Finca La Maya to Celebrate Inauguration of New Community Library

Valentine’s Day is has always been known as a day of love for one special person. This year, however, that perspective will be broadened into a view of love for one’s entire community. On Saturday, 14 February, 3-7 pm, residents of San Carlos and surrounding communities, volunteers, local politicians, sponsors, and friends will be gathering to celebrate the opening of their new community library and Dell Computer Lab at Finca La Maya, the Cultural Arts & Events Center! Festivities will include a tour of the new facility, an auction of art, decorative items and jewelry, prizes, refreshments and live jazz performances. Library membership cards will be offered and donations of books will be accepted.    

Private individuals, the American Society of Panama, Dell Panama, and the Elks Club are supporting FLM in its mission. Dell Panama employees traveled to FLM for an entire day to help set up the library. They will continue their support by providing training on the basic use of the equipment donated. With the exciting addition of ten laptop computers donated by Dell, a computer lab will begin in February. FLM is enormously grateful to generous Dell employee Yvonne Centenaro, who has volunteered her precious weekend time to provide initial instruction for the Computer Lab which will be held on Saturday afternoons. Chef Pascal Finet of Terrazzas del Mar restaurant in Vista Mar, and the Bay View Resort at El Palmar are local sponsors for Community Programs at FLM. "Social and educational programs are in the best interest of everyone in our community; we are happy to contribute" said Hector Golcher of the Bay View. American and Canadian ex-patriots have provided their support with contributions of assisting in classes and donation of materials.

Finca La Maya is looking forward to grant approvals from other well-respected charity organizations in Panama. Funds from their investment will be used to purchase shelving, tables and chairs…and then there's always that electricity bill! Sponsorship to pay one staff person is greatly needed to keep the library open and accessible by the public. The new facility will provide an important learning and reference resource for the entire community, as well as computer use and DVDs.

The new library is located next to the classroom facility completed last year at La Maya, where free community programs take place on Saturdays: an English language class, an "Art for Kids" class, and last summer "Family Movie Night" was added - offering free family entertainment. Up to one hundred participants have attended the weekly community programs at FLM, coming from Panama's Pacific coast interior communities as far away as Chorrera and Rio Hato. New students are joining every month. One student's application was recently accepted to the university in Penonomé because of his progress in FLM's English classes.
 
 
Finca La Maya is a registered non-profit foundation in Panama. Their goal is to enhance education and cultural opportunities for local Panamanian families. Needs for FLM Community Programs are ongoing; can you help? For more information or to make a donation, please visit our website www.fincalamaya.com, at the Community Programs link.

For those who live in Panama City, contributions can also be made through our sponsorship agreement with Exedra Books. Books most needed for the bilingual library are listed and can be donated directly from Exedra's website: www.exedra.com

Come and see for yourself! This Valentine’s Day, there is enough love for the entire community, including you! Finca La Maya – where perspectives are broadened and possibilities extended.