For a low-income family in El Salvador, eggs are a priceless source of protein in a diet that otherwise consists of corn, beans, and plantains.

Inspired by solidarity to heal the earth, dozens of volunteers have returned from El Salvador to their homes in Canada and the United States with the vision to help the families they met.

Your donation of $5 can provide a chicken, $100 will provide 18 chickens and two roosters, and your gift of $350 will include a chicken coop too.

The 2002 Chicken Challenge

This project, to provide egg-laying chickens for scores of families in El Salvador, began with a grant from the Episcopal Church.

Then Rabbi Joel Soffin and the congregation of Temple Shalom in Succasunna, NJ, visited El Salvador in February. They pledged to raise enough funds to more than double the size of the project. Dozens of Jewish university students who spent their Spring Break volunteering with our projects committed to add their help.

Other groups have picked up the call, including the University of Rhode Island Hillel, which has offered a prize to the student group that raises the most money for this project!

How does the project work?

Beneficiary families receive a full package to begin a self-sustaining cottage chicken business, including basic training, 18 chickens, two roosters, materials to build a coop, vaccinations, and seed to grow their own feed.

This program encourages independence and self-sufficiency. Beneficiaries receive half of their package as a donation and the other half as a loan. When their loan is repaid, for example through the sale of eggs, the same funds are loaned again to another family.

How can I help?

By giving today, you'll provide a family with a steady source of protein and a little extra income.

You can dedicate a gift in any amount to this project.