Los Toros Mission

"What does love look like? It is the hands to help others."
~St. Augustine

Los Toros Foundation Inc., administers the charitable activities of the Foundation in the Dominican Republic

Our mission in Los Toros is a mission dedicated to building solidarity

~with the communities of Los Toros, Azua, Dominican Republic

Principles of solidarity-based partnership by:
Emphasize relationship over resources.
Practice mutuality and equality.
Seek to give and receive, learn and teach.
Work to change unjust systems and structures.
Deepen our faith by experiencing the universal catholic church.

Music always lifts our hearts!

St. Joseph Parish School Athletics Donation

Farmers Market

We are pleased to announce that St. Joseph Parish will be holding the Farmer’s Market again this year, thanks to the generous volunteers who will run the market on Sunday mornings and on Saturday evenings after the 4pm Mass. Farmers’ Market sales help to support the Los Toros Mission.
The Full Markets will run every Sunday after the Masses until noon from July 30th through October 1st, featuring sweet corn, fresh garden produce, home baked goods, Los Toros Sewing Center handmade clothing and accessories. And yes! We will sell sweet corn after each Saturday Mass from July 29th through September 30th.
Thank you to all who helped at last year’s markets. With your help, we raised over $4,000 for the Los Toros Mission to help our brothers and sisters in Christ in the Dominican Republic. We also helped the needy here by donating unsold produce and bakery to Ozaukee County food pantries.
For our market to succeed again this year, we need you to volunteer to help with various aspects of the market. This market is truly a “many hands make light work” endeavor. Which of the following service opportunities interests you?

Farmers Market - Volunteer

We need volunteers to:
• Prepare home-baked goods for the Sunday morning market.
• Pickup sweet corn and deliver to St. Joseph kitchenette on Saturday mornings.
• Sell sweet corn Saturdays after the 4pm Mass.
• Help set up the market before 8am Mass on Sunday mornings.
• Sell produce after the Sunday morning Masses.
• Take down the market at noon on Sundays.
• Grow produce in your home garden and donate to the market.
• Deliver any remaining produce and bakery to the Ozaukee Food Alliance in Saukville on Monday mornings.
Please consider volunteering to give the Farmer’s Market another successful year. Go to the SignUpGenius link below to see dates, times and areas where your help is needed.
If you have questions, or are unable to use the SignUpGenius, please contact Pat Iwanski by email at nanaiwanski4@gmail.com.
Thank you for your generous gift of time and talent!
– Sue Federmann & Pat Iwanski, Farmer’s Market Co-coordinators.
Sign Up to Volunteer Here

¡Felicidades, Bamel! ¡Muy bien hecho!

We are proud to announce that one of our Los Toros scholarship students, Maria Elena Mejia Perez (Bamel) has received great news promising a bright future ahead!
Bamel has recently been awarded a scholarship for further advanced studies in Spain upon completion of her degree. The scholarship is awarded by the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Division, in collaboration with universities in Spain. She will study internal medicine with a subspecialty in Neurology and will be studying in Spain for approximately three years.
Bamel has been studying medicine at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo thanks to the generosity of donors to the Los Toros Mission scholarship program. She is completing the last of her rotations, prior to her internship and graduation.
¡Felicidades, Bamel! ¡Muy bien hecho!
Congratulations Bamel! Very well done!

Sugeire Starting Up Her Sewing Business

Sugeire Geronimo is grateful and delighted to receive a sewing machine so she can start her own sewing business. She is shown here with one of her daughters.

This will help her and her husband, who works in agriculture, cover the expenses of raising their family of two boys and three girls.

Sugeire learned her sewing skills at the Bulls Sewing Center, which is a project of the Bulls Mission.
Their sewing machine was purchased in the Dominican Republic with donations from members of the Parish of San Jose in Grafton. Sugeire and his family are active in their parish, Santo Cura de Ars.
To communicate with us, send us an email at lostorosmission@gmail.com

Know Your Los Toros Brothers and Sisters

Dominican History Part 1 and Part 2

Dominican History Click Here

Understanding the Mission in Los Toros

Our mission in Los Toros is a mission of solidarity. What does solidarity mean? These Principles of solidarity-based partnerships, taken from Catholic Relief Services’ Parish Partnership Manual express it well.

Principles of solidarity-based partnerships

Our Mission In Los Toros - Click Here For More Information

Our first mission visit to Los Toros was in February of 1987.

What has happened since then?

 

Click Here To See What Has Happened Since Our First Visit

Reflections on the new Mission Statement by Dave Bennett

I’d like to reflect on some of the keys words in this statement.

To live the Gospel – We are inspired by the Gospel of Jesus Christ to reach out to those around us.

Sharing – Our mission is one of sharing our gifts. This is not a one-way assistance program. Rather, our mission is for the people of St. Joseph Grafton and the people of Los Toros to share our respective gifts with each other.

Solidarity – We work in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in Los Toros. Our goal is to become one with each other, sharing both our joys and our struggles.

Empowering – Through our solidarity, we strive to empower the people of Los Toros to achieve their goals for the future. Our mission is rooted in a strong support of education that seeks to develop leaders for the community and enable the people of Los Toros to support themselves and their families.Dave Bennett – Chair, Los Toros Mission Council