Tag Archives: social service

Where and When to Hand Out Chickens

Quince Letras, corner of Tampico and Francisco Villas streets We load from either side of this "Coca Cola" store on the corner

Quince Letras, corner of Tampico and Francisco Villas streets
We load from either side of this “Coca Cola” store on the corner

THANK YOU all for joining us on the 24th of December, the morning of Christmas Eve day, to hand out chickens, food, clothing, toys and candy! It’s a terrific event and very, very memorable. It has been a family tradition of ours for many years now; even our son very much looks forward to it.

Don’t worry if you don’t speak Spanish; we’ll pair you up with a group that has someone bilingual. Please bring your pickup truck or large vehicle if you have one. Also, wear your Santa hats and Desayuno de los Pollos t-shirts if you have them!

Are you wondering what time to show up on the morning of December 24th in order to help load the trucks and deliver the goodies out to the invasiones? Those who have worked in the past and know the drill, please plan to show up about 6:30 am. Those of you who are first-timers, coming by about 7:00 am will put you there just in time to help us load. We make lines of people to pass the foodstuffs/despensas into the truck, and able-bodied guys load the boxes of frozen chickens.

If you have used clothing, toys or candy that you want to be sure gets handed out, please take it over to the Medina family this week so we can get it sorted. Any donations you have will also be appreciated in advance, so we can buy more chickens! Just take whatever you have to the wrought iron shop where Jorge works. It’s open every work day.

DATE: December 24th

TIME: 6:30 am if you are driving a truck, 7:00 am if you are helping us load and deliver. We usually finish by 11:30 or noon, but some years it’s taken longer (depends how many routes you participate in).

LOCATION: 15 (QUINCE) LETRAS, corner of Francisco Villa and Tampico, just down the hill from the Church of Cristo Rey (Christ the King)

  1. Turn East at the Fisherman’s Monument.
  2. Go to the first light and turn right.
  3. Proceed one block and turn left (Francisco Villa street, just before the Pemex station).
  4. Go two blocks.
  5. If you are NOT driving a truck or transporting supplies, please park in the next block. This will give us room for loading. Once you’ve parked, walk another block down, past the iron works business called “Quince Letras.” On the corner of Francisco Villa and Tampico you will see a small store with a bright red “Coca Cola” hand painted on the outside, across from a tortillería. A door next to the Cocheras Automaticas business will be open. That’s Yolanda’s mother’s house, and it’s from there that we’ll be loading.
  6. If you ARE driving a truck or transporting supplies, please drive up to Tampico street (the “Coca Cola” store on your right on the corner), turn right, and park. We will be loading right there.

IMG_0669If you can’t find it, just ask someone for “Quince Letras” or “Desayuno de los Pollos/Medina family.” Everyone in the area will know. It is just down the hill from the Cristo Rey Church (photo at left).

Merry Christmas to all! And see you there!

“Chicken Breakfast” 2014!

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Last year we fed 2300 families, in Mazatlán’s poorest colonias: La Felicidad, Ampliación Felipe Angeles, Universo, Quinta Chapalita, Nuevo Milenio, Jardines del Valle, Villa Tutuli, Nuevo Cajeme, Montebello, Francisco I. Madero, Ladrillera, El Basurón, El Conchi 2, and the Ex-Hacienda de Urias. It’s a Christmas tradition dating back to 1990, spearheaded by our friend Yolanda Medina. It is the absolute BEST way we’ve found to celebrate the holiday here in Mazatlán. We are so grateful for this annual opportunity—locals and expats coming together, working shoulder to shoulder, to reach out and bring a smile to those less fortunate. I’ve met so many wonderful people through Desayuno de los Pollos, and have witnessed such strength of spirit. 2014 will be our eighth year participating. You can view photos of last year’s event here.

How did this whole effort start? And why in the world is it called “chicken breakfast” or desayuno de los pollos?

“It was Christmas Eve, and daughter María Yolanda’s days were numbered. Yolanda and her late husband, Modesto, were in no mood to eat, let alone have a Christmas dinner with all the fixings. But that night, a woman knocked on the hospital room door and peeked to see if there was someone with the patient. She came in to hand Yolanda and Modesto a box with a hot Christmas dinner — roll and all — and told them Merry Christmas and that God was with them. Yolanda never forgot that gesture.”

Yolanda, her husband and extended family started repeating that gesture for others, and over the past 25 years the project has morphed into two main parts:

  1. The handing out of whole chickens, 10 days’ worth of food, plus clothes, toys and candy, to inhabitants of Mazatlán’s poorest communities. This event takes place each December 24th.
  2. A fundraiser breakfast (not chicken! Usually eggs, chilaquiles, beans, breads, juice, coffee), held to raise money to buy the food. This event takes place each year in early December or late November.

Read the full story of the Chicken Breakfast here.

Would you like to join in this incredible effort? There are so many ways you can help!

  • Attend the fundraiser breakfast on the Saturday the 29th of November starting at 8:30 am (serving till 10:00 or so), at the cruise ship port (API on Agenda Emilio Barragán). Tickets are 150 pesos per person and include a full, home-cooked breakfast, a holiday bazaar of handicrafts and baked goods, a silent as well as a live auction, and a whole lot of socializing and fun. You can buy tickets by contacting me, Dianne Hofner Saphiere, or one of the many other people around town who sell them (Yolanda, Jorge and Isa Medina; Jeanette Leraand, Barbara Narvesian, Lana Reid…). If you can’t attend the breakfast, you can still make a donation. 100% of what you donate will go directly to helping, as everyone involved is volunteer. You can browse photos of last year’s breakfast here.
  • Help us gather great things for the live and silent auctions! Each year Jorge Medina makes at least one wrought-iron table for auction. We often have artwork, and many gift certificates to hotels, restaurants and shops around town. Last year we had an original artwork by Armando Nava, and a 2-night all-inclusive stay at El Cid Marina in the silent auction. You can view just a few of last year’s great prizes here. Many thanks to everyone who donates to support this cause! If you know a business that would like to participate, you can download blank gift certificates here. Once you fill it out, be sure to get it to me, Isa or one of the other key people so we can put it into the silent auction. Thank you!
  • Be a cook! Cut vegetables the night before the breakfast (November 28th), or be one of the cooks on the morning of the 29th! We’ve had several of our cooks move away, so we are in need. It’s a great way to learn to make some Mexican staples, and to meet some new local friends.
  • Help set up and clean up the breakfast (setting out plastic chairs and tables the night of the 28th, and stacking them up after the breakfast on the 29th). My husband Greg is still gimpy, so we will be short-handed this year and could use your help.
  • Help pack food into smaller packets (e.g., bulk rice and beans into baggies), during the week prior to December 24th. A group gathers at the Medina family home in Quince Letras nearly every evening.
  • Gather gently used or new toys and candy, to hand out to the children on the 24th. Last year we had so few toys, the sadness on the kids’ faces just broke my heart.
  • Gather your gently used clothing, shoes, blankets, and jackets to hand out on the 24th. Please get these to us ahead of time, so we can sort things in preparation for the big day.
  • Bring your truck or large vehicle on the 24th, to help us transport the frozen chickens, foodstuffs, and all the Santa-hatted people out to our poorer colonias. Again, please let us know ahead of time, so we can plan. Thank you!
  • Join us on the 24th, to be in one of the six or seven caravans of cars and trucks that go to the poor outskirts of the city to hand out food and goodies! Directions can be found here.
  • Donate any amount that moves you. We are all volunteers, so 100% of what you gift goes to help those who need it. Just click on the button on the upper right side of this VidaMaz blog.

It is a terrific event, and we very much look forward to joining in with those who participate in this annual tradition, as well as welcoming those who are new to it! If you have children or grandchildren with you, it’s especially important to teach them to reach out in this way, and to let them see how simply other people live. We look forward to having you join us.

The International Road to Eagle Scout

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Our 17 year-old son has been a Scout since first grade. He was active in Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos, all of which I led, and then he “crossed over” to a high adventure Boy Scout troop. He has learned so much from Scouting: first aid, outdoor survival, swimming, cooking, sewing, teamwork, respect, discipline, leadership, how to take care of and teach the younger Scouts.

Swearing in ceremony

Danny being sworn in to Mexican Scouts by Jefe Carlos and Jefa Graciela

When we moved to Mexico Danny very much wanted to continue with Scouts, and was welcomed into a troop here, Grupo 4 Conforti. The leader, Jefe Carlos, was bilingual, and Danny loved the experience. It was quite an adjustment learning the ways in which Scouting here differs from Scouting up north. Danny met a lot of very good friends that I’m confident he’ll have for a lifetime, and Mexican Scouts helped him perfect his Spanish and learn the culture. He’s learned to lead here as well, an invaluable skill. I know he loves the more laid-back way of learning here, with much less focus on progression and earning badges and ranks.

Boys at summer camp

Jon and Danny at their first Boy Scout summer camp—a week or so away from home

But it was also very important to our son to continue his Boy Scouts of America (BSA) path even after we came to Mexico. He was already a Star Scout when we moved, so only two ranks away from Eagle, the highest rank in BSA. However, we experienced some real challenges trying to fulfill his desire to continue with BSA internationally, and we almost gave up.

I have friends in Tokyo and in other places around the world whose children belong to BSA, but they live in cities with a US American community and an internationally-based BSA troop. We don’t have such a troop in Mazatlán, and we couldn’t find anyone within the BSA organization to help us learn how he could continue US Scouting while living internationally, in the absence of a troop. Finally we learned about the “Lone Scout” program. What a godsend that has been!

Wheelbarrow and shovelers

Danny with “Peli” (a friend from ICO), and a Scout brother

We are bursting-at-the-seams proud to report that, yesterday, Danny COMPLETED HIS EAGLE PROJECT! (That’s him in the photo above, with the wheelbarrow.) Some of his friends from his original BSA troop earned their Eagle several years ago; it has taken Danny much longer. He hasn’t had the support system that a troop provides on the path to Eagle. He’s had to be additionally disciplined and creative, using every opportunity he could create, to accomplish the necessary steps and qualifications. And, he did it! All while being an active leader in Mexican Scouts as well!

Existing cages at Amigos de los Animales
Existing cages at Amigos de los Animales
Existing cages at Amigos de los Animales

So, let me tell you a bit about his Eagle project. That in itself was a journey. Danny has volunteered for a couple of years with our local humane society, Amigos de los Animales. So he naturally hoped to do his Eagle project there. He talked with the director, and had a major project planned to repaint and restore the cages (photos above). He met with various painting contractors to learn what had to be done and how, and had a list of equipment and supplies to purchase and a plan for the big day. Then, just before project day, word came that Amigos de los Animales were going to remodel the building. The cage restoration would have to be delayed. But Danny’s Eagle project couldn’t wait. You have to complete Eagle before you turn 18, which for Danny will be this next September. So he had to quickly find another project. And, he still promised to do the cages, once the surrounding remodel is complete, as long as it can happen before he graduates from high school next spring.

Ciudad de los Niños
One of the bedrooms
The central hallway
Clothes hanging out to dry
32 kids make for a lot of clothes to wash, iron and fold.
Danny and Madre Velia, signing off on things

After meeting with a few other organizations in town, he decided to work with one of our local orphanages, Ciudad de los Niños (photos above; click to enlarge photos). The Head Mother and Danny agreed on a two-part plan.

  1. The first part was the biggest: clearing several tons of dirt. You see, a couple of years ago there was a large soccer tournament here in town. A nearby school had asked permission to build a soccer field on the orphanage’s property, and they’d agreed. The problem was, after the soccer field was created, the builders left seven huge piles of dirt, rocks and garbage — tons and tons of heavy, compacted mounds— along the wall of the orphanage property. In rainy season, it causes runoff and flooding on the orphanage property, plus lots of mud, and in the dry season dust and dirt blow everywhere, hurting the kids’ eyes as they try to play or study. So, Danny would arrange to first loosen up the dirt in the mounds, smooth it out and use it to fill in the holes,  ruts and uneven terrain at various places around the playground. To give you an idea of the enormity of the task, the wall in the photos below is four meters high.
  2. Secondly, Danny would build a portable volleyball net, so that the kids could use the existing basketball court (concrete) or soccer field (dirt) for volleyball.
Tons of dirt—that’s a 4-meter-high wall in back
Tons of dirt—that’s a 4-meter-high wall in back
Tons of dirt—that’s a 4-meter-high wall in back
Tons of dirt—that’s a 4-meter-high wall in back
Tons of dirt—that’s a 4-meter-high wall in back
And a bonus mound of stuff
Tons of dirt—that’s a 4-meter-high wall in back
Eagle-Patch

The Eagle Scout patch that Danny hopes to earn

As you may well know, an Eagle project is a culmination — the highest rank advancement in US American Scouting. To achieve it the Scout needs to demonstrate the skills he has acquired throughout his Scouting career; he must be the leader, in every way, of the Eagle project. Danny started by getting a dirt-moving expert out to take a look around and advise. In the process, the guy agreed to bring the bulldozer for a day and do the work on a voluntary basis, because he, too, is a Scout. Hooray! First hurdle jumped.

Then Danny set up a Facebook event, where he announced the project. He invited many community leaders, as well friends and his Scout group here, to participate. He met with teachers at school (ICO: Instituto Cultural del Occidente) to obtain permission for those helping to earn community service hour points. He asked everyone to bring shovels, and got rakes, brooms, trash bags, ice water, even some popsicles. He secured recycled poles and tires, and worked with his godfather to cement the poles into the tire bases to support a volleyball net that would be movable rather than permanent. He purchased two nets and a volleyball. He worked hard alongside loads of blessed friends and Scout brothers and sisters, and he supervised every step of the project.

Scout Grupo 4 Emblem
Escudo del ICO
El padrino and friends

The scheduled date of the work day had to be changed twice: once due to the heavy machinery company’s changing schedule, and another time due to the orphanage’s  schedule changes. Finally, work day arrived. That was yesterday, Saturday June 1, 2013.

All went off splendidly. I have never seen 26 young people work so hard in all my life! My official role was photographer (thank goodness!), and it was so thrilling to turn 360 degrees and see people working on different projects everywhere I looked!

  • On one side, the bulldozer (driven by Danny’s good friend, Noel) worked all day moving dirt, while young men with shovels helped. Click on any photo to enlarge it.
    Danny and Noel, bulldozer driver extraordinaire
    That stuff is heavy!
    Danny supervising the work
    Dusty stuff, too
    The shoveling crew
    Hopping on for a break
    Bulldozer! Cool!
    Putting their backs into the work
  • On the other side, young people cleaned, fixed and reassembled playground equipment. They also made a big pile of miscellaneous broken toys and parts they collected from the huge yard.
    Toys and parts of toys collected from around the property
    Cleaning the play sets
    Fixing the border chain
    View of the playground and some workers
  • On a third side, a group of young women painted the volleyball net support poles.
    The cemented poles for the volleyball court
    Getting the paint ready
    Painting the supports
    Painting the bases
    Always a smile…
  • In the middle of everything, groups of kids cleaned up trash, raked, and swept walkways.
    Picking up garbage
    Sweeping the walkways
    Have rake, will work…

  • Another group removed rocks that were a danger to the kids, and repaired landscaping details.
  • Yet another group of young people with shovels filled in holes and ruts on the playground with some of the dirt that was being removed from the fence line. The dirt was so hard that they had to soften it up with water in order to be able to spread it around.
    Spreading dirt to fill in ruts on the playground
    Wheelbarrowing dirt to fill in ruts
    Even the wee ones got in on the action
    Definitely need to stay hydrated!
  • One of the young women arrived with a big bag of toys for the orphanage kids.
    Bag full of toys to donate
    Handing the toys over
    And the commemorative photo
  • As the heat of the day got to be a bit much, a group of the young women got the hose out to water all the plants. Which, of course, also started a laughter-filled water fight.

About 4:00 the bolis arrived—Danny had ordered delivery of popsicles in a pushcart as a surprise. The orphanage kids, nuns, and of course the workers loved that. A couple of the Scout leaders went shopping to buy sandwich fixings at one point, as some of the kids were hungry. The ham sandwiches were very well received. The kids worked hard, and they played. They loved the playground equipment: the swings, teeter-totter, slide and merry-go-round, almost as much as the orphans. A group of orphans at one point all climbed up in the bulldozer for a ride, until the nuns put a stop to that, of course. Some of the young workers actually climbed into the shovel of the bulldozer and got a ride around, too. There was a lot of fun to be had amidst the dirt, sweat and hard work. (Click on any photo to enlarge it or view a slideshow.)

Bolis! Bolis! Who wants a popsicle?
Cuties climbing
Cuties hanging
Workers cooling off
Kids cooling off
“We do this all the time! It’s safe!”
Boli eating ladies take a respite
And the shovelers cool down, too.
Even Mr. Bulldozer likes popsicles.
Any left? Really? We ate 100?
Eating some sandwiches
Gotta go for a ride!
Mom and two handsome lads
Just swinging around
Paleta delivery

The paint didn’t dry on the poles for the volleyball net yesterday, so we’ll go back this week and attach the volleyball net for the kids. The really GOOD news is that Danny’s local Scout Group 4 has agreed to adopt the orphanage — to go out there regularly and help out. Next time they’ll go will be in a couple of weeks, when the bulldozer will come again to finish up the final dirt pile and to do some more smoothing. Below are some “after” photos, showing how clean (and flat!) the playground area is after the work day.

The thirteen-foot wall is now visible
Mounds of dirt have been smoothed down
Clean play area
Clean gardens and paths
Reassembled and cleaned play area

We are incredibly grateful to the 26 people who showed up yesterday. Bless you all!

Group Photo

The group shot at the end of the day. Tired but happy!

We are also eternally grateful to have been blessed with our son, Danny. He has given us 17 years of pure joy and unbelievable love. Congratulations, soon-to-be Eagle Scout. Thank you for striving to be the best you can be, and to make our community a more humane place in which to live. We love you.

I am planning to put together a video of yesterday’s project, and will share that with you all as soon as it’s ready. That will most certainly not be today!

UPDATE 13 June: Here’s the Indiana Jones spoof I made from some of today’s video footage:

Entrega de los Pollos/Handing out Chickens — Where/What Time

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Quince Letras, corner of Tampico and Francisco Villas streets
We load from either side of this “Coca Cola” store on the corner

Many, many thanks to all of you who attended the Desayuno de los Pollos/Breakfast of the Chickens earlier this month, who have donated money, collected clothing and toys, and who have worked hard this week packing up rice, beans, coffee, tomatoe paste, pasta, etc. Your kindness and efforts will help improve the lives of over 2000 families in Mazatlán who are less economically fortunate than ourselves.

I was over at Yolanda’s today, and they need a few more pickup trucks or even larger trucks to help us haul the frozen whole chickens. Please, if you have access to a truck and are willing to drive it on December 24th, would you contact Jorge Medina on his cell at 669-110-07-44 and let him know? Thank you! Please pass this request on to anyone you know with a truck. All who are driving: please have your trucks at Quince Letras downtown by 6:30 am on the 24th, latest by 7:00 am.

Several of you have asked us what time to show up on the morning of December 24th in order to help load the trucks and deliver the goodies out to the colonias. Those who have worked in the past and know the drill, please plan to show up about 6:30 am. Those of you who are first-timers, coming by about 7:00 am will put you there just in time to help us load. We make lines of people to pass the foodstuffs/despensas into the truck, and able-bodied guys load the boxes of frozen chickens.

That morning, please bring any additional used clothing in good condition that you have assembled (it’s best to take clothing over to Yolanda’s for sorting before that morning, if possible), any candy or toys you have for the kids. Donations that morning will also be welcome, as Yolanda has signed for some of the food on credit/faith.

DATE: December 24th

TIME: 6:30 am if you are driving a truck, 7:00 am if you are helping us load and deliver

LOCATION: 15 (QUINCE) LETRAS, corner of Francisco Villa and Tampico, just down the hill from the Church of Cristo Rey (Christ the King)

  1. Turn East at the Fisherman’s Monument.
  2. Go to the first light and turn right.
  3. Proceed one block and turn left (Francisco Villa street, just before the Pemex station).
  4. Go two blocks.
  5. If you are NOT driving a truck or transporting supplies, please park in the next block. This will give us room for loading. Once you’ve parked, walk another block down, past the iron works business called “Quince Letras.” On the corner of Francisco Villa and Tampico you will see a small store with a bright red “Coca Cola” hand painted on the outside, across from a tortillería. A door next to the Cocheras Automaticas business will be open. That’s Yolanda’s mother’s house, and it’s from there that we’ll be loading.
  6. If you ARE driving a truck or transporting supplies, please drive up to Tampico street (the “Coca Cola” store on your right on the corner), turn right, and park. We will be loading right there.

IMG_0669If you can’t find it, just ask someone for “Quince Letras” or “Desayuno de los Pollos/Medina family.” Everyone in the area will know. It is just down the hill from the Cristo Rey Church (photo at left).

Desayuno de los Pollos/Breakfast of the Chickens

Our group driving into a neighborhood on Christmas Eve morning as part of the Desayuno de los Pollos project.

Since 2007 we have had the privilege, as a family and with families of friends, to participate in Desayuno de los Pollos. It is the BEST way to spend a Christmas Eve morning that you can ever imagine! If you have not yet participated in this homegrown, very powerful effort, now is your chance!

Delivery schedule in 2010. As you can see, more than 2000 chickens go out to familias necesitadas.

Over 2000 whole chickens and 7-10 days’ of food are given out to families in need in the poorer areas of Mazatlán. Before we participated in this project, we hadn’t even known about some of these neighborhoods.

A group of kids in one of the communities wait their turn to get clothes and candy.

As in most any city worldwide, amidst the luxury you can find extreme poverty. These colonias on the outskirts of town do not have power or water, and the homes are cobbled together mostly with scraps of wood and metal that residents have been able to find.

The dignity of the people is beautiful to witness, and they are so grateful for the food, the love and joy we bring, as well as the clothing, candy and toys that many of us also collect to hand out that day.

Yolanda at left and a community leader on the right

You may know my friend Yolanda Medina. She sells crafts in the Plazuela in the evenings. She is Jorge Medina’s sister. You may know Jorge from Rotary or from his ironwork business, Quince Letras (that’s the area of town the family lives), or his wife Isa, who is very active in our bilingual community as well.

Jorge is on the right, with our goofy son (a few years ago) on the left.

Well, Yolanda is responsible for this most incredible project. She began it back in 1990. Just before that, sadly, her daughter María Yolanda suffered an illness. Here is how Isa tells the story:

“It was Christmas Eve, and María Yolanda’s days were counted. Yolanda and her late husband, Modesto, were in no mood to eat, let alone have a Christmas Dinner with all the fixin´s. But that night, a woman knocked on the hospital room door and peeked to see if there was someone with the patient, and came in to hand Yolanda and Modesto a box with a hot Christmas Dinner meal — roll and all — and told them Merry Christmas and that God was with them. Yolanda never forgot that gesture.”

“After María Yolanda was gone, Yolanda got us all together and told us what had happened.  So, the first couple of years, we had culinary arts students volunteer their time to prepare a Christmas Dinner meal, with donated ingredients from friends and family, and again, all of us volunteered to fill the disposable thermal boxes (like box lunches) with the hot dinners and then put them into several cars and pick-up trucks, and off we went, to hospitals, traffic intersections, parks, wherever we thought we might find people that, for one reason or another, wouldn’t be privy to a nice Christmas Dinner.”

“However, this was a huge effort, and very expensive, so we couldn’t cover that much ground. So we thought in terms of something more practical, that may be cooked and prepared at home. This way, we could make sure many more families could have a Christmas Dinner. That’s when we started the Desayuno de los Pollos, and the rest is history.”

A group of madres de familia waiting their turn for despensas

Happy kids in one of the communities during Desayuno de los Pollos on Christmas Eve morning.

Homes in one of the communities and a mobile business

The Desayuno de los Pollos project has been written up in the local newspapers the last few years, and has really grown every year we’ve participated. It is a true community effort, with aid now from the food bank (Banco de Alimentos) and Protección Civil.

This woman, first in line, was 87 years old when I had the pleasure of giving her a chicken a couple of years ago. She told me her husband was 93.

What funds this ability to buy whole chickens and kitchen staples for 2000 families? A breakfast. Yes, a simple breakfast. This year (2012) that breakfast will be held on Saturday, December 8, from 8:30-11 at the API dock/cruise ship dock. Tickets are 150 pesos.

The breakfast is served by local teenagers who volunteer their time, and your ticket includes a raffle and entrance to a Christmas handicrafts bazaar. It’s fun. Even if you can’t attend, please buy some tickets or make a donation to this very worthy cause. 100% of your donations go to those in need, as everyone involved volunteers their time and talent. A couple of years ago we didn’t have enough money, and Yolanda borrowed $600 from her now-deceased mother in order to buy the required chickens. Let’s get the funds we need for everyone to eat this year!

One truck is loaded and ready to go. If you have access to a truck early morning on December 24, let us know as we could use your help!

We hand out the supplies in big convoys to 5-6 different colonies on the 24th of December, starting about 5 or 6 am when we begin packing, sorting, and loading. Anyone coming can bring candy for kids, used good condition clothing to hand out as well. Wear Santa hats. It’s well organized and very humbling. The people receiving the food so need the help, and have so much dignity and gratitude. It’s beautiful.

The plastic bags are filled with despensas or food staples. This is the loading line, moving the food from the house to the trucks outside.

Yolanda, Isa, and others go out to the colonias a week to ten days ahead of time, to meet with community leaders and organize things, to be sure that every family in need gets a ticket for a chicken and staples. And, so that things are fair, to ensure that some families don’t double dip. It is all incredibly well organized, efficient, and filled with joy.

We are fortunate in Mazatlán to have so many groups and projects designed to help others. This one doesn’t have a formal group surrounding it, more an extended family and friends who come together each year in incredible ways.

Contact me (Dianne) for tickets to the breakfast or to donate items (dianne@vidamaz.com, or cell 6691-22-8962), in English or Spanish. If you know Yolanda, Jorge or Isa, you can always contact them, too. There will be breakfast tickets at the door on December 8, if you prefer to just show up.

If you are able to save your (gently) used clothing and toys for this project, or you or someone you know can donate toys, clothing, or food, or who has a truck to drive on December 24, please let us know!

Two families we have been privileged to meet

Smiling kids are always a joyful sight!

Two Santa Clauses handing out candy and toys. It is a good lesson for kids about helping others whenever we can.

“Thank you for coming and Merry Christmas!”

We do hope you’ll join this project and help us bring joy to more families in need during the holidays. Thanks!

The scene in the living room a few years ago prior to loading the trucks. This room is filled with clothes, blankets and toys.

The garage filled with whole chickens, delivered that morning frozen solid. We have to get them in the hands of their recipients quickly, before they melt. Most people tell me they cook them in a pot of water over a fire, though there are those occasionally who tell me they’ll roast theirs over an open flame.

Other posts on this blog about Breakfast of the Chickens: