Cedula Juridica 3-006-204046
P.O. Box 458
Santa Ana Centro
Costa Rica
Tel. +506 8837-5205
Email: fundacionhumanitariacr@gmail.com
Year Report 2025
The Unraveling
Listen
Love
Weave
Executive Summary
The year 2025 marked a year of consolidation, deepening, and maturation for the Costa Rican Humanitarian Foundation (CRHF). Building upon more than three decades of community engagement, CRHF continued advancing a holistic, relationship-centered approach to poverty reduction grounded in the Spiral Model of Development (PREMDEV).
Throughout the year, CRHF worked across urban neighborhoods such as La Carpio, environmentally vulnerable zones such as Río Torres, rural regions, and indigenous territories. Programs addressed immediate needs while simultaneously building long-term resilience through food security, housing and infrastructure, health and health education, education and sports, micro-enterprise development, and volunteer-driven compassion and right action.
Volunteers, supporters, community members, academic institutions, and healthcare professionals were integral to this work. Their engagement transformed service delivery into shared responsibility, ensuring that development was not something done to communities, but with them.
The Spiral Model of Development (PREMDEV)
CRHF’s Spiral Model of Development recognizes poverty as multidimensional — encompassing material deprivation, limited access to services, lack of opportunity, social exclusion, and erosion of hope. Sustainable change occurs when these dimensions are addressed simultaneously and progressively.
The spiral framework supports individuals and communities as they move upward through stages of development, ensuring that progress in one area reinforces growth in others. The Rungs of the spiral are:
- Food
- Housing and Infrastructure
- Health and Health Education
- Education and Sports
- Small and Micro-Enterprise (SME) and Capacity Building
- Compassion, Empathy, and Right Action
Each rung is strengthened by human relationships — particularly the collaboration between community members, volunteers, and supporters — which remain central to CRHF’s philosophy.
Food Security: Nourishing Bodies and Stabilizing Families
Food security remained a foundational entry point into the spiral of development throughout 2025. Regular access to nutritious food allowed families to stabilize household budgets, improve health outcomes, and focus on education and employment.
CRHF’s food bank distributed food weekly to thousands of families in La Carpio and surrounding communities, prioritizing seniors, single-parent households, people with disabilities, and migrant and refugee families. Emergency food assistance responded to seasonal vulnerabilities such as flooding and economic disruption. Soup kitchen initiatives extended outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness, particularly during the rainy season.
These efforts were made possible through a combination of local volunteers, long-term international volunteers, and visiting groups who assisted with food packing, distribution, registration, and logistics. Volunteers worked side by side with community members, reinforcing dignity and mutual respect rather than a donor-recipient dynamic.
Individual donors, long-term donors, faith-based groups, and community supporters provided both financial contributions and in-kind food donations, allowing CRHF to maintain consistency and flexibility in food provision.
Impact: Families experienced reduced food insecurity, improved nutrition, and greater household stability — laying the groundwork for progress in health, education, and economic participation.
Special Thanks to Auto Mercado for the Food Program
CRHF extends heartfelt gratitude to Auto Mercado for their ongoing support of the food program in La Carpio and beyond. Auto Mercado’s generous contributions have helped sustain food distributions that reach hundreds of individuals and families each week.
Through distributions that include fresh produce, staple foods, and prepared meals, Auto Mercado’s partnership ensures that no community member goes hungry — especially children who rely on school and community meals for consistent nourishment. Their support has been recognized by beneficiaries and staff alike as an essential pillar of food security, bolstering both physical wellbeing and community dignity. Thank you to AutoMercado for helping nourish bodies, strengthen families, and uplift hope throughout 2025 and beyond.
Housing and Infrastructure: Safety as a Platform for Growth
Safe housing and resilient infrastructure are essential for sustained development. In 2025, CRHF addressed both emergency housing needs and longer-term structural vulnerabilities.
Emergency rent assistance and housing stabilization supported families affected by floods, fires, and unsafe living conditions. Infrastructure projects included drainage improvements, roof repairs, retaining wall reinforcement, and safety assessments in high-risk zones.
Skilled volunteers with backgrounds in construction, engineering, and project coordination worked alongside community members and student groups to complete these projects. University volunteers contributed labor-intensive support under professional supervision, while residents shared local knowledge and participated directly in decision-making.
A major focus of the year was continued planning and fundraising for the Río Torres relocation initiative, supporting families living in flood-prone areas. Journalistic and documentation support from volunteers such as Cat contributed to interviews and family assessments that informed advocacy and long-term planning.
Private donors, institutional supporters, and in-kind contributors provided materials, technical expertise, and funding for both emergency interventions and future-oriented infrastructure solutions.
Impact: Improved housing safety reduced displacement risk and strengthened physical and emotional security for families.
Health and Health Education: Prevention, Access, and Wellbeing
CRHF’s health programming in 2025 integrated direct care with preventative education, recognizing that health underpins all other dimensions of development.
Health education workshops addressed nutrition, hygiene, chronic disease prevention, women’s health, and mental wellbeing. These sessions were delivered to children, youth, adults, and seniors, often embedded within education and community programs.
Clinical services were expanded through partnerships with visiting healthcare professionals. Amigos Eye Care volunteers provided vision screenings and eye care services, serving hundreds of community members. Chiropractic professionals Dr. Joe and Dr. Patrick, accompanied by Nicolle and Ericka, supported wellness initiatives and youth engagement through repeat family-based volunteer visits. MSU returned to provide urgent care and general well-being checks for over 500 patients.
Volunteers such as Steven led self-help and preventative health classes, while Jake supported health data organization and record management, improving continuity of care and program evaluation.
Individual donors, volunteers and healthcare partners underwrote clinic costs, supplies, and educational materials, enabling CRHF to expand reach while maintaining quality.
Impact: Increased access to care, improved health literacy, and strengthened preventative practices across age groups.
Education and Sports: Unlocking Potential Through Learning and Play
Education remained a core driver of long-term impact in 2025. CRHF’s learning centers supported over 800 children and adolescents through academic enrichment, digital literacy, and extracurricular engagement.
Programs addressed literacy, mathematics, science, arts, and language learning. Technology centers expanded instruction in typing, Microsoft Office tools, graphic design fundamentals, and basic digital skills, preparing students for future academic and employment opportunities.
Volunteer teachers, tutors, and classroom assistants played a critical role. Returning volunteers such as Stana provided continuity, while others, including Dalia, Shaye and Lars, supported English instruction, library organization, and educational programming.
Volunteer groups from Rutgers, University of Connecticut, Central Connecticut State University, Texas Tech, Troy University, and European School students contributed teaching support, facility improvements, and educational engagement while participating in service-learning and reflective exchanges.
Sports programs — including soccer leagues and recreational activities — promoted teamwork, leadership, discipline, and emotional wellbeing. Coaches and mentors fostered safe spaces for youth development and positive identity formation.
Family Well-Being Centers in La Carpio: Nurturing Growth, Learning, and Community
CRHF’s three Family Well-Being Centers in La Carpio are foundational to its holistic approach, shaping environments where children, families, and neighbors can thrive together. These centers, known as Montessori, Centro Modelo, and La Libertad, are more than buildings — they are safe, structured spaces where learning, care, nourishment, and community life intersect every day.
Montessori Center:
The Montessori Center provides early childhood education grounded in child-centered learning, creativity, and cognitive exploration. Children participate in activities that foster independence, curiosity, and foundational skills in literacy, math, science, art, and theater. The environment supports social and emotional development while building confidence and joy in learning. Volunteers and teachers work collaboratively to create routines that meet each child’s developmental needs, complementing public school instruction and celebrating diverse cultural backgrounds within the community.
Centro Modelo:
Centro Modelo serves multiple functions as both an early childhood program and a community technology hub. On the first floor, CRHF’s computer lab offers digital literacy classes, including typing, Microsoft Office, and introductory design skills — increasing youth and adult access to essential 21st-century competencies. These offerings expand capacity and open new opportunities for future employment and education. The second story of Centro Modelo focuses on structured youth development for children ages three to four, supporting foundational learning through play-based curriculum and social engagement. Volunteers and teachers work together to ensure children receive individualized attention while learning in creative, supportive settings. 
La Libertad Center:
The La Libertad Center is a warm, nurturing space focused on both educational support and physical wellbeing. One of its hallmark programs is the hot lunch service, where youth receive a healthy, balanced meal in a green and welcoming community space each day — often the most reliable nourishment some receive. This program reinforces the connection between nutrition and successful learning, while providing a structured social setting where youth can engage in arts, play, and mentorship activities.
Together, these Family Well-Being Centers serve as anchors of community life, offering children and families consistent opportunities for education, nutrition, digital skills, creative expression, and social connection. They embody CRHF’s belief that early childhood development and family support are essential for transforming individual lives and strengthening community resilience.
Donor support funded educational materials, technology upgrades, sports equipment, and program coordination.
Impact: Improved academic confidence, strengthened social skills, and expanded opportunity pathways for youth.
Small and Micro-Enterprise (SME) and Capacity Building
Economic empowerment initiatives in 2025 focused on reducing dependency and increasing self-sufficiency through skill development and leadership.
Programs included vocational training in baking, sewing, teaching assistance, and artisan production, alongside entrepreneurship support for returning migrants and community members. English language instruction enhanced employability in tourism, service, and remote work sectors.
Volunteers with business, education, and language backgrounds served as mentors and instructors, while participants increasingly transitioned into facilitator roles — reinforcing community ownership.
Donors supported training materials, small equipment purchases, and seed funding, enabling participants to translate skills into income-generating opportunities.
Impact: Increased household income stability, strengthened leadership capacity, and expanded economic participation.
Compassion, Empathy, and Right Action: The Heart of the Spiral
Compassion, empathy, and right action are not peripheral values at CRHF — they are the connective tissue of the Spiral Model of Development.
In 2025, volunteers were integrated into every program area, from food distribution and construction to education, health, and documentation. Engagement ranged from short-term service to long-term accompaniment, with many volunteers returning multiple times or transitioning into ongoing collaborators.
Individuals such as Fleur, Dalia, Cat, Shaye, Jake, Kay, Louise (Luisa), and Zander contributed sustained service across programs, while local volunteers such as Adriana and Allona ensured cultural continuity and trust within communities.
Volunteer groups from Rutgers, USC, MSU, Pepperdine, Rice, Global College, Lakshmi Rising, and multiple universities combined hands-on service with reflection, learning, and relationship-building.
Former volunteers highlighted in newsletters — including Dr. Asa Tapley, Anthoni, and Megan — exemplify the long-term ripple effects of service, as early experiences with CRHF influenced professional paths in medicine, physical therapy, and public service.
Through reflection sessions, cultural exchange, and shared work, volunteers were invited to understand systemic inequality and their role in ethical, community-led development.
Impact: Strengthened trust, empathy, and shared ownership — transforming service into sustained partnership.
Abuelas’ Theatre Presentation: Stories of Resilience and Cultural Memory
One of the most heartfelt community initiatives of 2025 was the Abuelas’ Theatre Presentation, created and performed by the abuelas of the Foundation. Inspired by their own life experiences — many of whom migrated from Nicaragua and built new lives in Costa Rica — these theatre performances offered powerful, personal narratives about identity, endurance, family, and community.
The abuelas used creative expression to share stories that resonate with both youth and adults, using theatre as a platform for intergenerational connection and emotional healing. These presentations not only provided meaningful cultural engagement for seniors, but also served as platforms for raising awareness about the historical forces, migratory journeys, and daily realities faced by older women in La Carpio.
Through their performances, the abuelas strengthened community bonds, sparked empathy across audiences, and demonstrated that creativity and storytelling are important tools for empowerment and community wellbeing.
Supporters and Partners
CRHF’s work in 2025 was made possible through the generosity and commitment of:
- Individual donors and recurring supporters
- Long term donors
- Families and private benefactors
- Academic institutions and service-learning partners
- Healthcare providers and wellness professionals
- In-kind donors of food, materials, equipment, and professional services
- Faith-based organizations
Their flexible support enabled CRHF to respond to emergencies while continuing long-term, community-driven development initiatives.
Looking Forward: 2026 and Beyond
Building on the momentum of 2025, CRHF will prioritize:
- Expansion of community hubs such as Casa Quetzal
- Increased access to preventative and specialized healthcare
- Growth of micro-enterprise and workforce development programs
- Strengthening environmental resilience and infrastructure
- Deepening community leadership and long-term volunteer integration
CRHF remains committed to refining and expanding the Spiral Model of Development as a living framework shaped by community experience.
