Happy 2024! It's going to be a busy year.

Thank you again for helping Quixote Center achieve its goals for 2023. At this time last year, our aim was to work more closely with our partners in Haiti to get a sharper understanding of what people living and working in rural communities needed most to help them maintain a sustainable livelihood. One way we accomplished this was through our survey of the residents of Gouin in Haiti's south.  Now we have data on what Haiti's farmers need to get the most out of their land now and for years to come.

Another of our 2023 aims was to work with our partners in social justice, among them the Franciscan Network on Migration, to provide direct aid to migrants from South America, the Caribbean, and beyond forced to travel on foot through the infamous jungles of Panama to escape unlivable conditions in their home countries. In this instance, QC supplied funds to purchase basic supplies and meals for the families who stop for a brief rest along the route. We also supported a shelter for migrants with special needs who could not continue their journey.

A third goal was to expand our partnerships for advocacy and improve our ability to influence policies in the United States that impact our sisters and brothers in Haiti and Central America. In 2023 we added new partnerships and collaborations, and you, our supporters, sent nearly 5000 messages to Members of Congress and the Administration on issues they rarely hear about from their constituents. Next year, with your help, we hope to double that number.

Of course, these last year's achievements depend on our continued hard work throughout 2024 to ensure that our work continues and grows.  Now that we have data on what Haitian rural communities need to thrive, we will double down on helping them to meet their goals. Now that we realize how valuable our assistance has been to the migrants making their way through the Panamanian jungles, we will double down on our support of direct aid to them. Our strategy is simple: strengthen programs that work well and expand them to serve greater numbers of people.

Thank you for your part in helping vulnerable families and communities to thrive.