In addition to child sponsorship, Chalice also offers elder sponsorship at many of our sites around the world. Many elders living in poverty no longer have the ability to work for a living, and those without children or family nearby are left to support themselves. Sponsorship gives struggling elders the support they need to receive essential medical care, eat nutritious meals, and live with comfort and dignity.
Isodoro and his wife, Nati, live together in the community of our Dominica sponsor site in Paraguay. The couple has been married for 30 years. They don’t have any children, so they’re missing a key source of support relied on by most Paraguayan elderly.
Two years ago, Nati retired from her career as a maid, and Isodoro had to leave his factory job 
after he injured his spine in a workplace accident. With little means to support themselves, Isodoro was invited into our sponsorship program, and was chosen by a sponsor in Canada soon after!
Both Isodoro and Nati suffer from arthritis, so they use some of Isodoro’s sponsorship funds for medication and tests, which are not covered by their public health system. To earn a little extra income, Isodoro started a small business selling sweets from a stand in his home. Nati also makes chocolate and vanilla ice cream for the stand!
Despite his limitations, Isodoro volunteers at our Dominica site bakery, which is attached to the site’s San Pedro soup kitchen. He is especially active at Christmas time, and loves making Christmas puddings for the children. Isodoro is very grateful to his sponsor, and always tells our site staff how he loves to pray for his sponsor.
Chalice staff were concerned that the couple were forgoing necessary medical care because Isodoro’s sponsorship wasn’t stretching far enough to cover both of their needs. The best course of action was to enroll Nati for a sponsor of her own, and now she has one! The couple will no longer need to make sacrifices for each other to have medication for their arthritis.
To help support another elder in need, please consider offering the gift of sponsorship by calling 1-800-776-6855.