1. Food Aid to Families Living in Extreme Poverty
   During special masses the parish collects food and distributes it to communities living in extreme poverty. Each community has a group dedicated to choosing the recipients with the most need and distributing food such as beans, rice, sugar, salt, and other staples. 
   
   On a monthly basis roughly 14 pounds of food are distributed for each family in need.  Approximately 100 family packs are distributed on a monthly basis with each one costing about $30.
   
   
2. Housing Improvements
   This program was started in La Majada, Sonsonate, six years ago, and to this date repairs to 125 dwellings have been completed.  Many of the houses are in marginal zones.  They are mostly small houses constructed of old aluminum siding, cardboard and plastic. This program takes care of putting in new siding, new wood and a cement floor thus making these humble dwellings more habitable and safe.
   
   
3. Nutrition and Soybean Program
   Father Walter started this program in 1984. Its main objective is to fight malnutrition in mothers and children in rural communities in El Salvador.  
   This program educates mothers about nutrition and a balanced diet.  It introduces soybeans as a food staple in order to enrich dietary needs with protein.
   
   We also organize disadvantaged communities, leaving in extreme poverty, in order for them to produce what they need to be fed.  Nutritious sustainability is our goal.
   
4. Scholarships for children and youth - FUNDABECAS
   The program started in l994 with 125 recipients and has grown to include more than 2,000 recipients.This program provides school children, living in extreme poverty, with a backpack filled with basic school supplies including notebooks, books, pencils, rulers, calculators and other materials children may need for the scholastic year. In 2009 the program distributed 2,300 backpacks, each worth an average of $15. 

You can make a tax deductible contribution to the Leonel Gomez Initiative by making a check payable to “The Linda R. Martin Foundation”, and specifying in the memo portion of the check that the contribution is going to the "Leonel Gomez Initiative". more info