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
September Dispensa
Hi to all. Summer is done and we are all back in full swing. The July and August and September dispensas went well under the direction of the team. The team is: Kay, Carmita, Malu, Milo, Don, Jody and Nancy who carried on during the summer. So where are we now and what is the situation with the Food Bank? We have 55 families on the roster, having removed 4 for missing 3 months in a row. We have 1 new baby girl born to Pauline Jiminez July 22, 2016. A new little sister for her 4 brothers. AIDYN GUADALUPE And we are in a new location! The dispensa now happens on calle 23 x 16 x 14 Alarifes, the Union hall of the albaniles. July photos: Carmita Marie-Claude Sylvain Nancy New baby Kay August photos: September Dispensa Summer team Mamma Mias is closed Cannot chauffeur with this! New home Able to sit and wait Don has arrived Our new baby No school today Packing area Jody Carmita Nancy ... read more
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
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 morePick up and Delivery
Many of you have used Carlos’ service before and know he is reliable and responsible. This season he has his own newer van 2014 Nissan, to manage his business. Carlos’ Service Carlos is offering pick up and drop off service at both the Cancun airport and Merida. Maximum number of persons in the van is 9 people due to suitcases (usually 2 each) . He also has a car for groups of 2-4 but again maximum pickup at the Merida/Cancun airport is 2 people with suitcases. Cancun Airport Van 4800 pesos and Car 3800 Merida Airport Van 750 pesos and Car 600 pesos Carlos does day trips and overnights on request. Contact information: carlosperez250579@hotmail.com or cel is 999-1-52-49-31 and uses whats app and Face Book at carlosperezmoreno Carlos assures a 3 day turnaround to... read moreStorage Service
Yes, it is that time again when I return home and check out the services I rely on and report to you. Sobman Storage is the service I continue to use and Ruth, the manager continues to delight me. The pick-up and delivery service is wonderful. Before returning home, I send Ruth a text telling her the date and time and when I get here there are my boxes waiting for me to unpack at my leisure. If you are in the market for storage check it out. Rates are reasonable and time away is not a factor. Vehicle/ Vehicle with Boxes 3800 1-5 Boxes / Bags 1300 6-10 Boxes / Bags 1700 11 – 15 Boxes / Bags 2100 16-20 Boxes / Bags ... read moreCruise Ship Visits
The Chicxulub Food Bank has been welcoming cruisers and accepting their donations since 2007 and there have been many changes and additions throughout the years. The web site lists both the current school supplies needed and the wish list for extras and we appreciate so much the thoughtfulness of all of you. This past year has been particularly difficult with the many changes introduced by the Autoprogreso Bus Company and tourist guides at the bus sites. As of this season, I will be meeting you at the Casa de la Cultura which is just a short walk from either bus drop-off points to avoid any conflict situations. I continue to offer the tour of the village of Chicxulub and school visit if you wish. I merely ask that you let me know your arrival date, where you are from and the size of your group. If preferred you can also your donations where you get off the bus in the bus terminal with this couple. a Jorge will ensure I receive the donations. Also Charlie, at The Milk Bar on the malecon has offered to be a drop off spot as well. If for any reason, you change your mind please notify me as I wait for you at the designated site. This summer, my colleague was left waiting for visitors who never arrived and lost valuable time. Thanks so much for your interest and willingness to make a difference in the lives of our children. Summer visitors: Tonya and husband Matt dropped in June 28th on the Liberty by to leave some donations for the children and centro de salud. Val... read moreNeeded: Anyone from the Winnipeg area?
Anyone coming this winter and can bring an audiometer for us to do hearing tests with the children please let me know. There is also donations of knitted slippers and toques that needs to get here. I have two audiometers waiting to be used in Chicxulub but need them here. The price of shipping is outrageous. Anyone coming on West-jet – remember they have their Humanitarian program. The audiometer is made of injected plastic so each only weighs 6.5 lbs or around 3 kilos….Dimensions are 18″ long by 14.5″ wide & around 7″ high….they are slightly wedge shaped, similar to a small portable typewriter, (if any of you remember the typewriter)…..the make & model are Maico MA-27 if you want to check them out on-line….I did try to copy and paste the link but was not successful! Thanks so... read moreEveryone Should Feel Proud
All of you have played a role in making things better for our folks. And here is a special announcement. I want to share some great news with you. The Program has two students on scholarships from private donors and thanks to them and our students hard work, here is their status. The Chicxulub Food Bank Program is pleased to announce that our first scholarship student has graduated with her degree in Forensic Studies. Malu attended the Colegio Libre De Estudios Universitarios (CLEU) and graduated this June. Erik is in his 3/9 semeter in Renewable Resources at the Progreso Tec. Never underestimate the impact you can have when reaching out to help someone. THANK... 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
The Big Green Bus
Who remembers the afternoon bingo game when this big green bus parked outside Mamma Mias? The arrival of the colourful green bus became the talk of some 40 Canadians and Americans playing a fundraiser bingo for the Chicxculub (Yucatan) Food Bank. At intermission some went to investigate. They found what they wanted to know printed on the side of the bus. “We are Mati & Shanti. We left in Nov.of 2005 from the Argentinian Pantagonia for Mexico aboard “El Bicho” (strange thing or bug). This old Mercedes Benz passenger bus (was) transformed into a mobile home. Zaina (our daughter) was born during our passages through the Ecuadorian jungle in March of 2008. Our dream is to reach Alaska.” Next morning they were stationed outside the Muelle Market in Chixculub to sell their newly-published book, “El Bicho A way of life” to raise money for their new travels. It’s a fascinating account, illustrated with more than 100 photographs taken by them, of a journey filled with adventure and a 10-year life of freedom for which many are envious. The two have had guns pointed at their heads, have lived with indigenous natives, swam in a river full of piranhas and welcomed their baby in a jungle. Shanti is Chantal Gorloo born in Blankenberge, Belgium. She began driving 40-ton trucks at 16 and by 18 had been named the youngest truck driver in Europe, she says. But one day, Shanti decided she’d had enough of ‘the system.’ She wanted to do something she really enjoyed. And that was travel. So she sold all her possessions and headed to South America. “I wanted to experience a life with no stress and no material bindings.... 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 moreWinter News
On the 14th we had visitors from the cruise ship and a whirlwind visit it was! Karen and family arrived with gifts for the children and did a quick tour of the school before heading off to Beach Technotel for the rest of the day. Flash Alerts Will be quiet for a while but watch for their return in November. New business in Chicxulub: Liz Aestetica for manis and pedis call 19 x 12 y... read moreStitch and Bitch
Thanks to Andrea for her continued organizing. There isn’t very much bitching going on mostly stitching. We have mostly knitters; a few crocheters and sewers; along with one doing embroidery just so she can come to be with us every week. In January we had the most ever 16 people participating outside on my patio from 9-12. We even managed to have a few lessons aside at another table. The work done here is mostly using up the yarn donations at the Chicxulub Foodbank for making slippers for the Alberge de Ancianos (seniors home in Progreso) or hats for the Gorro Girls of Merida. (International Women’s Club in Merida have project dealing with the kids at the O’Hearn Hospital that treats Cancer kids from all over the southern part of Mexico and even neighbouring countries). One lady has been working on a 10 stitch blanket with the small bits of yarn found in the bin. This will be very useful for the Ancianos home here in Progreso. It has been a cold season this year and when they go to the exercise class most of them have hats and slippers on with a few scarves. I have tried to get some local ladies to join us on Wednesday and they say they will come but none have ever shown up. They ask me to teach them to knit and I tell them to come over; not sure what is stopping them from showing up! Look at what Barb made using up balls of bits….great for the ancianos. Thanks to one and all for the baby sweaters,hats, slippers and shawls... 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 moreCAPP Volunteers
As winter passes by, these young volunteers have kept busy every Sunday meeting and working with the children of Chicxulub. We meet either on the beach or at the Alarifes Union Centre on calle 23. It has been quite a learning experience for everyone and has been enjoyed by all. Have a look at the photos to see what we have been doing. These photos show Terri teaching the students and Magda our school psychologist how to use the audiometer machine and then they practiced on one another to experience it. Each one enjoyed the experience, but I think Luis in the blue sweatshirt laughed the most. The following weeks children were tested when they showed up. Unfortunately most of the parents did not see the importance of this and did not bring the kids. So a few have been tested and we have moved ahead with another activity. A school from Progreso donated 9 metal desks for the school psychology program which is much appreciated…but they desks needed sanding and painting to have them look “right.” Some of us rose to the challenge…... read more
San Joachin Nursing Home
This month has seen lots of energy with the guys finishing up their projects and the volunteers with the exercise/activity program having fun with the group. The season has been truly energizing and productive. The painting and general maintenance kept the guys busy every Tuesday morning for the winter. This included lots of painting of the men and women dorms and sealing wet areas, cleanup sessions in the courtyards, the backyard, the laundry area, and the walkways.This Tuesday we’ll be starting the painting in the east dormitory, and hopefully some sealing and repairing of the walls in the shower area adjacent to it. There is still plenty of cleanup to be done in the backyard as well. We had a small celebration for St. Patricks’ day and also said goodbye to Mary Sawich our recreation therapist who has brought some great ideas to us for the seniors.’s last day. She has worked for over a year and through the summer heat all by herself and is now returning to the States before she tackles the next “assignment” Our physiotherapy students will also finish this month. We have appreciated their interest and help with the... read more
Manuel’s Fundraiser
For good entertainment and a large dose of fun, it was the highlight of the winter season. Manuel Sanchez, the well-known Chicxculub entrepreneur pulled it off again. Nearly 200 came out for his 12th annual pig roast at La Lupita Restaurant in Chicxculub, Feb. 18, 2016. And this year, the Chicxculub Food Bank was blessed with 10% of the proceeds. Sanchez donated to the needy in his community. Elaine DeWindt of Edmonton thought it was a beautiful evening. “We ( husband John) were very happy to hear a portion of the money went to the food bank. If it hadn’t been for that, we may have had second thoughts,” she said. Entertainment was outstanding with a first-rate maharachi band of charming musicians and a talented group of engaging dancers performing Jalisco and Yucatan routines. The dancers made their performance seem effortless and you could tell they were truly having fun, says Carlton Higginbotham of Zwolle, La., who enjoyed his first-time roast. Dave Cooper of Amberley Beach, Ont., looked thrilled when one of the beautiful-looking dancers invited him to dance with her. As usual, the Sanchez family and their friends donated their time to the event. Young boys provided excellent service delivering plates of rice, black beans and rice to tables and were pleased when tips were offered to them. And so was the crowd who stayed for tequila/Kailua shooters. Word is the party continued at CocoMar condos. Thank you Manuel and the supporters who... read more
Community Outreach – SNAP
Thanks to Suzanne Bourret for penning this story. The philandering days of Chicxculub dogs are almost over. And cats, too, if they go don’t into hiding. Animal activist Kim Bahr is counting the days until she has enough funds to sponsor the first free SNAP (Spray Neuter Aninmal Program) in Chicxulub. There is a huge need, says the native of Airdrie, Alberta, who has lived in Chicxulub with her husband for six and a half years. There have been other clinics (for the surgeries) held once a year in Chicxulub, but that isn’t enough, she says. Kim is an animal lover who deeply cares for abandoned dogs and cats and the sad plight of the street dogs. “I’ve seen this process (neutering programs) make great differences in my community, as well as others. I’ve rescued many abandoned dogs and cats and found homes for them. “If I don’t want to keep rescuing animals, I have to fix’ the problem,” she says with a laugh. She’s been helping with various programs (Planned Pethood, Merida, Planned Pethood Costain Chelem, AFAD, Abergue Franciscano del Animal Desprotegido, Franciscan Shelter for Unprotected Animals) for five years. “ I want to do my best to help the problem.” Kim is hoping to raise the necessary $40,000 MP to provide surgeries for 100 to 130 animals in a room of the commissioner’s office off Chicxulub square in April or May. Rabies shots are usually provided free of charge. The money goes towards medical and cleaning supplies. Strays will be rounded up by volunteers and people can bring their pets. Volunteers sit with the animals through the process of two to four hours. Sometimes volunteers are needed to foster them throughout the night because some don’t wake up right away, says Kim. Vets from Merida and Progreso area will volunteer their time assisted by vet students and local animal activists. Her first breakfast fundraiser,recently, at Casa de Faro raised about $7100 P. The next one is Sunday (Feb. 28) at the same location. Cost is $120 MP and includes a 50/50 draw. Doors open at 9 a.m. For more information or to buy tickets, call Kim at 999 127 5634 or e mail her at ksbahr1@yahoo.ca Kim Breakfast fund... 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
Baseball Camp
Baseball season is well under way and the kids and volunteers are enjoying themselves Saturday mornings at the campo in Chicxulub. Brooke and Don are doing a great job with volunteers and kids alike as the numbers continue to grow. They have so much fun, they forget to take photos. A previous supporter Luis returned this month along with Javier and joined in the fun. There is an average turnout of 15 kids and 5 volunteers and family and friends in the cheering section. Javier, the Chicxulub sports director was wonderful: he organized the whole morning having each kid bat ten times before calisthenics and setting up the teams for a good game. With his whistle, his quiet but firm instructions (including no one leaving the field after batting), he had the kids in the palm of his hand.... read more
San Joachin Nursing Home
Busy month at San Jaochin! The arrival of Carnival saw the coronation and fiesta for the residents at the home. The party was well attended and the entertainment was superb! There was a balance of young and old dancers and even the Progreso queen of “la tercera edad” (seniors). They thanked the Canadian volunteers that come to the Ancianos , “Sharon’s group” as they called it and also thanked three ladies who have been involved in bringing the Carnival to the Alberque for the past 40 years. They got a well deserved ovation. Then we had the regular exercise groups with lots of participation. One morning before the group started the residents received toques and scarves from Louise and Rod and as you can see from the photos they were very much appreciated and needed. Then we had the men’s group come on their regular Tuesdays to do garden cleanup, sealing and painting thanks to Tony’s donation…Lots of repair work in the shower area by Vic, and painting edges in the dormitory by Ian and Duncan. The big piles of garbage in the back area were liquidated by the terminators, Andre and Serge. Steve Last but not least, Kay brought in more donations from Pauline and added them to the collection. This month has been very active and everyone had enjoyed... read more
Winter News
It surely is winter as many folks can attest to but the good things just keep on happening. Kim in Chicxulub is raising funds to have a clinic for the dogs and cats here as often, the town is missed in the bigger campaigns. To this end Kim has created a goal of raising some 40,000 pesos to have 100 animals cared for. She is working with Planned Pethood Costa in Chelem to help with her initiative. It costs 400 pesos per female dog For more information call Kim at 9991275634 or check out her Facebook page at kimandshayne Bahr or email ksbahr1@yahoo.ca, or kim@yucatandogrescue.com . See more indepth report under Community Outreach SNAP ... 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