You won't Believe What We Just Received!!

Now that the temperature has dropped, wouldn't we all love to be in Florida!?!

Come to Trivia Night and bid on a fantastic condo available for an 8 day, 7 night stay!

Details to follow. 

Dear Friends of SOfA -

We are one month away from our annual Triva Night and Auction to benefit Surgical Outreach for the Americas.  We still have tables - and would appreciate your support.  This is a fun evening - with free beer, soft drinks and popcorn, and lots of fun games and prizes.  Thanks to everyone who has already given, this will be a great evening - and even better if we see YOU there!

We have accomplished so much due to your generosity.  New OR lights, anesthesia machine and sterilizer for Hospital de Maternidad la Divina Providencia in El Salvador.  None of these extras would have been possible without the support of each of you.  See you on December 1st!

SOfA Has A NEW Home!

On Saturday, September 30th, with the help of Dr. Jared McAllister, Katie and Michael Scaggs, Sara Feaman, and Joe Frisella, SOfA moved to a new headquarters on North Broadway - with more storage, great security, and easy access.  Attached are some photos of the "empty" store room, and a few of the group as we moved into our new digs.  Thank you to so many who offered to help but had previous plans due to short notice.  We appreciate all of you so much!

you. 

Hurricane News - Santiago, Dominican Republic

Friends, I've been in touch with the ILAC ( Institute for Latin American Concern ) Center and all is well following the recent hurricanes to brush Northern Dominican Republic.  Many of you have been asking about potential damage to the clinic and operating rooms, and at this posting, I'm happy to report, all is intact. We are looking for ways to contribute to those affected most profoundly in Puerto Rico, as several of our immediate and past teams either live in PR or have family there.  Updates will continue, as this is my first blog post on the SOfA Website.  Peggy

Our Mission . . .

Excerpt from Trip Report:  Our first mission trip to the Dominican Republic was in 2009. While it was OUR first experience, the road map by which we traveled had been well established by I.L.A.C., Institute for Latin American Concern, back in 1972. Originally developed for religious groups to offer opportunities for priests, seminarians and students to experience the problems of people living in developing nations, over the years this focus had been expanded to include a variety of services and surgical specialties to include SOfA's (our) hernia repair focus.

Our small team arrived and were humbled by the extreme level of appreciation that we experienced during the week.  Prior to the trip, we each had our own vision of what we would see and experience. And while each one of us would likely share similar stories as they related to our personal interactions with the people of the Dominican Republic, without exception, we would each say that we experienced a level of “conscientization” that the original founders of I.L.A.C. intended. And while some would say that we gave of our time and talents, we would say that the gifts we received were far greater than anything we could give.

In 2009, in our first year, we completed 56 hernia repair surgeries and 5 small procedures.

Since 2009, SOfA has completed annual mission trips to the Dominican Republic and El Salvador. We organize small groups of volunteer surgeons, nurses and medical professionals to perform basic, but life changing surgeries.