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
School Psychology Program
This program has been in place since 2008 and has gone through many variations. The program coordinator is Magda and she works with the children M-W- F from October to June. This season she as an assistant, Gaby who works once a week with a small group of children who can work together in a group to strengthen their math skills and ability to concentrate.It is working well. This season the resources for the program have been increased with didactic materials coming from our cruise ship visitors. Fabiola is in grade 3 and is having issues with division and Gaby is working with her using an abacus and she has demonstrated a 80% improvement. Monserrat is in grade 2 and is having issues with math in general and handwriting as well as concentration and memory work. Gaby has worked with her and assessed a overall improvement of 50%. Petronila is in grade 4 and her issues are again with math and memory work especially with multiplication. With group work her skills have improved by 90%. Fabiola Fabiola 2 Monserrat Monserrat 2 Petronila Petronila 2 In total Magda and Gaby have a complement of 12 children from grades 1-6 with various issues and challenges. With Magda’s dedication to children she has made great inroads with “her kids.” This year along with her work she managed to create a happy mother’s day and childrens’ day fiestas. Her report ended with this statement… GRACIAS A CADA UNA DE LAS PERSONAS QUE FORMAN PARTE DE FOOD BANK, PORQUE SON EL MOTOR QUE HACE POSIBLE CADA LOGRO EN LOS NIÑOS Y EN NOSOTROS MISMOS.... read more
Summer Programming
Carmita has developed another workshop for this summer entitled ” My history and how it helps build the History of Chicxulub.” The children began learning this concept in the summer of 2015. They drew some family trees and talked to their parents and grandparents about their history. The intro was looking at the “Heros of Chicxulub.” Who discovered and settled Chicxulub and how their families were affected. Now they will exam it deeper. By the end it is the goal for each child to have a clearer understanding of his famiy and how they “fit” into the local village. This is a great lead-in to the competition in November for anyone in the village to get involved in. We are hoping for stories, photos and folklore that will help us all know the history of where we live. For the folks who might have challenges in doing this type of work, our youth volunteers will assist them. Does this not sound like a win-win situation? Stay tuned for further... read more
Prepping for Christmas
I know it seems early but as I get ready for my summer vacation these things need to get done. All of the donations have been sorted and packaged and safely put in bins. Next the home gifts had to be sorted and packaged and then came the day for wrapping! Let me set the picture…it was 10 in the morning and the temperature was +40 and Wayne’s birds had been fed. This is a chore I dislike but seeing all my “elves” had returned home I had to do it. Even when the kids were young I disliked the job as I was always losing the tape or scissors as I was working. This time it only took me 30 minutes to lose the tape. But then I found it beneath my chair…how was that possible? By the time I was finished there were 28 wrapped “house” gifts for the families in their Christmas hampers. Not quite enough but a good start. Thanks to each of you who donated items that are wrapped for the families. Without you this could not happen. Please check back in September and October to see what are most prevalent needs are for the upcoming... read more
June Dispensa
This is the month when I return to Canada and my family for my summer vacation. Hunger does not take a break so over the summer the monthly food dispensa will be organized and carried out by Carmita. Thanks to each and everyone of you that continues to support the work of the Food Bank in the many ways you do. June dispensa went very smoothly and we enjoyed lots of laughs! Summer... read more
May Dispensa
It has been a fairly quiet time in the neighbourhood this past month. Lots going on in Progreso with motorcycle rallies, beach business with 2-3 long weekends and great weather but quiet in the village. The dispensa went well and everyone seemed fine. Summer is coming and the temperatures are going up and people are doing only what is needed to be done. The weather was fine and everything went off without a hitch…even singing happy birthday (Spanish and English) to one of the clients whose birthday it was. Treats for each family Yahir checks the vitamin list Birthday smiles Paper work Ladies in waiting Gents are waiting On track Carmita hard at it Yahir wants something! The needs in the village are still about the same but the demographics are shifting. I used to have a significant number of young families and averaged 4 newborns a year but this year the seniors are winning out. New Families: “Glady” Lidia del Socorro Alicia Maria Rosa and family New family head Maria The young couples who have appeared in Chicxulub, along the cienaga are ones that expect it all without doing much for themselves to make it happen. By that I mean they might have a scooter, a cable TV but still expect to receive a dispensa monthly. I explain to them that they are managing ok in that they can afford the monthly cost for T V programming and fuel for the scooters and that is more than many of the seniors. They get annoyed with me but I need to ensure that those who have a real need... read more
More Outreach Work
This winter, Carmita and Dara visited Pencuyut once again this time taking baby and wee children’s clothes and shoes. This village of Pencuyut is an extremely poor region and are always delighted to receive help from us. I have talked about it before but it does not hurt to do so again. Pencuyut is a suburb of Tecoh. 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 inhabitants; there are people of all ages. This area is more affected by the cold winters than we are along the Gulf. It can get as cold as zero degrees so they enjoy the hats and sweaters we take them. The village maintains itself with milpas where the men grow and harvest corn. 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 Food Bank sent donations for the children and some adults and they were very... read more
Mentoring
What is Mentoring? Many of you have done this or experienced it in your life. It simply means advising or training someone, especially a younger colleague. Well the Food Bank had the opportunity to help the first ever student to arrive in Chicxulub for a two week period with specific goals in mind. Let me introduce her. Sophie is a senior from Maine in her final year of high school “My name is Sophie and I am from Maine, US. I live in a rural town on the coast with my parents, my younger sister, and our dog. This is my fourth year coming to Progreso and Chixculub, but my first time getting involved in the community. My goals initially were to improve my Spanish, learn about the culture here, and work with young kids teaching English as a 2nd language. The reason I wanted to do this project was that even though I have been coming here for four years, I have never been involved in the community. I have only ever looked at Progreso and Chixculub through the eyes of a tourist and I wanted to see beyond the colorful buildings and stray dogs to meet people and learn more about the community. I spent a few mornings a week with Magda helping a few different kids with math and writing. This was harder than I expected as I didn’t understand most of what the kids were saying, and I don’t think they understood me either. I also attended two English classes at Andrés Quintana Roo which was a lot of fun. My favorite part of my project was... read more
Donation Deliveries
We received a large number of medical supplies from the Ottawa group “Not Just Tourists” from Scarlett and Laurie and Kay and I delivered them this month. Centro de Salud was extremely happy and pleasantly surprised when we showed up with a suitcase full for them. Kay with senior student nurses at Centro de Salud Hermana at San Joachim San Joachin was pleased with their treats from Ottawa. The Comedor de Cienega was also pleased with the many boxes of food from your donations that we delivered to them as was Padre Christian at the catholic church in Chicxulub. Comedor Kay, Lidia and Yahir Glyns y Pedro Dona Ara and helprs Father... read more
Sport Camp AKA Baseball Camp
The baseball season has come to an end having run from Jan to March. This camp has been happening every season since 2011 and the children and volunteers have done an amazing job. The reason for beginning this camp is the same today as when we began; it is to instill the seeds of good sportsman-like behaviour, have fun and learn and strengthen the skills needed to play this wonderful game. There have been sessions to develop or improve skills like pitching, batting and throwing and the session ends with a mini game where the balls are flying and the kids are running. Many kids try to emulate the players they see on TV or hear about and need to be reminded to hone their skills. This is a bit of a challenge when the two languages collide. Amazing how a smile and thumbs up can give the message of “a job well done and good for you.” One of the parents came to the final day dressed like Yogi and the kids and coaches enjoyed his enthusiasm. Camp 2017 Organizing Pitching Spectators Yogi was into the game Kevin improved his fielding skills using 2 hands Girl power 2nd base pep talk Jody with surprise guest Yogi to home plate John organizing Fielding More spectators Over time, a few more parents have come out to watch their kids at play. The plan for next year is to have specific work groups to develop skills and maybe find another team to play. Thanks to all of the volunteers who were out every Saturday to work with the kids. Report from... read more
Muelle Market
What a wonderful season we had. A big thank you to everyone who visited and supported our many programs. The beans and rice box was full every two weeks and the raffles were greatly supported. Just a few photos of the final market. The Food Bank Welcome table Cinnamon buns in the kitchen Vendors More vendors Olga saying good-bye Martin with his carvings Mary and Carmita Good-bye til next season See you next season.... read more
English in Chicxulub
Special report from Susan We have had another great year teaching English to students at Quintano Roo. We had enough teachers for grades 4,5, and 6. I would like to thank the staff at the school for giving us the opportunity to work with their students. A big thank you to Mary and Karen and their support group for a job well done! We had a great bunch of students again this year in grade 6. They were all eager to learn. Our themes included: families, body parts, calendar, numbers, etc. We had a special Art Lesson from Edie Marshall, an artist from Saskatchewan. Edie had a grade 6 class in Watrous Saskatchewan do a caricature self style portrait that they exchanged with the Chicxulub grade 6 class doing the same portrait. I think this was the highlight of our English class this year.We We have some very good artists! You know the teachers and students had a great time when they all came into class smiling and left the class smiling. A few hugs were also enjoyed. For our last day we played Bingo and each student received a prize. Students also took home their folders filled with their work, group picture, a diploma for taking our English class,and their Art picture. We received hugs and kisses as the students left our class. Thank you again to all who have been involved with our English program. This includes teachers, support groups, and those of you who have donated school supplies. If it wasn’t for you, this program would not be possible, Perhaps we might have a grade... read more
Final Bingo Report
We enjoyed 6 afternoons of bingo followed by a delicious dinner at La Antigua during the season. Your participation helped us raise for the Food Bank as well as donating bags of beans and rice for the monthly dispensas. Our regular team was Kathy and Wayne, Kay, and of course the staff at La Antigua. This team was joined by many other volunteers that I hesitate to mention by name for fear of missing someone. If you look at the pictures of the various months you will see them at work. I will mention Jackie 1 who managed to live one of her dreams this season! Funds raised: $37,940 pesos Beans: 20 kilos and Rice:19 This is a special acknowledgement for a supporter who came to every and although she did not win, anyone who sat close to her did! Thanks Barb. Poem for Barb at BINGO from her friends who sat close to her and won! There was a young lady named Barb, Who was a BINGO diehard To the Food Bank Bingo she went, Until All of her money was spent… So close with one number away Her first BINGO would make her day No matter how Hard she tried The losses she could not hide For those lucky to sit near Barb You were assured a winning card Though not finishing first in the race She still has a... read more
Thanks to These Groups
Several groups have been very generous and helpful this season and I would like to let you know who they are.Unfortunately I do not have photos of all the groups but here are the ones I do have. Coral Beach had a pot luck dinner and shared the profits. Konrad had alarm systems he sold to the SOBs and the proceeds went to the Food Bank. Uayamatun has been raising funds for the Food Bank for many years and it is always a delightful surprise to hear from them every season! Villas del Mar folks donated the proceeds from their Swear Jar SOBS are camera shy but sold alarm systems and donated the proceeds to the Food Bank. Sit and Stitch : another season of “Sit and Stitch” formerly known as “Bitch and Stitch” went nicely. Our group was never more than 6 people this year and not quite sure why but that didn’t diminish what we managed to produce. Several hats were made for the Cancer kiddies in Merida along with three blankets for the seniors home in Progreso. Several other items were knitted or crocheted for sale at the Muelle Market for the benefit of the Food Bank. I even managed to make two more hats (bring the total so far to 47 hats in three seasons sold)in the last few weeks for a customer that the Food Bank benefited from. So the folks at Coral Beach have issued a challenge…….when having your happy hours or pot luck dinners raise a few pesos for the Food... read more
San Joachin Nursing Home
Things are certainly quieter at San Joachin but there is still activity going on. The final day of exercise group and the men’s work-group was bittersweet. Everyone was enjoying the visits until the end when the volunteers said their goodbyes. Mens’ group final session Having fun Exercise group final session Irene who is selling her wares at the Muelle Market Pet visiting from Canada When I go back to drop something off, the residents ask if my friends are gone and I say yes but they will be back in November. Donation drop-off… Grounds-keeping happening: working in the courtyard. Thanks to one and all for your contributions throughout the season and year... read more
April Dispensa
Hi, even though we are in the midst of semana santa and Chicxulub is busy most of our families were out to receive their dispensas. This month the dispensa was a tad enhanced thanks to the various extra donations you made. The Be Nice…Give Beans or Rice generated a good response. In total the folllowing is in our larders for upcoming dispensa: Beans 116.5 kilos Rice 166 kilos. Thanks again to Thai Bistro who held a successful food drive that the Food Bank was the recipient of. Many other foodstuff was also donated and has been and will be distributed over the next few months. I wish to thank each and everyone who participated in these activities and supported the Food Bank program. Last dispensa for the season…thanks Shirley and Dave Glady Alicia Pauline’s gang Julia Yajaira Three new families have been added to the roster this month. Rosa Alicia Glady Rosa has a family of 4 and her husband is a welder working from home, Alicia has a family of six whose husband is a stone mason and Glady lives with her grandson. They received their first dispensa this month. I will take this opportunity to thank Wayne for the many hours he has spent this season taking photos of the dispensas and family visits. He even got to practice some of his Spanish. Thanks Wayne for all you do! And a big thanks and good-bye to Shirley and Dave who come every month from October to April…have a great summer and see you in... read moreMuelle Market
Another exciting market and it was no less busy than the ones from Dec to the end of February. The cinnamon buns went quickly as did many of the other foodstuff. We had a new artist from Vallodalid, a master carver whose work caught everyone’s eye. Milton was carving from a block of cedar as the visitors walked by. All good things come to an end. March 30th was the final market of the season and it was business as usual. The vendors and visitors enjoyed the morning and at noon we all said goodbye to another successful Muelle Market season! The Food Bank Welcome table Mary and Carmita Martin with his carvings Cinnamon buns in the kitchen Olga saying good-bye More vendors Vendors Good-bye til next season... read more
Cruise Ship Visits
What a nice visit we had with Cathy and her husband. Unfortunately they arrived during Carnaval and the school was closed. But on the Friday after their visit we visited Magda to give her the didactic material Cathy brought for her and the psychology program attendees. Cathy from Alabama Didactic Material Magda March 22nd we were visited by Rob and Trish and family, Trevor and Ellie from Indiana. They were able to visit the school and their generous donations will go to the School Psychology program, school supplies, first aid kits for activities and shoes for the... read more
More Outreach Work
Ayudar es Compartir–To Help is to Share–and that is exactly what young people from 6 Mayan communities are doing. Through the Maya Indian Missions organization, those who receive scholarships and go on to further their education in turn share their knowledge, talents, and time with their communities in various ways. I am specifically focusing on educational programs that have been organized for approximately 100 school children in the Mayan communities of No-ac, Cosgaya, San Antonio Hool, and Sierra Papacal, and it is for these children that I am asking for help in obtaining school supplies. Having received this request, I have shared some of the school supplies received from the cruise ship visitors. These small pueblos are found between Merida ad Progreso. This is the thank you note from the facilitator; “good morning, the school supplies you and your team shared with us at Ayudar es Compartir I am very grateful for and please share this thank you with them. I will use them in group activities and they are a big help, God bless them for this donation and generosity. Greetings from Merida Yucatan. Miriam.” Report from... read more
March Bingo
March 8th was the second last bingo game and there was fun to be had by all. The weather was a tad unco-operative and the wind was blowing a bit too much. However, I heard lots of laughing. Mother Nature was determined to get us to use the pool. New visitors Lining up to buy cards Lorraine selling 50/50 chances Rescuing the apron from the pool Jackie and Lorraine Austin and Bev Lucky Jackie Lots of players Austin and Pat Gail Money Manager Colleen Andre Susan Nancy Gail Margaret Austin and John Barb shared her luck Bev again Darcy Gail full house Gail drawing 50/50 winner Monique 50/50 winner Capturing documents from the pool The sixth and final bingo was on the 22nd and even though we had a smaller playing group it was a success. Final bingo Arlene and Ginny Andre-caller Nice group Brian Mark Linda Rachel Wayne Catching sun Margaret Ian catching up Bernie Janet Cathy Colleen Betty Margaret Mark Colleen wins a door prize Karen wins a door prize Kathy Cathy again Pam 50/50 winner Wrapping the season up. Final report will appear in April’s... read more
San Joachin Nursing Home
We had the opportunity to experience carnaval at the nursing home when the king and queen were crowned. There was a large group of extranjeros enjoying the entertainment and music. Lunch first Then the party King Fernando and Queen Rosario Good turnout Entertainment was great! Now the men’s group has been very busy for the past three months cleaning, gardening, repairing and painting at the albergue and wow does it look great! High on the list for next season is painting all the metal beds, cleaning and painting the ceiling fans, and building or supplying small bureaus which can be placed between the dorm beds to provide a place for the residents to put some personal belongings. Hermana Aurelia has agreed to make a list over the summer of projects that she thinks could be improved or maintained by us. A group of young people, from Jeun\’Espoir Inc in Ottawa may be helping us out next winter. Andre Clermont, one of the organizers from this youth group visited to discuss how they might be able to have young volunteers help in the nursing home. final Tuesday painting the confidenciales This year somewhere between 10,000 and 12,000 pesos were spent on paint, tools, repair materials, screens, stools, lock-sets, and plumbing fittings. I would like to thank all those who donated money or purchased items for the Nursing Home this winter. It has been wonderful to see people making purchases, and discovering ways to improve the conditions in the home. Many thanks also for all the hours of work that everyone has contributed. At the end of their final day the... read more
March Dispensa
This month was the final appearance for many of our volunteers as they are returning home. We welcomed two new families, Beatriz and Jose with her 2 young children Ayme age 8 and Cristian age 1 and Marcelina and Erik and adult son Edwin. Ready Patience Everything ready? Hola Cristina Vitamins Detergent Are things ok? Pink day! Don’s turn New family Cristian and Ayme Dave keeps track Thanks Team Many thanks to all of you who came out over the season to visit with and help the clients receive their dispensas. Many hands make light work…thank you.... read more
Food Bank Bingo Feb 8
The weather is getting warmer and we had a lovely time Feb. 8th at our 3rd bingo event of the season. Andre returned Kathy y Carlos Air Canada returned Uayamitun ladies Sandy,Sheila,Elizabeth,Lee,Nancy Marge wins the door prize Paula wins Our great staff-Carlos y Roger Lee and Nancy Linda Cathy Betty and Jackie Kay wins big Margaret Nancy Nancy wins at raffle Austin and Cathy again! Kitty Austin y Margaret again! Sandy Herb y Kay Nola Feb 22nd, our 4th bingo was even more fun if you can imagine. An amusing anecdote: just as we were into playing the sprinkler system came on and a few got wet but everyone took it in stride. The timer was set for another hour but something went amiss! I think Herb got the worst of it. Brenda I remembered! Jackie,Noreen,Kathy,Kay Setting the stage Connie John Nancy Don Gladys Darcy Sandra David Who turned on the sprinkler? The sprinkling system Full house Jerry and Herb dried off! Paula Louise Jackie and Susan Kathy Rachel 50/50 winner Sandy before she leaves us!... read moreSport Camp AKA Baseball
Baseball camp is underway and the kids and volunteers are having fun. In spite of the weather (at times) the turnout has been good and we might have a few “budding stars” in our midst. Nicole brought some jerseys and Moon some caps. Saturdays are seeing the numbers of volunteers and children increasing. We are also increasing our spectators from the community. See Oso, the favorite dog who comes to play with his owner! Opening day Outfield action Happy kids Action John checking things out Shirts and caps for the kids Big league sound system Happy... read moreServices in the area
Wombat Hole calle is open for business M-F 9AM-3PM. Special menu only for Muelle Market Thursdays. See how Olga is doing…cant keep her stock up! New restaurant in the Chuburna area that is very popular. Thai Bistro run by a delightful couple from Calgary…delicious! Check out their Facebook page. Guess what has reopened? BAMBOO BEACH under new management. Delores, a woman from Progreso is now running Bamboo Beach. Hours are 12-12 seven days a week. Do try to stop in to sample what she has to offer. Swimming pool available.... read more
Helping Response
A family lost almost everything in a fire this weekend in Chicxulub and needed a bit of a leg-up to get life back together. So some Mexicans and snowbirds responded quickly and donated kitchen items and towels. It was much appreciated. The liquadora, blender is an important item to have in a Mexican’s kitchen and Maria lost hers. It was graciously purchased by Jackie Beaton, Barbara Dixon and Bruce and Gail Holden and delivered on a sunny Saturday, one week after the fire. THANK YOU Folowing the fire Lost her fridge Coke keeps them happy Roof in her casa de carton Feb 15th with donations Saying good-bye and thank you Delivering her liquadora Everyone is... read more
PET Program
Every year there is a season when the local fishermen cannot fish for mero aka grouper. When that season occurs, like right now the government offers the Programa de Empleo Temporal (PET) to help out during this time. The fishermen were busy this past Saturday (Feb11th) signing up. Read more I want people to understand that the fishermen have this support during the season (veda) and to be aware if anyone asks you to support the men and their families during this time. As you can see from the photos the fishermen who sign up are entitled to a 700 pesos payout every 2 weeks and as well as a dispensa to assist. It helps us to understand how the system works for these folks before we blindly hand over money to... read more
February Dispensa
February 15th was a bright sunny day and everyone arrived for their dispensa. It was a morning full of energy and laughter and many new volunteers came to check us out. 46 families on the roster and I have 12 families that I will visit over the next month. Vitamin ladies... read more
Food Bank Bingo Report
LaAntigua Financial Team Enjoying the fresh air Jackie and Sharon Full house Wait Staff Carlos Wait staff Roger Winner John W Winner Brian Winner Bruce Winner Colleen Winner Elizabeth Winner Jody Winner John P Winner John W Winner Kathy Winner Linda Winner Mary Winner Rachel Winner Susan Our door prize winner Linda was very excited to win the Sunday buffet for herself, husband and child … January 25 photos Jackie Bev and Kathy Diane Cathy Chris 50/50 winner Jackie and Sharon Robyn and Brian Sandy door prize winner Austin and Chris Bev and Jody Austin and Nancy Louise and Bev Marge Austin, Mark and Bev Miss Uaymitun and Austin Carlos waiter Robyn and Austin Austin and Sandy Sandy Austin and Sandy Sheila and Austin Sylvie The end of a wonderful... read moreMuelle Market
Two markets this month and lots of excitement! What with the organic veggies from Hoctun, the sweet honey from and the artisans with all their wares it was a sight to behold! Andrea and Kay were greeting folks at the Food Bank table and Las Mujeres de Chicxulub introduced a new product – a shopping bag made out of recycled paper with every product purchased and David’s Bistro offered Conchita’s carrot cakeand english... read more