Providing food to families in need.
Welcome!
Chix Food Bank, began operating in November 2005 by a group of individuals who came together to respond to an identified need in Chicxulub, Yucatan.
In the village of Chicxulub there are about 6,000 people. The main industry is fishing. Of course, this work is at the mercy of the weather and between the hurricane and the norte seasons often the port is closed so there is no opportunity to go out fishing. Therefore we have families who have limited resources to care for their families. We also have elderly people who rely on their children to care for them and help them on a day-to-day basis.
There is a huge need to assist people suffering from many forms of poverty. Your support can change lives.
For only $75 CAD you can feed a family for a year!
There are many ways that YOU can make a difference.
I would like to make a donation
I will be visiting the area and would like to learn more about the programs
We are helping a local soccer team raise money.
Thank you for looking at other ways to donate in the Yucatan. Please take the time to watch the video and share it with your friends! Every donation to the children of Progreso Manchester is greatly appreciated. Many kids in the community will have an opportunity to play on the team with funding.
Current News and Updates on the Chicxulub Foodbank
June Dispensa
The June dispensa was carried out on a bright, sunny day under the watchful eyes of the team. Kay, Carmita, Milo, Jody, Don and Nancy ensured the dispensas were packed on the 14th and handed out on the 15th. This same group of volunteers will continue the process throughout the summer. Thanks to all of them and thanks to the photographers! See you all again in September! Have a wonderful summer.... read more
May Dispensa
Well I am heading back to Canada early this year for my 50th Nursing Reunion. Not to worry as I leave everything in the capable hands of Kay and Carmita and Nancy and Ciro. This May dispensa was quiet and well attended and the heat was already here for the day…30+ by 11 AM.... read more
Community Outreach Pencuyut
In early January, Carmita and her family visited a small pueblo called Pencuyut, a suburb of Tecoh. She heard from her nephews about this village and wanted to check things out. Then we made a second visit to celebrate Children’s day and take out more donations. Pencuyut originally was called ‘ cehn-yuc ‘ which is Maya for “well of the deer”. The legend says when the first inhabitants arrived they found many venison bones. It has approximately 2000 habitantes, there are many aged people and several cases of deaf children. These special needs children have no attention nor go to school. It seems that this area is more affected by the cold winters than we are here along the Gulf. It can get as cold as zero degrees so there will be a collection of hats, slippers and scarves for next winter sent to them. The village maintains itself with milpas where the men grow and harvest corn and there was evidence of buckets of corn being carried on the heads of some women. There are schools that teach from kindergarten to high school with telesecundaria being a satellite program via internet. There are 3 high school teachers working with the young adults. The internet service provided to the village is not strong enough to provide computer and telephone service so imagine seeing the kids playing and chatting together and the adults busy sharing with no evidence of the cel, FaceBook or any other social media! The Food Bank sent donations for the children and some adults and they were very grateful. The house that hosted us belongs to... read more
Chicxulub Soup Kitchen
As promised, we have delivered at least 5 loads of groceries to the kitchen since the middle of March. Dona Ara is always happy to see us with our full boxes. Her clients are also happy when we come. They are serving about 75 people a day. They have a good supply of plastic and glass containers that will tide them over until next... read more
April Dispensa
Needless to say April dispensa was more subdued without many of our volunteers who have returned home for the spring months but we had a great showing. Our 65 families were in attendance and things went smoothly. We had a special visit from the Queen of the Marina 2015-16, Addy Velasquez who visited and helped with the dispensas. We also noted her commemorative plaque on the wonderful anchor that was donated to the town of Chicxulub. Again, thank you to all of you who have left food items and containers for the food bank and soup kitchen and those who left their donations for next winter’s hampers. Without you, this could not happen. Missing Jody Tortilla man Carmita Double load Yahir Our... read moreMuelle Market
Muelle Market 2016 2016 was an amazing year for us at the Muelle Market. We continued to see our regular vendors and meet some new vendors. We were amazed and delighted by the increase in shoppers this year and we watched many leaving with armfuls of purchases and big smiles. Alex, our vendor baker from Classic Delights in Merida, created the most delicious Cinnibuns for the Market this year. At almost every market, there was a line up all the way to the back of the venue, just to get that delicious taste of home. These Cinnibuns will be back for our 2017 Muelle Market. New to the Muelle Market We introduced a few new food vendors this year: Suzu -with her amazingly delicious quiche, Cy -with homemade pizza, Alex-our amazing baker. Guty- with fresh herbs and juices. Bernard with bread, muffins and more. David – with carrot cake , Horso Organics- with amazingly fresh veggies and Ginnie & Eva with Calzones. We also introduced new Artisans: Jorge, Patrica& Ivan with there amazing paintings, Gloria with her stained glass and art, Robin with felting, Miguel with his prints, Gabriella with natural body care products, the Women’s Coop with their unique and beautiful applique designs, Ruth with her ladies Linen Clothing and Nola’s Yucatan Designs with men and women’s 100% cotton tops made from manta. Chicxulub Foodbank We continued in 2016 to assist the Chicxulub Foodbank with fund-raising for 2016. Our Vendors donate products or gift certificates that were raffles off at each Market and the Kitchen donated 10% of their sales. Please remember to support them by buying your... read more
Bazar de Muelle
This is the end of another successful market season. In total there were 7 markets and each one held its own highlight. Who stood in line to buy Anita’s sausages or the scrumptious cinnamon buns? There was always a flurry of activity around Mari’s table or the community table where local service providers promoted their services like massages or bike rentals. Then there was the raffle tickets that everyone bought in support of the Children’s programming for the Chicxulub Food Bank. There will again be summer workshops for the children. Thanks to Nola Marie’s creation Ruth’s linen blouses Nola’s shirts Mujeres de Chicxulub Sausage line-up Cinnibon line-up ... read moreMarch Dispensa
I want to start off by saying thank you to all of you for your help and donations for this season. It is a delight to see how many folks support this project. If it was not for you, the village of Chicxulub would not be able to enjoy the kindness and generosity of the Snowbird and Ex-Pat population. I am including all of you in this thank you which means our year round folks as well. Special thanks to the person who donates fresh tortillas monthly for the families. There are currently 65 families on the roster with another 5 who I will be visiting over the next few... read more
February Dispensa
Packing of the dispensas on the 14th went smoothly with seasoned hands, Shirley and Dave with Andrea and Kay put the packages together swiftly and efficiently. Thanks to everyone who donated beans and rice and the donor who delivered 7 dispensas from Soriana’s. Like the rest of winter, the 15th dawned grey and cool. There were fewer folks standing in line when we started but by the end of the hour, all but 3 families had come for their package. vitamin service Lorraine is back to hand out the tortillas austin helps keep order pauline and james are back..yahoo taxi service from Jody english student Camila Thanks to Wayne 2 for the... read more
Bazar del Muelle
There have been two markets this month and both were a huge success. What was exciting to see but what really floored me was the line-ups for Anita’s sausage meat and for the kitchen so folks could buy their cinnamon buns and coffee. Other vendors were busy as well. Come see in March. Watch for a more in-depth report next... read more
CAPP Program
Lots has been going on even though I am not there. Carmita and Malu and the CAPP volunteers are working with about 30 kids to help them improve the basic 3 R’s of education. The first step was a test to asssess their level of understanding. Then teams were established according to grade level and assigned as follows: Grade 5 – Carmita Grade 4 – Aaron and Luis Grade 3 – Samuel and Aracelly Grade 2 – Malu Carmita and Lina grade 6 Aracelly and Samuel grade 3 Luis and Aaron grade 4 Many children, when they reach grade 6 cannot do the basic math and writing. Watch for pictures as the summer... read more
Community Outreach Pencuyut
The earlier visit has been followed up with two more with the group helping lay a floor in Veronica’s house. She was mentioned in the earlier post. Veronica has 7 children and her husband works the field. The struggle to get the floor laid is that there is no water in the casa and it needed to be carried in. This made the job longer than... read more
Community Outreach Pencuyut
In early January, Carmita and her family visited a small pueblo called Pencuyut, a suburb of Tecoh. She heard from her nephews about this village and wanted to check things out. Then we made a second visit to celebrate Children’s day and take out more donations. Pencuyut originally was called ‘ cehn-yuc ‘ which is Maya for “well of the deer”. The legend says when the first inhabitants arrived they found many venison bones. It has approximately 2000 habitantes, there are many aged people and several cases of deaf children. These special needs children have no attention nor go to school. It seems that this area is more affected by the cold winters than we are here along the Gulf. It can get as cold as zero degrees so there will be a collection of hats, slippers and scarves for next winter sent to them. The village maintains itself with milpas where the men grow and harvest corn and there was evidence of buckets of corn being carried on the heads of some women. There are schools that teach from kindergarten to high school with telesecundaria being a satellite program via internet. There are 3 high school teachers working with the young adults. The internet service provided to the village is not strong enough to provide computer and telephone service so imagine seeing the kids playing and chatting together and the adults busy sharing with no evidence of the cel, FaceBook or any other social media! The Food Bank sent donations for the children and some adults and they were very grateful. The house that hosted us belongs to... read moreEnglish in Chicxulub
Special report from Susan We have had another great year teaching English to the students of Quintana Roo. We had enough teachers and helpers for grades 4, 5, and 6.I would like to thank Karen, Beth, Diane, Mary, John, Brooke,Ruth,Pierrette,Alexis,Ken,Grace,Kitty,Kathryn,and Jim. We had a great bunch of students this year in grade 6.Our themes included:families, body parts, calendar, emotions numbers,etc. Groups worked great as we had up to 35 students. Our last day in the English class we played bingo and each student received a prize. Students also took home their folders(filled with their work) group picture, and a diploma for taking our English class. The principal,teachers, and the students put on an appreciation afternoon for our teachers and helpers. The grade one students handed out Happy cards to the teachers and then sang a beautiful song. Students handed their teachers sincere cards thanking them for coming to their school and teaching them English. Thank you again to all of you who have been involved in our English School Program. If it wasn’t for you this program would not exist. Sue Watch for more photos as they come in. ... read more
Chicxulub Soup Kitchen
As promised, we have delivered at least 5 loads of groceries to the kitchen since the middle of March. Dona Ara is always happy to see us with our full boxes. Her clients are also happy when we come. They are serving about 75 people a day. They have a good supply of plastic and glass containers that will tide them over until next... read more
Prepping for Christmas
Check out the temperature and that was the day in March the industrious group was again sorting and packaging clothes for the Christmas hampers. Some of the group continued into April with wrapping presents for next winter. Santa will be happy with the work of his elves. This season we introduced fabric softener sheets to help maintain a fresh scent when opened in the winter. Then the big finale when a truck was loaned to us to transport all of the boxes to Chicxulub where they are stored for the summer. Join the journey via our picture gallery. ... read more
CAPP Volunteers
During semana santa workshops were held for the children and our CAPP students attended some of them. The topics were a continuation of summer with genealogy, care of the environment and some first aid. On average 25 children attended. Shelley made a donation of 2400 pesos raised by co-workers to get uniforms for the children in the village. We will do the same as before in buying the material and having the uniforms made by local tailors. With holidays over, the CAPP students will continue their own workshops with the children. ... read moreSan Joachin Nursing Home
San Joachin is quieter but no less animated this month with Paula working with the seniors. The group continues to enjoy the exercises as well as the parachute. Thanks to a donation we now have our own parachute and stretch bands to use. The residents enjoy using the bands and do grow stronger every time we use them. I do have to make mention of Paula who has maintained the program all winter with her group of volunteers. Paula has a wonderful knack of connecting with the residents and helping them enjoy the... read more
Prepping for Christmas
Yes, I know it is way too early to think of Christmas 2016 but it is always good to be prepared! And that is what a group of industrious volunteers did in Feb to help with sorting and packaging clothes for the hampers. The expression “many hands make light work” was in evidence as the ladies went to work getting the outfits made up and bagged. Whew! One less thing to stroke off my... read moreBaseball Camp
Baseball season started out with a bang on January 9th, with the young players greeted by the Comisario of Chicxulub along with a young college student with responsibility for recreation activities for Chicxulub and by a reporter/photographer from Por Esto. There were anywhere from 7 to 20 players on any Saturday, but usually about 12-14. The majority of players were from the afternoon classes at Quintana Roo School, and were mainly boys between 9 and 12. We usually managed a short warm up before splitting into two teams and playing two or three innings. We were delighted to see the skill development in some of the young players joining us for their first season. And a few of our veteran players are now quite adept in both batting and fielding. Good, too, that we see the older players helping and encouraging the newer ones. Sadly missed was our normal cohort of female players, who have “grown up” and prefer to watch from the stands, despite much coaxing to join us. On two occasions, the recreation director arrived, put us all through vigorous calisthenics and ran skill-improvement drills. The coaches looked forward to his promised weekly involvement, but it did not materialize. (We will work on that for next year.) Unfortunately, we were rained out for the last two Saturdays of the season. The kids love any kind of baseball gear and, should anyone have sources at home for getting T-shirts, hats, runners or headbands, you’d make some kids very happy. If printing is also available, we have named ourselves the Chix Craters. As always, new volunteers for next year... read more
January Bingo
Under the B. Bingo. And that’s just what many Canadians play in Chicxulub at least twice during their annual winter sojourn from the north. The fundraiser bingos have been helping the Chicxculub Food Bank since 2009. That first year at the former Bamboo Beach, it raised $12,840 P to help for the monthly cost of food needed for the 77 families. Last year it raised $10,500 P. Why do people like playing bingo so much? It’s fun, it’s a way of socializing and offers a chance of meeting new people. And besides, the game that dates back to medieval times, allows you to win prizes. The full house that played last month at Mamma Mia’s gave it their undivided attention until a green bus called, El Bicho, pulled up across from the restaurant. At intermission some rushed out to satisfy their curiosity. They discovered a couple had been travelling in it for 10 years since starting out from Argentina. Intermission over, it was back to serious bingo playing. Canadians, Karen Evans and Kathy Worrall, are the hardworking bingo organizers who gather prizes,find the bingo callers and run the show. Those lining up their beans to place on the numbers called included people from all over Canada and New York. In the old days, those beans had an even more prominent role because the game was called beano and if you had a winning card, you yelled “beano.” A New York toy salesman renamed it bingo after he overheard someone accidentally shout “bingo”. The first game was played at a carnival near Atlanta,Ga., in 1929. Sharon Helgason, who organized the first fundraiser bingo in Chicxulub says proceeds have helped the... read more
Muelle Market
Yea, Nola was here for the penultimate market and what a day we had. There were 34 vendors and 100s of customers coming to find treasures or sourdough bread or carrot cake. No-one left disappointed and many did not go home empty handed. It was nice to have Nola home and Kay was busy with the Food Bank table and raffle. And then it was the last Muelle Market on March 19th! And what a day! My light box with Katarina arrived and as you can see she was a delight. I have a photo of her with the artist and her husband, with the dynamic duo of Kay and Andrea and then with Madie, the owner of the hall. She was a perfect companion. You can see that Marie was her usual busy self and enjoyed a great day. The money raised by the biweekly raffles has been used to pay for the three buses we needed to take the grades 4-5-6 children to the Parque Cientifico and today the funds will be used for the pilot project of Self-Defense for Children during semana santa. There will also be workshops for the children in the summer and workshops for the parents helping them discover what their values are and how to improve their parenting skills. I will have updates for you as we offer these activities. Now we are done with the Muelle Market until next December and I look forward to seeing you then. From Nola The Muelle Market would like to send out a huge thank you to all the people who attended the... read moreBaseball Camp
Submitted by Brooke: Thanks to our Mexican coach, Luis, the baseball team continued for an additional three months after we Snowbirds returned to the North. We started off again the third Saturday in January with 25 eager players. The following week, we had 37!! Due to rain and Carnival, the numbers were lower for the next two Saturdays but we expect a large turn out on the 21st. We have 8 to 10 Canadian and American “coaches” on any given Saturday and have had 3 Mexican parents on occasion. Our goal, of course, is to involve more parents, aunts, uncles and cousins in the hopes of getting the team back in Mexican hands by the time we all head North again. So, please spread the word that they are needed Saturdays at 9 am in the Chicxulub... read more
Bazar del Muelle
The Muelle Market is growing this year…more new vendors and seeing lots of new faces in the crowd. We have had raffles for the food bank at each the Markets and the goal this year is to raise enough funds to take the children to the Dinosaur Museum. The Vendors have generously donated their handcrafted items and have helped us raise a total of 2060 pesos this month and that will cover the cost of one excursion for the school kids to the Science Centre. We have a Beverage Bar at the new Market and we sell Fresh ground Chiapas Coffee and Home made Cinnamon Buns. We also sell soft drinks and water. Stop by and see Nancy she will be happy to try out her English. The Markets in Feb. will be Feb 5 and Feb.19 The Markets in Mar will be Mar 5 and Mar 19 Our new Location is: D’Mar Salon de Eventos Calle 28 x 21 x 23 Chicxulub Puerto See you all at the Market... read more
Knitting Goodbyes
This year we asked for knit and crocheted hats for the cancer children of Merida and were presented with over 100! We had hats of all colours and sizes made, some with stripes, some with flowers and even some animal faces. They were delivered to the IWC meeting on Saturday March 29th. The knitters, crocheters, embroiderers and the sewers raised funds for the food bank and created gifts for the Christmas hampers. Here are just a few of the lovely hats made… Here are some of the lovely Barbie clothes Alexis made for the naked dolls!! Now won’t that make a few girls happy this Christmas! And have a look at the revamped cushions that will make some moms happy when they open them from the Christmas hampers. . All done by talented volunteers this winter!! We also decided to collect money towards the foodbank and stitchers were asked to donate 10 pesos a visit, this raised 400 pesos. We look forward to returning to our stitching again next year. We hope we will have a few more people next year. At the IWC meeting a table was set up to sell purses and cozies. With the additional sales of the items at the Muelle Market, this brought the total in sales and contributions from S&B to 1400pesos. Well done... read more
Muelle Market
The idea came after chatting with my friend Sharon, who has lived in Chicxulub for years and assists with many humanitarian programs in the village especially the Chicxulub Food Bank. We talked about a way to help the local artisans who handcrafted item as the fishing did not sustain the families all year. So, being a creative thinker and an artist it didn’t take long to come up with the idea of doing a market. Now it was time to start looking around for a local venue for the market. I had only been in Chicxulub for about 7 months at the time and spoke very little Spanish so I incorporated the help of Sharon and her friend Carmita. After seeing what was available, I told Sharon that I had seen a beautiful restaurant in Chicxulub Centro and thought it would be a perfect space to use for a small market. It was then that Sharon introduced me and the market idea to Charlie the owner of Bamboo Beach Restaurante which, was also the home of the Chicxulub food bank. I realized then, that I also wanted the market to somehow help raise money for the food bank. The artisans and the food bank were both quickly stealing my heart. Now that I had found a space I need a name. The name Muelle Market, came to me as I was driving to the restaurant. There is a sign just before you turn to go towards the restaurant and it says in bold letter MUELLE with an arrow pointing down the street. My first thought was, wow free advertising... read more
Guest Blogger- Nola-Bazar del Muelle
The inception of the Muelle Market begins with Nola. This is her story. “When I first went to the Bamboo Beach restaurant to help Sharon with the food bank I fell in love with the beauty and peacefulness of the space and realized that it would be a wonderful venue for many things. At that time,I didnt speak any spanish so we tossed the idea around and decided to speak with Charlie about using the space for a venue for local artisans to have the opportunity to show their wares and earn some extra money. I never expect it to turn into a mulitcultural market for artisans and crafters from different parts of the Yucatan and the world. The Market has taken on an energy of its’ own and has given Charly at Bamboo Beach and his staff the opportunity to earn extra money for the restaurant and and has helped raise additional funds for the Chicxulub Food Bank. The market has also allowed Chicxulub to become a meeting place for friends and family to enjoy a day of shopping and lunch while enjoying a beautiful setting. My initial plan was to have the market for 2 or 3 months in the year while the Snowbirds were here for holidays, but it has been such a success that I thought about having it year round. My plan was to have the market open in April- May- June and September – October -November- December the third Thursday of each while the busier months of January – February – March – July and August would be the first and third Thursday of... read more
English Classes at Andres Quintana Roo
Susan, the co-ordinator for the english classes offered to the students at the local elementary school and her dedicated group of volunteers have done an amazing job once again this year. Each year just keeps getting better and the children are more comfortable trying out their new language skills. It is not unusual to hear children and parents alike saying “hello, good morning and how are you” as you walk through the town. This winter, at Andres Quintana Roo we had another successful teaching experience. We were fortunate to have enough teachers and supporters to have 3 grades of English classes: grades 6,5,and 4. Our aim was to have fun and teach the students some basic English phrases to carry on a conversation. One highlight for the grade 6 students was to put together several kites (letter k) and take turns flying them outside. Students later put their names in a hat and 5 names were drawn. These student took the kites home. There were many fun activities that all the students enjoyed. At the end of our time here the students received a picture of themselves and a class picture to remind them of their class in English. Students have been encouraged to practice their English until we return. Thank you to Marge for bringing down 3 white board for our classes and flip chart paper. What wonderful,useful gifts. I never thought I would get excited over rulers or chart paper,but, I did. Thank you to all the people who have contributed school supplies for our classes,it makes teaching a little easier. A big thank you to all... read more
Bazar del Muelle-Bamboo Beach
This delightful market began in November 2012 and is the brain child of Nola, a Canadian artist relocated in Chicxulub. Here is how Nola explains her creation: “When I first went to Bamboo Beach to help Sharon with the food bank I fell in love with the beauty and peacefulness of the space and realized that it would be a wonderful venue for anything. I didn’t speak spanish so I approach Sharon with the idea and asked her to help me talk to Charlie about using the space once a month for a small venue for local artisans so they might have an opportunity to earn some extra money. I never expected it to turn into a Mulitcultural Market for artisans and crafters from Yucatan and other parts of the world. The Market has taken on an energy of it own and has helped Charly and his staff at the restaurant, the Chicxulub Food Bank, and has created in Chicxulub a meeting place for friends and family to enjoy a day of shopping and lunch in a beautiful setting.” From Suzanne Bourret For Socorro, it is the only way she can provide for her family. For Rosa it gives her hope. And for tourists and expats it affords them a chance to buy authentic and handmade local Yucatan crafts to take back to their countries. The Chicxulub artisans’ market, inaugurated late last fall at the Bamboo Beach restaurant, has provided help to those in need, in a community where poverty lives on many streets. Socorro creates crocheted purses using yarn and silver or coloured pop can tabs. It is the... read more
Guest bloggers – Dennis
Baseball has had a slow start this year somewhat due to the weather and somewhat to delayed organization – but it is well under way now with a core group of 7- 9 volunteer coach/mentors and between 5 and 12 enthusiastic young ball players – depending on the weather and the reminders at school. We have been very fortunate to receive more equipment including complete uniforms – and we were able to return some of the borrowed equipment to the school. Don and Brooke are managing the equipment this year, and Karl is running the practice with the theme based on more fun than practical lessons and everyone is thoroughly enjoying our times together – We play rotational scrub ball which gives all of us the opportunity to play at different positions and to try and hit the ball when it is our turn – the kids are teaching us some Spanish baseball terminology and we are trying to reciprocate with English. More kids are always welcome as are any adult coach/mentors who wish to share an hour or so with us and the kids – even if it is only for one weekend, your presence is appreciated. Visit our blog to read more. March 2nd 2013 We had 11 little ball players show up at the park, including two girls. The kids were all given jersies that Don and Brooke had brought with them this trip and then they played a fun game of ball against the 9 adult Can/Am ‘coaches’ – the kids became so proficient at running the bases that they smeared the seasoned players so badly that the... read more
Cruise Ship Visit
That never happened!! “Logos Hope” arrived Progreso on July 11 from the port of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz. It is the largest and only floating library in the world. .The details to visit were announced the day of arrival at 10 a.m from the Integral Port Administration (API). That was the problem, There was to be a reception that included the state, municipal, maritime, naval and port authorities. Silly me!!! I thought the kids would enjoy this ship but the lineups were so long it never happened. The library ship sails for two main reasons: To promote unity in the diversity and peace of different countries and culture To facilitate accessibility to literature and culture. How disappointing for the kids! There was an opportunity for the kids to visit the Logos Hope as they had expressed an interest in seeing us this summer. ... read moreSummer Activities
Carmita and team were busy all summer with some great activities. The eye glass program continues to offer community members glasses as needed. a movie night for children was shown and the volunteers earned enough to rent a van to take them to Pencuyet in August. Benifitted from the Eye Glass ProgramSenora Lay Pech/ Age 85 Summer Volunteers created their own t-shirts and wore them proudly. Besides the usual summer workshops the children participated in movie night watching Coco Volunteers travelled to Pencuyet to bring donations from the Food... read moreSummer Dispensas
Well the summer is over and all activities the Food Bank is invoved in will rev up again. It is not that the Food Bank has been quiet all summer as you will read in Summer Activities but here in Canada the summer is over and the fall is gearing up with school and other activities. Our Food Bank has a total of 43 families currently on the roster and one family waiting. The bagging and dispensing happens on the same day, ie the 15th of each month between 9:30 and 11:30. This allows for the staff at Capitan Flores to prep for the day How wonderful. The team came together and ensured the dispensas were given out. July... read moreKids with Cancer
The campaign continues. We are still collecting the plastic tapitas to redeem for recycling. The place were we send them is working out of the Red Cross in Merida. We have been asked to have the tapitas sorted by colour. Well our last batch was pretty big but we found a willing volunteer… Please continue collecting and sorting the tapitas. If you cannot sort the tapitas bring them to me and we will get it done. THANK... read more
A Helping Restaurant
This month I am highlighting Capitan Flores Restaurante in Chicxulub. Gabriela Chan, Entrepreneur and restauranteur. There are many local people directly involved and helping out their community. One of these is Gabriela Chan who owns the restaurante Capitan Flores. Her last name Chan originally came from China she thinks. She is from Chicxulub and has lived her life in the community. She was married to the owner of the well known Los Barriles restaurant in Chicxulub. When they parted some years ago she and her children setup the new restaurant. Her three children are now all adults. A daughter of 22 who is an engineer, a daughter of 25 who is a doctor and her son who is 18 and helps run the restaurant. The restaurant was originally her grandparents house and when they moved to Isla Mujeres she took over the house and setup the new restaurant which has been successful. She is very proud to have her son helping her with the many things needed to be done. She has a great sense of entrepreneurship and positive commitment to her community. She says that the lack of fishing work due to the moratorium has caused difficulties for many. She laments that some have had to do construction or even street cleaning to get by. She heard of the Dispensa and its need for a location to distribute and said she is pleased to participate as she sees her community as one of collaboration. Asked about the participation of foreigners she applauds that as a big help across various parts of the port of Chicxulub. When you are next in Chicxulub... read more
May Dispensa
The team did a great job of the May dispensa and I thank them for that. I missed out but they did a fine job.... read moreSoup Kitchen
Another visit to the soup kitchen on a Tues provided us with more information. Doña Celia, who is now the day to day leader came with Pinky, a local taxista who was helping to bring the food to the comedore. Tuesday the team does not cook as Eladio’s Restaurant in downtown Progreso donates prepared food every Tuesday and have been doing this for at least 4 years. Currently the soup kitchen serves 43 meals Mon-Fri to 16 families. If the clients are not able to come for their meal then a neighbour will pick up the food and deliver it. Alvin (from the cruise ship) came with us to meet the staff. He assisted with carrying your donations into the storage area and posed for photos with other community members present. ,Alvin, Pinky and Raoul Freezer Full Alvin and plomeria Did you know plomeria and flor de mayo are from the same family. Alvin told us that in Hawaii the flowers from this tree are used for making leis, the welcome... read more
Cruise Ship Visit
We had a delightful visit from Alvin who brought art supplies for the summer workshops as well as some other school supplies. He and his wife Kathy visited back in 2015 so it was nice to see him again. He also presented me with a copy of his book “Galveston Wharf Stories” in which he mentions the Food Bank. Thanks so much Alvin. But his visit did not stop at the Casa de a Cultura…see Soup Kitchen entry! Alvin with his book Chicxulub Food... read more
English in Chicxulub at Andres Quintana Roo
This program has been in place since 2009 when we officially began in both schools – Benito Juarez (BJ) in the morning and Andres Quintana Roo (AQR) in the afternoon. At that time there was a group of 17 volunteers who put together lesson plans and attended class at both schools. If was soon discovered that BJ was becoming a challenge to give the teachers time and space for the classes. In 2013 the focus of the classes was at AQR. And it continues today during the wnter season when the snowbirds are here. This year, 2018 there were enough volunteers to offer classes to grades 3-4-5 and 6 at AQR. Report from Susan: I would like to thank the staff for giving us the opportunity to work with their students. A big thank you to Mary, Karen, Ruth and Berri and their support group. You made this program work. Hope to see you all next year. Here are some photos... read more
April 2018 Dispensa
Well here is another dispensa day in Chicxulub. There was a terrific storm during the night and it is cloudy and dark to begin the day. A THANK YOU to all of you who donated your leftover food this season. For the past few dispensas the families have received an “extra” something with their dispensas. We gathered at Capitan Flores, the restaurant in Chicxulub who has opened their doors to us every month on the 15th. Organizing our morning… Loading extras Edilberto sorting the tabs Wayne pitches in Ready for hampers THANK... read more
San Joachim Nursing Home
Another successfu and fun-filled season as come to an end. San Joachim looks very good thanks to the mens’ group and the residents are laughing and enjoying the visits from the exercise volunteers. From Duncan and the mens’ group. We continue to get the bed frames sanded and painted so that all the beds in the main rooms are done. Our last official Tuesday this year will be March 20. That day, we will lock the tools and materials in one of the bodegas for safekeeping until next winter. We are hoping the ten new dressers for the women’s dorm will arrive this week. The new women’s bathroom has some sinks and fixtures installed, and much of the tile work has been done. The madre is making a list of projects for next year, and we should have a new to-do list soon. Behind bars More bars Final coat Ladies BR Much improved Always at it The group assisting with exercise group are also finished. The final days were enjoyable ad residents inner talents were demonstrated. Favourite activity Looking forward to seeing everyone next season. THANK... read more
Baseball Season
What a fun time we had this season. The kids learned some new skills, had fun, received hats and uniforms and the volunteers learned some baseball phrases. There were more fans making noise and the team clown made a few appearances. Kids received uniform pants, t-shirts and jerseys along with baseball caps. When they played in their blue shirts they looked like mini Blue Jays! THANK YOU TO ALL WHO CAME TO PLAY ... read more
Bingo
Bingo began Jan. 10 and we had 4 successful dates were people came to play and have fun. The events were hosted by Lorraine and Austin at La Antigua who welcomed the supporters at 3 PM for 12 games. Your donations of beans and rice went a long way to keep our food costs down during the season. Thanks for your continued support. Jackie,our caller See you next season. THANK... read more
Muelle Market
Once again the season is over for the Muelle Market. It was a great season for everyone and it was so nice to see all the smiles and happy faces coming/leaving the market. Carmita Andrea Kay Milton’s work Mari Thanks to everyone who supported the Food Bank through the bi-weekly raffles, beans and rice and plastics for the Soup Kitchen. See you next season. Friends from El Corchito saved these tabs. Victor with mom Mari Teri y Patricia Organic Jams... read more
Fashion Show Photos B
From everything I have seen and heard I would say the fashion show was a success. The room was full of great people supporting the Food Bank and enjoying the entertainment. The fashions were great, our models looked gorgeous and strutted their stuff down the runway. And there has been agreement that this year’s fashion show lived up to all the hype around our Broadway style show! Enjoy the photos. If anyone wants a copy let me... read more
Stitch and Bitch Group
Every Wednesday morning the gates are open at Andrea’s home. She welcomes crafters of all types and the women have fun while working on various projects. From Andrea: another year has come to and end for my knitting group “bitch and stitch”. It has been a productive one and good times were had by all. We managed to get quite a few hats made for the cancer kids in Merida along with blankets and slippers for the ancianos! I collected money each week plus the sale of my goods I was able to contribute the most ever to the Chicxulub food Bank. I am delighted with my season and look forward to a new one next year!... read moreSummary of Fundraising Events 2018
Here is a list of fundraising events the Food Bank had throughout the season with a total for each activity. Each and everyone of you has donated in some way to the life of the program. We did bingos, muelle market table and raffles and this year the fashion show. Your donations of beans and rice totalled more than 132 kilos as well all the extras donated for the family and souup kitchen. Jackie,our caller Curtain call Friends from El Corchito saved these tabs. Muelle Market Table and Raffles – 23,857 pesos Bingos – 22,365 pesos Fashion Show – 30,000 pesos Total – 76,222 pesos Thank you for your spirit of generosity and... read more
Fashion Show Photos A
From everything I have seen and heard I would say the fashion show was a success. The room was full of great people supporting the Food Bank and enjoying the entertainment. The fashions were great, our models looked gorgeous and strutted their stuff down the runway. Everyone was a winner! And there has been agreement that this year’s fashion show lived up to all the hype around our Broadway style show! Enjoy… Gustavo Olga The Karens-money managers Pre-show jitters Curtain call Olga’s parade WE ARE ALL WINNERS! ... read more
March Dispensa
Good morning [firstname,fallback=]. Once again the dispensa and Muelle Market fell on the same day and once again all went well. For many volunteers this was also a time to say goodbye and see you next season! There was a number of first time volunteers also that came out to see how it is done and meet the people. Extras Tortillas Vitamins For many of you see you next season and thank you for your ongoing... read more
Bingo
Take a look at the photos from the attended bingo Jan. 24th to see who helped set the record! There were 64 folks in attendance on an overcast and cool day. Next bingo was on Feb. 21st when we had 48 players and a 50/50 draw value of 1700 pesos. Winner Illustrious caller Winner Winner Barb Winner Dorothy Susan Winner Debbie carlett Betty Monique 50/50 Pauline Two bingo dates remaining in March…come on... read moreServices
I am publishing two important documents received having to do with driving in the Yucatan and how to deal with a police stop. If you don’t drive then you can ignore these updates but otherwise it is important information to have. Road Rules for Yucatan The following rules for the Transit Law of the State of Yucatan have been effective for the last 6 years, The Yucatan Times Newsroom just thought it could be a good idea to remind all our English-speaking friends driving out there about these regulations. We are highlighting some violations that are considered “very serious” and that can cost you up to five thousand six hundred seventy five pesos ($5,675.00 pesos) in penalties. Following the list of requirements are a list of the infractions considered “serious”. These are published so you can be aware and avoid being caught by them, and having to pay the penalties, which are also listed. The Vehicle All vehicles must be functioning in satisfactory conditions. The Secretary (SSP or Secretaría de Protección y Vialidad) can remove from general circulation those vehicles that do not have one or more of the following obligatory devices or mechanisms. Mirrors – Two side mirrors and a rear view mirror Lights – Vehicles must have the following… Headlights that cast bright white light and two rear running lights. Brake lights. Turn signals at the front and rear of the vehicle. Parking lights. Lights to illuminate the license plates. Seat Belts – The vehicle must have seat belts for driver and each passenger. Horn – The vehicle must be equipped with a horn that emits sounds... read more
San Joachin Nursing Home
From Duncan and the mens’ group The dressers the youth group worked on are finished. The madre will be distributing them to the residents soon. The additional monies donated by the Jeun’Espoir students will be used to build ten more dressers, for the women’s dorm. However, we are going to have them constructed by the carpenters who helped the youth group, rather than try to build them all ourselves. This will be a lot easier and not much more expensive. For the next few weeks, our group should concentrate on painting the metal beds. There are 14 that need sanding and 2 coats of paint. We have nearly finished two. If we can get six guys or more on this project each week, it’s possible to have them all completed in about 8 weeks. If not, we’ll just have to carry some over to next season. Painting the back courtyard area, fan blade renewal, and other small repairs remain ongoing. Thanks for your support, Dunc Exercise Group... read more
A Helping Local Restaurant
I have decided to acknowledge businesses when they do something helpful for the community. If you want to acknowledge someone just write a story about the person/family and send to me with some pictures. This month we are highlighting Pancho Villa’s Restaurant and family business on calle 80. They have been very involved with the Banco de Tapitas project and have helped fill our boxes this winter. Roger, his wife Aracely and their son, Emilio, the owners of Pancho Villa’s. I find it amazing what happens here that no one ever knows about. Roger has owned the business for 27 years and it started out as a tourist curio shop but Roger switched it to a restaurant about 6 years ago. Emilio has two children, a boy, Emilio who is 14 and a daughter, Claudia, 18. Claudia started gymnastics at the age of 4 and has competed Nationally and Internationally ever since. Her team was 2 wins short of representing Mexico at the Olympics in Moscow – she competed in Czechoslovakia in 2016, Moscow post Olympic games in Moscow in 2015, and Argentina in 2011.Claudia now coaches gymnastics and is a judge for competitionsand is studying to be an interior designer. Emilio (Jr) has been playing basketball since he was 4 years of age and he was on the national basket ball team in Tuxtla and Chiapas Emilio also represented the Yucatan last year at the 2017 International Science Fair in Baja California. This family participated in the “Helping the Kids With Cancer” by donating many tapitas to the collection! Thank you Roger and... read more
Jeun Espoir Mexique
Every once in a while, we as conditioned modern beings need somewhat of a spiritual reminder, something to bring us back to the center of what it means to be human. The small fishing village of Chicxulub Puerto, at the northmost point of the historical mexican province Yucatan, managed to open up wide and give us that reminder. The warmth experienced throughout our stay at Chicxulub was like nothing we had ever experienced, coming from cold Ottawa, Ontario. Wandering the streets of this mexican settlement that time forgot, you feel anything but forgotten, as locals wave by and illuminate the air with their comforting acknowledgement and warm, genuine smile. We immediately had the inner confirmation we were wanted here, and wanted to help. Our group is composed of sixteen young people, aged sixteen to eighteen, from different schools all over the city of Ottawa. We are accompanied by four adults: our group teacher Julie Meloche, her mother, retired nurse Danièle Meloche, a Franco-Ouest high school teacher, Tanya Gatien, and retired high school teacher and Jeun’ Espoir founder and president André Clermont. Our helping efforts were concentrated on three major fronts: a retirement home, two local elementary schools, and renovating a valuable member of the community’s home, Carmen. We proceeded to clean and landscape the schoolyard of the Benito Juarez elementary school, and give new life to forgotten volleyball posts, thoroughly sanding and repainting them before planting them in concrete. We also donated the necessary painting supplies to a second local elementary school, Andres Quintana Roo, for volunteer parents to paint. The retirement home was in dire need of new,... read more
February Dispensa
Wow, for the first time since the inception of the Food Bank and the Muelle Market, they fell on the same day. Fortunately there were enough willing volunteers to cover both happenings! One group was at the Muelle Market while the other was at Capitan Flores packing and... read more
Fashion Show
What a show this turned out to be!!! Straight from New York, William and Herb put on a great show and thanks as well to Rick who was unable to attend. The event, attended by over 200 supporters laughed, cried, ate and drank while listening to the dulcet tones of our two fabulous guests!! Olga’s Fashions, as usual were a big hit and the models did a great job of showing the styles off. The room was aglow with strobe lights and smiling faces. Photographer extraordinaire Program Olga William and Betty Jean Andrea Mary Diane Claudia Galilea Don Marilyn Adios Chicxulub Puerto Models Parade of stars Herb and William Karens welcome folks I am hoping to have another display of photos from the event for next month’s... read more
Baseball
Our Saturdays have been lively with players and volunteers. Each week the team seems to gel a bit more. Brooke brought back blue t-shirts and the team looks like little Blue Jays. Brooke also put together a list of terms in both spanish and english, Lyn put it on a large posterboard and Don made a frame for it. Kids and volunteers are using it every Saturday and find it... read moreBingo
Bingo began Jan. 10 followed by the next bingo Wednesday the 24th at La Antigua. The events are hosted by Lorraine and Austin who welcomed all the happy supporters at 3 PM for 12 games. Your donation of beans and rice equaled 17 beans and 18 rice. Jackie brought new bingo cards to use Wayne Karen and Gary Mary and Pauline John. Sylvie and Andrea Alan,Diane Pauline Office staff Record setting crowd on Jan. 24th with 65 players. More photos next month. Thanks to everyone for your support. Come join us in Feb and don’t forget your beans or... read more
San Joachin Nursing Home
Groups began again in early January with the mens’ maintenance group and their list of projects.We will be doing small repairs, some plumbing, perhaps beginning some painting, and of course yard maintenance. New men welcome at 9 am at the front doors. Exercise Group Happens every Tues and Thurs at 10 AM…welcome to new residents and volunteers Donations From You Last week the youth group, Jeun’Espoir from Ottawa, spent four days building, sanding, and staining 10 new dressers for the Nursing Home. There are half a dozen that still require a second coat of stain, and four that require drawer rails installed. With a little bit of help from a carpenter we should be able to finish all the staining and drawer rails this Tuesday. Then the Madre will be able to distribute them to the residents. The youth group also brought some heavier tools for us to use in the future, including cement trowels, a circular saw, a saws-all, and a drill. With these tools in our “arsenal” we will be able to complete a wider variety of chores. If you see a job that you think we could tackle, by all means suggest it. The madre is open to improvements that we can make. Watch for report from the group next newsletter Jeun’Espoir provided some financial support for our efforts and as a result we have some cash to reimburse those who have purchased building materials. Last year our Tuesday morning members chipped in, and we used that to purchase paint and supplies. This year, we are again accepting donations. This Tuesday, finishing the dressers is top... read more