Amigos,
As we reflect on 2024, we are filled with gratitude for your unwavering support. This year has been one of growth, challenges, and great accomplishments, all made possible by you.The Happy Givers has always been driven by a clear purpose: to serve those pushed to society's margins. We do this not for recognition, but because it’s the right thing to do. Behind every meal served, fruit harvested, and smile we receive, there are countless moments that can’t be captured in reports or photos. It’s in the daily, quiet actions of our team and volunteers where true impact happens. Your donations make all this possible, whether providing meals to the elderly, expanding our farm, or offering resources to those in need.
In 2024, we’ve made significant strides—opening new facilities, expanding our outreach, and strengthening community relationships. But the work doesn’t stop here. With your continued support, we’re ready to do even more in the coming year. Together, the possibilities are endless, and we remain committed to honoring the dignity of everyone we serve.Thank you for being an essential part of our journey. Your belief in our mission fuels everything we do.
Muchas gracias,
Carlos A. Rodríguez
Founder & Director
The Happy Givers
27,465+ meals were served and delivered with dignity and consistency.
More than 12,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables were harvested and cooked.
6 new people from our local community began work this year at the non-profit.
725 local and international volunteers served with us at The Happy Campus.
We launched a Solidarity Market, where over 100 families were able to shop for free.
We opened up a new room to host weekly health clinics and workshops for the elderly.
We broadened our local presence and were featured in over 15 interviews with local media.
In 2024, we officially opened our new Solidarity Market, offering free shopping to elderly participants and others in need. The market also has a room that hosts weekly health clinics, nutrition workshops, and community gatherings, becoming a hub of support and connection.
Our online store remains one of our largest sources of funding, helping us expand and sustain our programs. This year, we introduced new product lines and innovative designs to adapt to market trends and provide even better options for our supporters, especially local sales in Puerto Rico.
We tripled the number of community events this year, hosting impactful gatherings, fundraisers, and workshops at our campus. In addition, our summer camp brought joy, education, and meaningful experiences to dozens of local children. We are expanding our gatherings in 2025.
Our Community Farm continues to thrive, producing thousands of pounds of fresh produce, including root vegetables, plantains, peppers, and avocados. These harvests feed our community through the Social Kitchen, while surplus produce is now donated through our new Solidarity Market.
This year, our Social Kitchen served over 800 freshly prepared meals every week to elderly participants and marginalized individuals in our community. We prioritized local, organic ingredients to ensure that every meal not only provided sustenance but also honored the dignity of those we serve.
In 2024, we officially opened our new Solidarity Market, offering free shopping to elderly participants and others in need. The market also has a room that hosts weekly health clinics, nutrition workshops, and community gatherings, becoming a hub of support and connection.
In 2024, we officially opened our new Solidarity Market, offering free shopping to elderly participants and others in need. The market also has a room that hosts weekly health clinics, nutrition workshops, and community gatherings, becoming a hub of support and connection.
In 2024, we officially opened our new Solidarity Market, offering free shopping to elderly participants and others in need. The market also has a room that hosts weekly health clinics, nutrition workshops, and community gatherings, becoming a hub of support and connection.
In 2024, we officially opened our new Solidarity Market, offering free shopping to elderly participants and others in need. The market also has a room that hosts weekly health clinics, nutrition workshops, and community gatherings, becoming a hub of support and connection.
In 2024, we officially opened our new Solidarity Market, offering free shopping to elderly participants and others in need. The market also has a room that hosts weekly health clinics, nutrition workshops, and community gatherings, becoming a hub of support and connection.
While we’ve launched exciting new projects and seen incredible growth in our volunteer and donor base, we’ve realized that we sometimes lose focus on the opportunities already in front of us. By spreading ourselves too thin, we’ve missed valuable chances to strengthen and expand the programs that are already making a profound impact.
It’s clear we need to center our energy on what is truly working for our community, resisting the pull of chasing new initiatives solely for visibility or recognition. Our priority must remain what serves our people best—not what makes us look good.
This year, we also faced the painful correction of a community member who felt like a prop in the making of a video. Despite our good intentions, it became clear that what matters most is how those we serve feel, not what we intended. We quickly changed course, corrected, and apologized.
We were reminded once again that dignity is a non-negotiable. Always.
In 2025, we are committed to clearer communication, doubling down on what we’ve built, and making sure that people come before everything! We aim to act with greater intentionality, work more efficiently, and always prioritize what truly matters.
More focus. More humility.
And if you see something in our communications that needs addressing, reach out: carlos@thehappygivers.com
We finally got a passenger bus! This vehicle helps us pick up the elderly who come to our Solidarity Market and attend all the events we host at the campus for them. They love the ride, the AC, and the music on blast. ¡Gracias Kany!
We held our first-ever kids' camp this summer, and it was a blast! We loved getting the kids involved in farming, playing dominoes with the elderly, and taking cooking classes with Chef Carmen. More to come in 2025!
A local farmer (and old friend) who has been very successful in both farming and securing farming grants, began helping us access funding to expand and improve our food forest. We've already made great connections, and funding is on its way.
We have a new rescue dog named Lucky (and he is so lovely), along with a bunch of new kittens who are wonderful hunters and farm partners. Our hens are donating more than 20 eggs a day to the Solidarity Market, and more birds and bees are seen all around our farm.
Our reach in Puerto Rico has quadrupled thanks to the Spanish videos we've been sharing across all our social media platforms. This has resulted in a tremendous increase in new donors and volunteers locally, with more people getting involved and supporting our cause.
We are passionate and intentional about hiring local people in Puerto Rico to create more jobs here, while supporting our economy now.
There are currently 19 people from our local community working at the campus as well as 2 internationals. Plus, 40% of our staff is 55+.
We have a farm team, a kitchen team, social workers, store and production staff, as well as media and executives.
