Letter from Cristina:
Many people, known or unknown to me, have contributed to my life. I am thankful to have been born in a country of such opportunity that citizens from all of the world's cultures are attracted to life here. The resulting tapestry of peoples has created a country of cultural richness, diversity and opportunity. I live in a country that believes in public education, museums and libraries for everyone, and I am a grateful recipient.
With that realization in
my heart I am sharing with you my thoughts about philanthropy.
I believe that we are all connected. As important as it is that
I take care of myself, it is important that I nurture the
larger community around me. From the local to the
international, all is one.
Over the years, I've given to a variety of
programs. I've done work as different as creating a cartoon for
a volunteer newsletter or painting the bodies of volunteers for
a
fund-raiser. I've often
donated art to social causes. I still do contribute original
work or prints, though I've had to limit myself as requests
have outpaced my resources.
As parents, my husband, Randall Barna and I
are devoted to supporting programs that support youth and
families in our community and coincide with our interests.
Whether time, money or some combination of the two, we are
often involved. Our daughter, Isabella, pitches in, often
finding that she enjoys being "put to work".
As a family, we are very involved with MBSEF -- Mount
Bachelor Sports Education Foundation and HDFC - High Desert
Fencing Club.
We love to play as a family and
have discovered that sports are a lot more fun than
"exercise"! Sports offer children and adults a
variety of positive life skills that ultimately enrich our
global community.
One of my personal favorite philanthropies
is Habitat for Humanity. I've
been very involved with the Bend, Oregon chapter. I donate
color consulting to their clients, securing a grant of over
$20,000. worth of paint from the Benjamin Moore paint
company. Thanks to Benjamin Moore, Habitat was able
to have a lush exterior color palette for their Silverlake development. Clients
enjoy a variety of interior colors in their new homes.
Selected other organizations that I have
worked with are:
- Oregon Public Broadcasting - Oregon Art Beat
-
Oregon
Council for Hispanic Advancement
- Central Oregon Arts Association/The Art Station
- Trillium Family Services
-
Bee Positive (Lymphoma fund raiser)
-
Bend
Summerfest
- St. Charles Hospital
-
Central Oregon Meal of the Year COCC
College
-
Bend
Winterfest
- The High Desert Museum
- Bend LaPine School District
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