Well another week has almost gone and I can't believe tomorrow is Saturday again. This week the weather has been beautiful some really hot days and some others a little cooler because of the nortes coming in off the water. I think they are the north winds but definitely not as cold as our nor'easters!
We got an opportunity this week to help out at the Chicxulub food bank which is in a little town about 6 kms from here. We are now getting used to the combi vans that go by every few mins and costs us 5 pesos. We catch the vans in the middle of town and they wait until they are full and then leave dropping people off on the way from Progreso to Chicxulub.
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| Here are some of the best looking combis |
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| Ok, how long do we have to wait, not long!! |
On Tuesday we went out and met Sharon, Dave and Shirley who run the food bank and are quite committed to doing that. They have 81 families on their list to whom they provide a bag full of supplies every 15th of the month. They also provide vitamins for the children to help with their vitamin deficiencies.Unfortunately they also have approximately 30 families on the waiting list. Most of the money comes from the ex pat and snowbird community who reach out to help the communities they live or visit in every year. We are thinking about donating to sponsor a family as it only costs 80 dollars per year, not a big amount.
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| Don helping fill the bags |
The dispensia has basic items like rice, beans, cooking oil and soap and goes a long way to help the families. Sharon, who is in charge of the list visits the homes of the people who apply and has strict rules about who can get and stay on the list.
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| Some of the items... |
On Wednesday we went to help out with the distribution but there were already enough volunteers so we stayed around to help in any way we could and also got an opportunity to observe the process. I was impressed with the way the process was organized and got a chance to meet some of the families and as usual the beautiful children.
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| Mother and child... |
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| No smiles today... |
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| The lineup begins.The food bank is located in a local restaurant and bar called Bamboo Beach. |
If you are interested in knowing more about their work here is their blog...
http://www.chixfoodbank.com/
We also met some lovely people and got to know them better over a few beers and botanos. We even went to visit with Brin and saw her great house. She is an artist and a super recycler and her house is quite unique with her many art projects. She also came back to Progeso and visited with us.
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| Brin serving us the local liquour,I had mine with freshly squeezed orange juice.Delicious! |
This week was also our anniversary so we went to supper at Flamingos on the Malecon. I had fish cooked in bamboo leaves and Don chose shrimp. Being a fishing town there is always lots of fish on the menu.
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| It looks as if we are doing fine.. |
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| My fish, interestly it wasn't spicy enough for me as this restaurant caters to tourists and doesn't taste as good as the local Mexican restaurants. |
Hoping to get to Merida on the weekend and to the children's party on Saturday,will have pictures on my next post.
The food banks across Central NL are gathering turkeys and Christmas goodies for the holiday season. It's sad to think this is has become a tradition for so many communities across the globe...on the other hand, what a way for us all to give. Keep up the good work guys.
ReplyDeleteOn the local talk shows, a first time caller always identifies themselves as such; therefore, I feel compelled to say " I'm a first time blogger". Not sure where I'll go from here.....