Who and Why We Are… and What We Do

Twenty years ago Nola White served in the Peace Corps in Honduras, helping isolated mountain communities develop gravity-feed water systems. Later, she returned from time to time to visit her friends in these communities, and with each visit she was reminded of the things the communities needed that a modest amount of money could provide. In 2002, with a group of US friends, she founded HCSC, as a non-profit tax-exempt organization, to raise money for those things.

Nola now spends portions of each year in Honduras, where communities bring requests to her for the resources needed for community projects. She then participates in community planning meetings, helps develop realistic project budgets, arranges for purchase of land or building materials, and sometimes helps arrange further support from other organizations and government agencies. Projects have included...

Chachaguala Arriba, Honduras Landscape
  • Watershed Acquisition
    In 5 years, we have funded the purchase of 8 parcels of mountain land in watersheds supplying gravity-feed systems serving 7 communities.
  • Watershed Protection
    We have purchased quantities of barbed wire so that communities can fence cattle out of their water sources, and we have helped with watershed reforestation.

  • Water System Development
    In conjunction with other agencies, we have provided crucial funding for the development or expansion of gravity-feed water systems.

  • Community Incorporation
    We have funded the legal process required to incorporate communities so that they can hold title to community lands, and have helped them record title to such lands.

  • School Improvements
    We have funded a variety of badly needed repairs, improvements and expansions of local elementary schools (carried out by the communities themselves).

  • Teacher Support
    Teacher retention has been a problem for isolated rural schools where there is no adequate housing for teachers. We have funded the construction of teacher housing in two communities. We also provide annual bonuses for teachers who complete a full year’s work in isolated communities.

    • For descriptions of specific projects, see our annual newsletters.


    FECOVESO, Our Local Honduran Partner

    FECOVESO (Fundacion Eco Verde Sostenible) is a regional land trust and community development organization initiated through Nola’s community organizing efforts and now an important partner in our work. All of the watershed lands acquired with HCSC funding are owned and stewarded by FECOVESO, which also negotiates new watershed acquisitions. We now provide ongoing support for FECOVESO operations, including salary for a part-time staff person and travel expenses for board members. We have also established a modest fund that will allow FECOVESO to provide some direct project assistance to its members communities. For more on FECOVESO activities see our annual newsletters.

    IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HELP …

    We are an all-volunteer organization, and we operate with very low overhead. We put your tax-deductible donations to work directly for the people of Honduras – and we depend completely on those donations to support our work. Your contributions can be sent to…


    HONDURAS COMMUNITY SUPPORT CORPORATION
    16 Reynolds Road
    CAMBRIDGE, NY 12816
    (518) 677-3775
    All donations to the Honduras Community Support Corporation are tax deductible. HCSC is recognized by the IRS as tax exempt under section 510(C)(3) of the code and is registered as a charity with the Office of the New York State Attorney General.