Inspiring People
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It’s true that sometimes we have to stop and smell the roses or we will miss so much that is great, beautiful, and uplifting in our world. If we heed this metaphor, I think one of the things we will realize is, “Wow, there are so many wonderful people doing great work all around us.”
In our Partner Updates below you will find some perfect examples that I encourage you explore. There are so many wonderfully dedicated people serving truly important causes that I find it inspiring.
Leaders2Give began with a Board of five members in 2019 and grew to a Board of nine. Some members are original and others have served their terms and moved on to other endeavors.
Recently, John Plotkin and Betsy Shepard completed their terms as Leaders2Give Board Directors. Their engagement over the past two years greatly contributed to Leaders2Give's evolution as the organization grew and defined itself during this time.
Thank you to John and Betsy from all of us at Leaders2Give! Soon we will be adding new Board members that we know will be integral in helping Leaders2Give to further evolve and be able to protect even more vulnerable children in the future.
One of the ways to accomplish being able to protect more vulnerable children will be getting the John Gullo Home For Children built and running. We are in the process of selecting a contractor so ground breaking is just around the corner!
The site of the new home is in El Cardonal, Baja California Sur, MX across from Las Terrazas. If you’re in the neighbourhood, watch for the new sign going up this week.
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PARTNER UPDATES
New Creation Kids Children’s Home
Thank you to Shelley Aibner and Sonya Boirie for taking the time to visit the children at New Creation Kids children’s home.
The delivery of warm hats and blankets from Annette Kaiser and her Caps4Cancer society and the extra fun pizza party that Shelley and Sonya organized, brought the biggest smiles to these deserving faces.
New Creation Kids is a home for children whose families are in crisis: Addiction, poverty, violence in the home or a single parent struggling with a terminal illness are some of the reasons these kids find themselves here.
If you would like to get involved, please reach out our Volunteer Coordinator, Shelley Aibner shelley@leaders2give.org
The East Cape Health Center
Mizuky has been a part of our social assistance program since she was 3 years old. She was born with a congenital defect that caused many complications.
East Cape Health Center has provided medical consultations, lab test, ultrasounds and x-rays, providing relief to her family who struggled under the financial weight of the procedures she’s had to receive throughout her life.
Now at age 11, Mizuky is recovering from her latest surgeries which aimed to improve her quality of life and offer her independence for the correct care and treatment of her incontinence.
Last year, the clinic participated in the campaign to raise funds for this life changing surgery and matched a donation pledged by LCCF. Although her journey isn’t over, she has the support of this wonderful organization with her every step of the way.
When you make a donation to East Cape Health Center, you help change the lives of the children in this community, like Mizuky. For her family, every dollar counts.
The East Cape Guild
Twenty-six years ago, a group of women headed by Francis Olachea formed the East Cape Guild to help fund education costs for children continuing beyond the 9th grade.
The East Cape Guild is the oldest Mexican non-profit on the East Cape established August 9, 1997.
In 1997 there were 6 scholarship students, and they were all funded by private donations. As the years went by, there were more students applying for scholarship money and the guild was holding several fundraisers to meet the ongoing needs.
Five years ago, Kim Plotkin assumed the role of President of the Guild and started to focus on a more robust approach to fundraising. In 2018, there were 203 High School Scholarships and 6 College students receiving funding from the Guild.
Last year, funding increased to 143 High School Students and 75 College Students, a total of $135,000 US dollars. It is a large annual commitment and grows every year with more students attending College and continuing College.
Each student that applies for scholarships must meet the criteria of high grades and financial need. Only students that were awarded High School funding can qualify for college scholarships.
It is so rewarding to see the students go from High School, on to College, and then, to be active members and business owners in our community. Teachers, architects, builders, and even the Mayor of La Riberia have been Guild Scholarship recipients.
Each year, The East Cape Guild looks to raise between $135,000 - $150,000 USD so please join them at their upcoming events or donate today.
Feb 26 Monte Carlo night
March 24 & 25 VIP Dinner & Music Festival
Feeding The Hungry
There are changes afoot with the Feeding the Hungry Charity.
In the past, Feeding the Hungry has raised the finances to continue to help the poorest of the poor in our community by email mailouts and fundraising events.
These events have included the Fashion Show, The ATV Fun Ride, and Musical Evenings.
Feeding the Hungry is now also responding to the fact that there are some people who would prefer a more direct relationship between their giving and the people they are assisting. We have seen an increase in the number of people who would like to take on the responsibility of supporting a whole family for the year.
Feeding the Hungry supplies doners who wish to be part of this new program with details about who they are supporting. It is an amazing privilege, and marvelous feeling to know a little about the individual or family that your giving is supporting.
The Family Sponsorship Program is a 1-year commitment of $820 USD. This amount guarantees the sponsored family will receive one voucher each week for an entire year. These vouchers can be redeemed at a local supermarket to purchase food, medicine or other essential supplies.
Here is an example of the type of family in need: Martine and Dalia have a young daughter who is very sick. She needs biweekly trips to Las Paz for treatment. These trips are costly. Taking his daughter to La Paz twice a week means that Martine can only take on casual work which limits his earning potential. Marine’s Feeding the Hungry food vouchers are essential to the survival of his family.
If you would like to become part of this rewarding initiative, please contact Ben and Harriet Purkey purkeybh@gmail.com or Gordon and Joy Blackie gordonandjoy@gmail.com for details.
SNAP - Spay, Neuter, and Prevention
SNAP Los Barriles is celebrating its 10th year of providing free spay and neuter services for Mexican owned dogs and cats in Los Barriles and our surrounding communities.
February was Spay and Neuter Awareness Month and World Spay Day so after a three year break because of the pandemic they decided February would be a great time to dust off those community clinic cobwebs and host a clinic.
SNAP would like to thank everyone who volunteered for the clinic or worked behind the scenes bagging pet food, loading the trailer, checking equipment, donating water, snacks and sandwiches and our financial donors who made it all possible.
On February 12, 2023, SNAP hosted a community clinic at the cancha in Los Barriles. When hosting a clinic, they really don't know how many owners are going to bring their pets to the clinic. They hope for at least 50 and pray they don't go over 100. SNAP was pleased they had a total of 49 dogs and cats who were sterilized and pampered by all of the volunteers while they recovered.
One of the reasons they didn't have even more animals is because their post-pandemic model allows Mexican pet owners to schedule appointments and bring their animals directly to Clinica Veterinaria Buenos Aires office. This increases the number of animals spayed and neutered overall.
On average, SNAP covers the cost for about 100 animals per month. Adding in community clinics like these will get them closer to their goal of 1,500 animals in 2023. By the end of February, they had already surpassed 200 spay and neuters and are on track to meet their goal.
SNAP is now planning how they can educate and help some of the outlying communities.
To Donate to Leaders2Give and any of our Partners, visit our Donate page.