Salesian Provincial House staff members benefit from support amid economic crisis.

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (May 20, 2024) The San Lucas Salesian Provincial House, in the San Lucas Province of Venezuela*, was able to help support the stability of personnel thanks to funding from Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. People in the country are challenged to meet basic needs due to the country’s incessant inflation and devaluation of the currency.

Salesian staff at the provincial house provide education and pastoral work for more than 20,000 people in the region, as well as governance for the house. The funding went to support basic needs including medical care, food, basic living expenses, educational expenses and transportation. Forty-nine people were able to access funding for basic needs.

Yusmary Castellano, secretary general from the administrative team, was one of the beneficiaries. She said, “The contribution helped us a lot. I will be eternally grateful. With this funding, I was able to help my daughter and a person who has cancer. What we do here we do from the heart, but the fact that we have one more motivation, it is really welcome. I am truly eternally grateful.”

Kleiver Sanchez, a 22-year-old kitchen assistant, said, “I’ve been able to pay for college and tuition. Thanks to this contribution, I have also been able to pay for some things that my family has needed, such as food and some medications that we needed at this time in our lives.”

Salesian missionaries have been living and working in Venezuela long before the country’s political and economic crisis began. They operate schools, youth centers, and other programs that support poor youth and their families. An estimated 87% of the population is currently living in poverty, and essential goods such as food and medicine are scarce.

*Any goods, services or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.

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