Piñones Aprende y Emprende Corp. (PAYE), the Loíza community organization known for its Three Kings Day Eve festival that each January gathers hundreds of children and families, is asking supporters to become recurring donors so its programs can run all year, not just at Christmas. Executive director and cofounder Tanisha Gaspar Clemente said the needs of children and families are present every day.
PAYE began in 2018, after hurricanes Irma and María and the closure of the Emiliano Figueroa Torres Elementary School, when residents of the Torrecilla Baja neighborhood in Loíza sought to create educational alternatives and strengthen community ties. Operating from the former school, PAYE now runs programs for children, young people, mothers, older adults and families: Proyecto Aprende for homework help and academic reinforcement, Red 187 for youth leadership, Pausa para Mamá for mothers, Amor Mayor for seniors, and the Las Titis community kitchen, which feeds local residents.
Donations sustain tutoring in reading, writing and math, workshops, social development activities, summer programming and community-strengthening initiatives. As part of the campaign, PAYE launched weekly challenges in September to promote recurring donations starting at $5 a month; in the first two weeks, 11 people signed up as recurring donors, joining one donor who has given monthly since 2024. The organization also seeks sponsorships and corporate alliances.