September 2026 Newsletter

What a whirlwind September was! We are still buzzing from the incredible energy at Oktoberfiesta on Saturday, September 26, and we couldn’t have asked for a more perfect way to mark a decade together. Thank you to everyone who donated, braved the rain, shared pretzels and brats with us, and made this year’s event such an unforgettable success!

Your unwavering support over the last ten years is the foundation of everything we do, and we are deeply grateful to step into this next chapter with such an amazing community by our side.

¡Pura vida!

BRICKS TO BREAD

September 2026 Newsletter

We set out to raise $80,000 at Oktoberfiesta 2026.
YOU donated $96,000!

¡Muchas gracias!

Part of our goal was to raise $50,000 for our highly anticipated expansion into Panama.
You came through for the women of Panama waiting for oven projects!

We’ll be sharing much more information and news about this exciting pilot project in coming weeks.

If you weren’t able to attend the event, watch this short video and hear the heartfelt words of gratitude from bakery owner (oven project #22) Marjorie Camacho Martínez who was our special guest this year from Las Brisas de Santa Cecilia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

♥ THIS EVENT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY OUR OKTOBERFIESTA SPONSORS, PARTNERS, and CONTRIBUTORS! ♥

Ester García Tellez is the proud owner of Oven #30!

(Buenos Aires de Caño Negro, Alajuela, Costa Rica)

Our Costa Rican team built Doña Ester’s oven and this build presented a big challenge -— no electricity on site. Our team had to find ways to adapt and make do with what we had. For those of you that have participated in a build, you know that every arch requires one cut brick in the middle to help the arches settle, and these cuts are never the same. Without our brick cutter, this was a significant obstacle. However, we found that we were more resourceful, not only with how we used our tools but how we used materials (like mortar, for example). We spent time relaxing with Ester and her husband in the evenings after multiple hard days of mixing cement by hand! (That’s something we haven’t done in years since the donation of our cement mixer.) We’re looking forward to bringing a group of volunteers to meet Ester, build her a kitchen, and visit the nearby wildlife refuge in Caño Negro.

Since being awarded the DOUGH grant in 2021, we have been blessed to have Wayzata Community Church (WCC) as a cornerstone of our mission. Through steady financial support, parishioner volunteer trips, and a shared commitment to empowering women and families, WCC has helped turn vision into reality for communities in Costa Rica. WCC’s dedication and heartfelt investment have touched countless lives.

We are deeply grateful for their faithful partnership, compassionate leadership, and unwavering belief in creating lasting, positive change together.

Every year, WCC’s financial contribution brings Oktoberfiesta to life. But every day, their steadfast faith in our mission keeps us moving toward a brighter future for the deserving women entrepreneurs of Latin America. Thank you so much!