What's a Camino Angel?

[DirtAmy]

Is there a new arrow-yellow Camino Angel badge? Or have I just not noticed it before?
Either way, I'm intrigued to know what it means in the context of the forum.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

I'm intrigued to know what it means in the context of the forum.

Someone helping someone else. Sort of like "do a good turn daily."

 

[mspath]

See more re definitions of a camino angel in this earlier forum thread-'
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/camino-angels-origin.34543/

 

[ivar]

Is there a new arrow-yellow Camino Angel badge? Or have I just not noticed it before?
Either way, I'm intrigued to know what it means in the context of the forum.

More on this soon... this is related to a new project I am working on:
https://www.caminoangels.org/

 

[salmburg]

My Camino Angel this year (2018) was a woman named Dorina from Germany. We first met when I was traversing the rocky downhill between Acebo and Molinaseca on May 11. Although she was a much faster walker, she stayed with me until we had passed the most difficult portions. "I have all the time in the world", she said. Then she was gone. Didn't see her again until Palais de Rei almost a week later, when I was relaxing outside the Castro albergue having a glass of Vino Tinto. Mucho gracias. Vielen dank mein deutscher freund. Nachricht an mich, wenn du das liest

 

[Deleted member 67185]

In the US, the term "Trail Angel" has been around for a few decades at least. It first referred to a Good Samaritan providing voluntary help, food, beverages, shelter, transportation, etc. to a thru-hiker on the Appalachian or Pacific Crest trails, but has long since become an endearing term for Good Samaritans along any of the long distance trails where backpackers are thru-hiking.

 

[t2andreo]

This is outstanding! Glad to see you are in partnership with Peaceable Projects. That organization has US non-profit status. So, this works well from most any angle.

Two questions;

1. Would US “tax persons” be better off donating to Peaceable Projects, as a conduit to supporting Camino Angels?

2. When can we donate to Camino Angels?

Hope this helps.

 

[gloria lowe]

Good job Ivar. Keep us posted on how to join.

 

[ivar]

Two questions;

1. Would US “tax persons” be better off donating to Peaceable Projects, as a conduit to supporting Camino Angels?

2. When can we donate to Camino Angels?

1) Not sure how the US tax laws are now... but my feeling is that we will support the same projects, so a donation to either organisation would go to the same projects.

2) I hope to have the last paperwork ready this week (it may be next week)... then I can get a bank account + I need to sign up for payment processing of cards (I will use Stripe as I do on my store). So it might be a few weeks...

More info on this once I am ready

 

[Karen Cap]

Is there a new arrow-yellow Camino Angel badge? Or have I just not noticed it before?
Either way, I'm intrigued to know what it means in the context of the forum.

I had a few Camino angels during my walk in 2016. When I think of Camino kindness, a Spanish man with great compassion and concern stopped to help me as I sat on the side of the trail to deal with a blister. I don’t speak Spanish and he didn’t speak English. When he saw my foot, we asked him if he had anything to put on it. He said no and walked away. A minute later he came back, dug in his bag to find some ointment for my foot. And he left. I told my camino walking friend. “He was so nice. I wish I could have communicated with him’. And she said, ‘You did.’ That was my Camino angel. I never saw him again.

 

[jmcarp]

While this is a great idea, I wonder if the use of "Camino Angel" as the name of the organization will cause confusion and dilute the traditional meaning of the term "Camino angel" as a good Samaritan who provides assistance of some sort to individual pilgrims? We already see evidence of this in several of the posts in this thread that obviously refer to the traditional Camino angels.

 

[KinkyOne]

Is there a new arrow-yellow Camino Angel badge? Or have I just not noticed it before?
Either way, I'm intrigued to know what it means in the context of the forum.

I'm sure that's nothing else (or less or more) than a person living by "PAY IT FORWARD" standards in her/his life. It might just happened on the Camino by chance.

 

[tpmchugh]

Is there a new arrow-yellow Camino Angel badge? Or have I just not noticed it before?
Either way, I'm intrigued to know what it means in the context of the forum.

My Camino Angel was a young girl from Ohio who held me above water when I fell in a river at Espinal. The icy cold hit on the back of my neck made me lose consciousness. In the vague mists of my mind I heard my name being called and hands grabbing at me before it all went black again. I found out later that this young girl slipped into the water to get behind me and push. While I stood dazed on the bank she took a towel, dried my feet, put on clean socks and laced up my boots. Little did I realise that she was as wet as I was. A hero, a saint, a one hundred percent camino angel was Molly

 

[Maria K]

More on this soon... this is related to a new project I am working on:
https://www.caminoangels.org/

Great initiative. Need a Facebook page as well..

 

[Albertagirl]

I have added my "like" to @jmcarp 's post above twice and both times it has disappeared shortly thereafter. This has never happened to me with any other post. What is happening here?

 

[ivar]

I have added my "like" to @jmcarp 's post above twice and both times it has disappeared shortly thereafter. This has never happened to me with any other post. What is happening here?

It is there...

 

[Albertagirl]

View attachment 44652

It is there...

Thank you. It has now reappeared on my screen.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

What's a Camino Angel?

It's a long walk across Spain, Honey.

(Sorry, I know . . . )

 

[KariC]

A camino angel -
- stops in the predawn darkness to tell you the camino's been moved and you need to turn 1/2 block back
- offers you a ride when you learn you're in a town that has no public accommodations and you're 10 miles from one that has an albergue and you've already been hiking 7 hours
- gives you a 2 liter bottle of water when you just asked to fill your own from her faucet
- has it happen that there's one spot on the boat up the rio ulla, on which you meet amazing people who are still your friends
- etc

 

[laineylainey]

Some of my Camino angels have simply smiled while passing and through that wonderful smile have helped lift and carry a weary heart and aching body.

 

[David]

In the Christian tradition Yeshua gave a command at the end of the story (parable) of the Good Samaritan "then go, Ye, and do likewise".
A command that is often forgotten, overlooked, even by Christians, but, to me, any pilgrim who helps another, especially so when it is difficult for them to do - they are following that command, even though they may not know it .... Camino Angels all - acting from that Good place within - and behind them, these acts of kindness, what else can it be than Love? Selfless Love?

Buen Camino.

 

[David]

.

 

[jmcarp]

...I have looked at your new 'Camino Angel' site and also Rebekka Scott's Peaceable Projects allied site and I am a little, what, concerned, confused?? Hers is even an Inc. company not a charitable .org...

Perhaps Rebekka will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Peaceable Projects is a registered non-profit charity with the US Internal Revenue Service (I believe the legal terminology is 501(c)3), which means that donations are tax-deductible for US citizens. I don't know the impact of that on donations to that particular charity by citizens of other countries, but for me, at least, I haven't worried about those details if I feel an organization is worthy of a donation.

Not only Ivar's and Rebekka's groups are raising money for projects on the Camino, there are other organizations such as the many national confraternities which provide funding for the Camino. I read just the other day that our pilgrims' confraternity here in the US, called American Pilgrims on the Camino (APOC), has provided US$30,0000 in grants to various projects along the Camino this year. That fact alone is reason enough for pilgrims like you and me to join and support our national pilgrims' organizations. But if we value our own Camino experiences and wish to help provide for future pilgrims, we should also look favorably on calls for support by other organizations which may be seeking funding for particular Camino-related projects. Many of these are small projects, like improved signage on a particular stretch of one of the routes, new mattresses for bunks, upgrading kitchens or bath facilities in an albergue, etc.