Please visit our Annual Report for 2017 below.
US Premiere: Women of the Venezuelan Chaos
Into the Chaos
Follow the lives of five Venezuelan women as they navigate the Venezuelan crisis.
After its premiere in April, the documentary will be next presented in June at the Human Rights Film Festival in New York.
Humans are connected through art, film, music, and stories. That’s why we’re working with Women of the Venezuelan Chaos. To connect the world to the people we serve.
Taking Up Venezuela
Putting Faces to the Crisis
We're excited to invite you to the official launch of our nonprofit organization. Join us for an exclusive evening with a special screening of Women of the Venezuelan Chaos with filmmaker Margarita Cadenas. Learn more about Venezuela's crisis and our work to change it.
Event Details
We will screen the documentary following a short presentation of our journey so far. The event will take place in the art space of Leslie and Brad Bucher on 2518 Mandel on November 4th starting at 4:00pm. There will be light refreshments and complimentary valet parking next door at Hugo’s courtesy of our hosts Leslie and Brad Bucher.
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Why Saludos?
What’s in a greeting?
Epa, qué más? Qué hubo, qué me cuentas?
More than hello
One of the simplest yet flavorful aspects of different cultures are their variations of saying hello. Even within the same language, a particular greeting can easily identify national or regional origins. The greetings above are grammatically Spanish but regionally Venezuelan. But even with their colorful variations, greetings are also universally positive, and relatively easy to do. Indeed, most language learners start with greeting phrases. Simply being able to start a connection with others with a few words is quite exciting.
The amazing part of this greeting-induced connection is that we indeed feel better after the exchange. Extending a hello to someone can make them feel welcomed, acknowledged, included, and eventually loved.
In Spanish, the word saludos simply translates to greetings. However, its extended definition is a greeting that is used to wish health upon others, as salud, or health, is included in saludos. Greeting someone then, is in fact much more than just saying hello. Greeting someone is an active declaration of your intent to improve their health.
And the best part of greeting someone is that, more likely than not, they will return the favor. They will also declare their intent to improve your health. And sometimes, they might even smile. And you might smile back. And in a simple exchange of innocent words, an essentially human connection was made.
Saying hello to Venezuela
Right now in Venezuela, there is a shortage of food, medicine, medical supplies, and economic opportunities. The consequences are dire, leading many people to perish in the crisis. But for those who are working to survive, these conditions can drive them to feelings of desperation and desolation.
And that was part of our realization at Saludos Connection. The people in Venezuela are suffering. But most importantly, we have the capacity to change that.
This second part is more elusive. The humanitarian crisis afflicting Venezuela is unprecedented in the region, and the surrounding political matrix further complicates the situation. However, as with a friend in need, we started with a meaningful and empathetic saludos. From there, it has been a matter of multiplication, amplification, and collaboration of many more saludos.
Multiplying our saludos
Here at Saludos Connection, we have actively declared to challenge this situation and its harmful effects on the health, nutrition, education, and culture of Venezuelans. But more than simply declaring, we are also extending our invitation.
We invite those who wake up every day thinking of Venezuela. Those who can’t sleep thinking of Venezuela. Those who were forced to uproot their lives and have suffered in this crisis. Those whose futures have forever been altered and their pasts forever become darker. Those who might not know any Venezuelans, but are insulted and moved by this incomprehensible situation. Those who tenaciously cling on to hope for Venezuela and for the world.
We invite you to collaborate with and join our Saludos platform.
We believe that meaningful collaboration is the key to progress, and building connections between individuals, institutions, organizations, businesses, and cultures is how we will be able change the course of Venezuela.
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Houston Strong
In the Wake of Harvey
In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, we teamed up with Covencargo and Literal Magazine to seek out donations for affected Houstonians. We managed to collect supplies that we sent to the families of Royal STEM Academy in Fulshear. Last year, they donated food and medicine to Saludos, so we took the opportunity to give back this time!
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Holiday Saludos Bazaar 2017
Holiday Saludos Bazaar
Our biggest event of the year, filled with friends, family, food, and of course, hallacas.
November 19th
3–6 pm
3743 Garnet St
'tis the season
Our Holiday Saludos Bazaar is a family-friendly event to enjoy local crafts, delicious food, and a social cause. Our special delicacy are the hallacas, a very Venezuelan dish exclusive to the holidays. With more than twenty vendors to explore inside the Southside Clubhouse, we are very excited to welcome you! Each entrance is $5 for anyone older than 10. All of the funds collected will go towards our mission to change Venezuela.
fill the halls with Hallacas
We will be serving the holidays-exclusive Venezuelan dish known as hallacas. It consists of corn dough stuffed with red peppers, olives, raisins, shredded hen, and pulled pork, all wrapped in banana leaves. It is the essential Venezuelan holiday experience
Skeeters Venezuela Night
Venezuela Night with the Sugar Land Skeeters
The Sugar Land Skeeters have stepped up to the plate for Venezuela. When they play the Long Island Ducks, they’ll also be working with us to change Venezuela. Grab your tickets to help our humanitarian work. Support your local baseball team. Enjoy the Charlie Robinson concert after the game!
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Encuentro con Maria Alejandra
The Fire in Portuguesa
Around 45 of our supporters came to meet and hear the story of Maria Alejandra Ramos, the founder of our primary partner SOS Somos Portuguesa. It was quite an inspiring experience to hear the stories firsthand of their work with children in Portuguesa.
August 23rd
6:30 pm
3770 Farber St
Nuestra fundación ha sido creada en el año 2016 ante la necesidad que presentan los niños en Portuguesa. Es así como nos hemos organizado voluntariamente con médicos y hemos recolectado medicinas para asistir aproximadamente 1500 niños. Esta labor me ha llenado de gran alegría y ha sido muy satisfactoria a pesar de ser gran reto debido a las actuales condiciones en nuestro país.
Maria Alejandra Ramos
