,700. Key contributors include Honorable Consul to Poland Bogumil Horchem and FHSC Vice President Elizabeth Horchem, who donated $1,000; Honorable Consul Emeritus to El Salvador Enrique Melendez, who donated $1,000; FHSC President Christine Colley, who donated $1,000; FHSC members and friends from the community made up the balance of the initial contribution.

Featured at the fundraiser were special guests who have been an integral part of the Sister City relationship between Fountain Hills and Ataco.

Claire McWilliams, former FH High School teacher and sponsor of the student trip to Ataco in 2011, shared her experience. She offered a reminder of the deep connections to this struggling community. McWilliams’ story revealed just how committed her students were to traveling to Ataco, where they participated in the construction of homes for local residents.

Images of the experience were forever captured in a hand-signed and framed memorial. It revealed the passion for working on behalf of others that is so evident in the sister cities relationships Fountain Hills shares.

FHSC was honored to have McWilliams back to speak about this ground-breaking and impactful event. Her and her students’ story energized the crowd and renewed the focus on the partner city of Ataco.

Chuck Peterson discussed his current activities in the region near Ataco in support of the non-profit Fuller Center for Housing. They support ongoing efforts to build shelter homes and provide basic needs for struggling local citizens.

It was shared that as little as $18 can provide a week’s worth of nutritious food for Ataco’s elderly. Peterson’s work in the region is done in cooperation with a local El Salvador nonprofit, People Helping People.

After getting connected with FHSC, he met the mayor of Ataco, continuing the dialogue regarding the 2024 humanitarian relief campaign.  Chuck’s connections and knowledge in the area of Ataco will benefit the efforts to help this community. Fountain Hills Sister Cities is deeply grateful for his contributions in El Salvador and his cooperation with FHSC.

FHSC thanked  Jennifer Ward and the crew of Mountain View Kitchen for supporting the fundraising event.