Dear Oberlin Community,

As board members of the Santa Elena Project of Accompaniment, we are pleased to invite you to join our annual Guatemala buffet on March 14th (5:30–8:30 p.m.) at the First Church in Oberlin. 

SEPA is an Oberlin-based nonprofit founded in 1997 in response to the devastating effects of the 36-year internal armed conflict in Guatemala. We support two Indigenous communities, CopalAA and Santa Elena, by providing scholarships, teacher salaries, and assistance with special projects — from digging wells and repairing roofs to building a school kitchen where the students can preserve the food they grow in the school garden. Additionally, we help sponsor accompaniers, those people who help observe and report about the situation in Guatemala. Many SEPA accompaniers, in fact, have attended Oberlin College! 

Tickets cost $15 and may be purchased by texting Lori Taylor (440-213-7991) or Ella Bruzek (319-853-1143). Come eat good food, hear a fascinating talk by Professor Emeritus Steven Volk, and bid on homemade premium-quality desserts! 

If you cannot attend the dinner, please consider supporting us in other ways. You can connect with us on Instagram:        @sepaoberlin or through our website: sepaoberlin.org. 

If you are an Oberlin student interested in getting involved with fundraising and nonprofit work or you want to learn more about becoming an accompanier, please reach out to Anna Benjamin: [email protected]. We would love to have you! 

As founder John Gates says, “We listen to what the people want, and that is what we try to provide.” Your support helps us to continue providing the communities of CopalAA and Santa Elena with what they need. 

–Anna Benjamin ’26,

Ella Bruzek ’26