Carmen Pampa Fund

UAC students in the Pastoral Program visiting the elderly living alone in remote communities to spend time with them, listen to their stories, and support them with food and healthcare.

Returned Carmen Pampa volunteers did a big communal altar with all of their loved ones this evening in Minnesota. Thanks to Hugh for hosting the Día de Todos Santos gathering!!
John and Shannon Thompson, Mary Elmstrand, Tanya Kerssen, Hugh Smeltekop, Mike Menzel, Kathy Iverson, Matt Thibodeau and his three daughters.

Please join us for our annual ¡La Fiesta de Ayni! event — a celebration of working
together for the common good and a fundraiser for the College in Bolivia.
Thursday, September 25, 2025
5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Program will begin at 7 p.m.
Saint Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church
3450 Irving Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Latin American hors d’oeuvres, including the ever-popular Bolivian salteñas, humintas, cuñapes and South American wine will be served.
Unique Bolivian-themed items will be available as part of our online silent auction.
Reservations can also be made via the QR code provided
or on our website: www.carmenpampafund.org/event

Nursing supplies delivered! Hugh carried one of the new medical mannequins and two sets of surgical instruments to Carmen Pampa last week. The nursing department was delighted and the Bishop was intrigued. Many thanks to all who make this work possible. You are appreciated.

Look who’s back in Carmen Pampa for a visit! Smeltekop and Nolan — posing here by a waterfall with the Papal Nuncio Monsignor Fermín Sosa, who was visiting with UAC-CP leadership.

We exceeded our goal!!! We are pleased to announce that the response to our appeal for the nursing program exceeded the target and the matching donors upped the match, so all donations are doubled. We raised just under $13,000, all of which will be matched. We look forward to enhancing the teaching materials available to the many hardworking nursing students in Carmen Pampa. We thank everyone that helped with this effort and all who support us in many ways throughout the year.

Nursing students in their lab. If you have not yet had a chance to pitch in and are so inclined, we have only one day left to get our $10,000 match for much needed training equipment and implements for the 400 nursing students at the UAC- Carmen Pampa. Any help you can give, in any amount is much appreciated. To donate please click here: https://carmenpampafund.org/nursing-department-fundraiser/ .

First, let us thank the generous donors that have helped us get more than half way there! Second, we still have opportunities to leverage the $10,000 match offer in support of the nursing program with much needed training equipment. If you are able to help get it over the finish line, please click on the following link: https://carmenpampafund.org/nursing-department-fundraiser/.

Even while in school, these students reach out to communities and are engaged in changing lives and health outcomes. In addition to rotations of practicums at hospitals and clinics, nursing students from Carmen Pampa also provide service and educational outreach to people in the surrounding communities.

In case you missed it, we have an opportunity to get a $10,000 match for much needed training equipment and implements to help the 400 nursing students gain proficiency before working on people. If you are able to help us reach our goal please click here: https://carmenpampafund.org/nursing-department-fundraiser/ Pictured below is a UAC student during her practicum at a hospital.