Vacationing for Others: Nicaragua

As a company, we have made a sincere commitment to the communities in which we do business. That dedication has been displayed throughout many of our blogs, as we highlight branch and company-wide endeavors to give back and donate our time and resources. But, it’s not as often that we get the chance to highlight one of our Team Members going far beyond this commitment on their own time and during their personal vacations.
Our Senior Director of Corporate Development and Integration, Robert Cummings, has visited Nicaragua regularly throughout the years, as that is where his wife grew up and where some of her family resides. After losing his mother-in-law to brain cancer four years ago, Robert has returned to the area annually to give back in her memory. Each year, he visits a local nonprofit organization that houses children receiving treatments for cancer, as well as a nursing home in Masaya, Nicaragua.
Casa Albergue
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Hospital La Mascota is Nicaragua’s only public hospital dedicated to treating children with cancer. Located on the hospital’s grounds, Casa Albergue provides housing, food and psychological and spiritual support for the children receiving treatment, as well as one of their family members. Since many families travel from remote villages, they would not have a place to stay without Casa Albergue.
Unfortunately, the facility is in disrepair and desperate need of supplies and support. During his most recent family trip to Managua, Nicaragua, Robert was able to spend time with the children, entertaining them with many stories and fun anecdotes. He also donated 47 bags filled with gifts for each of the children, which contained items that can be prohibitively expensive or hard to find in the area, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes and soft tissues, as well as toys and treats. Finally, Robert provided bags of rice, beans and cooking oil for the facility to feed the families.
Hogar de Ancianos San Antonio
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Before leaving the country, Robert also visited a local nursing home in the city of Masaya (20 miles outside of Managua). The nursing home, Hogar de Ancianos San Antonio, is also in need of some basic repairs and welcomes volunteers willing to help them provide the safest and most comfortable accommodations for its residents. Taking a break from his usual duties as our Senior Director, Robert spent the rest of his vacation helping the facility build a wall around the nursing home and installing screens on the perimeter of their eating hall to keep out flies during mealtimes.

Thank you, Robert, for using your vacation time to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Your contributions are part of what makes Access Positively Different.