After twelve years of working in Kenya, Crossing Thresholds has expanded its mission into the Western Hemisphere, specifically on the island of Puerto Rico.
In September of 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, having first made landfall in the community of Mariana, a one hour drive south and east of the capital city of San Juan. Struck with winds up to 175 MPH, Mariana was the first community to lose power and because of its location in the mountains, one of the last communities where power was restored nine months later. From this over-powering natural disaster a 37 year old local community organization named ARECMA (The Recreational, Educational and Communal Association of Mariana) sprang into action. In the fall of 2018 Crossing Thresholds partnered with ARECMA to leverage their knowledge of the community with volunteers and donors from Crossing Thresholds interested in helping the people of Puerto Rico. Crossing Thresholds mission of service to the world’s most vulnerable has now found a new partner and home in Puerto Rico.
Spearheading this new effort is Rusty Pedersen, the former Associate Executive Director of Bridges to Community of Ossining, NY. Rusty is also a veteran of one of the very first Crossing Thresholds trips to Kenya in 2007. While working at Bridges to Community, Rusty spent 12 years developing relationships with Trip Organizers and volunteers from dozens of high schools, colleges, faith-based organizations and corporate groups, organizing and managing hundreds of volunteer service trips to Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Utilizing his first-hand knowledge of Crossing Thresholds mission and his experience with program expansion at Bridges to Community, Rusty has played a critical role in creating this new partnership. Rusty is personally leading all of the Crossing Threshold trips to Puerto Rico in 2019.
In Puerto Rico, Crossing Thresholds first efforts were to assist ARECMA in restoring an abandoned elementary school and transform it into a community center for use by the community and to host volunteer groups. With that effort nearly completed, the focus is now on helping home bound senior citizens restore their storm damaged homes to pre-hurricane condition. For various reasons, many of these seniors have received no financial assistance from FEMA or the government of Puerto Rico. Funds, in the form of a monthly grant from Crossing Thresholds, have been used to support the hiring of a full time director for the Center who also acts as host for volunteer groups. As of September 2019, ARECMA has hosted 4 Crossing Thresholds trips, with final trip of the 2019 schedule for this November. The Director of the Center has successfully guided the restoration of the center and has worked closely with Rusty to insure the programmatic success of the trips as well as the health and safety of all the Crossing Thresholds volunteers. In November of 2019, both organizations will be celebrating the one year anniversary of their partnership.
In September of 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, having first made landfall in the community of Mariana, a one hour drive south and east of the capital city of San Juan. Struck with winds up to 175 MPH, Mariana was the first community to lose power and because of its location in the mountains, one of the last communities where power was restored nine months later. From this over-powering natural disaster a 37 year old local community organization named ARECMA (The Recreational, Educational and Communal Association of Mariana) sprang into action. In the fall of 2018 Crossing Thresholds partnered with ARECMA to leverage their knowledge of the community with volunteers and donors from Crossing Thresholds interested in helping the people of Puerto Rico. Crossing Thresholds mission of service to the world’s most vulnerable has now found a new partner and home in Puerto Rico.
Spearheading this new effort is Rusty Pedersen, the former Associate Executive Director of Bridges to Community of Ossining, NY. Rusty is also a veteran of one of the very first Crossing Thresholds trips to Kenya in 2007. While working at Bridges to Community, Rusty spent 12 years developing relationships with Trip Organizers and volunteers from dozens of high schools, colleges, faith-based organizations and corporate groups, organizing and managing hundreds of volunteer service trips to Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Utilizing his first-hand knowledge of Crossing Thresholds mission and his experience with program expansion at Bridges to Community, Rusty has played a critical role in creating this new partnership. Rusty is personally leading all of the Crossing Threshold trips to Puerto Rico in 2019.
In Puerto Rico, Crossing Thresholds first efforts were to assist ARECMA in restoring an abandoned elementary school and transform it into a community center for use by the community and to host volunteer groups. With that effort nearly completed, the focus is now on helping home bound senior citizens restore their storm damaged homes to pre-hurricane condition. For various reasons, many of these seniors have received no financial assistance from FEMA or the government of Puerto Rico. Funds, in the form of a monthly grant from Crossing Thresholds, have been used to support the hiring of a full time director for the Center who also acts as host for volunteer groups. As of September 2019, ARECMA has hosted 4 Crossing Thresholds trips, with final trip of the 2019 schedule for this November. The Director of the Center has successfully guided the restoration of the center and has worked closely with Rusty to insure the programmatic success of the trips as well as the health and safety of all the Crossing Thresholds volunteers. In November of 2019, both organizations will be celebrating the one year anniversary of their partnership.