Giving Opportunities

Many people have the custom of giving to organizations or those less fortunate during the Holiday season. With this in mind we are passing on a list of places you might want to consider when you are thinking about where to do your charity. You can make one time donations or become regular donors. We have checked out these places and know your money is will go where they say it will.

HACIENDA CHICHEN
Hacienda Chichen has three projects going on that support the Maya children, families and community needs in village nearby to Chichen Itza.

They work with Yucatan Adventure, a volunteer website dedicated to helping out. You can help them continue their Children's Malnutrition Prevention Program at the Xcalacoop Health Center by pledging food donations, old clothes donations or by placing a one time sponsor fee spot ad in their social volunteer website www.yucatanadventure.com. In April they purchased and installed new state-of-the-art, eco-friendly septic systems for the children's bathrooms at the Xcalacoop primary school.

Now, the volunteer team is coordinating a gift of love basket to give to the families on the 6th of January, 2008 (Three King's Day.)

Chichen Services and Yaxkin Spa at Hacienda Chichen have joined efforts to support the Yodzonot Cenote and Eco-Park Community project that a small group of local Maya women have organized with utmost care and personal commitment. Book a Maya Spa Getaway Couples Package during the first week of January '08 at www.chichenservices.com/packages/
mayanspa.htm and all profits of said package will be used to continue promoting online news and articles of these women's eco-park, their efforts and dedication to make it happen. A true story of faith, determination and hope. For more information please contact:
info@yucatanadventure.com.mx

ROGRESO SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
FOR CHILDREN
In Progreso, Kitty Morgan also has a fantastic program, Progreso Apoyo (help/support), where she helps keep kids in public schools who otherwise would not be able to pay for their studies - school is free, but all students need uniforms (skirts/pants, blouses/shirts, sock, shoes), backpacks and all their school supplies.

Kitty uses the money received from each child's specific sponsor to do the shopping. Each sponsor gets photos and thank you letters from their sponsored children. The Program also accepts one time gifts of dinero (money) which go into a slush fund available to any child who exceeds his apoyo (support,help) limit. The Program is currently in its 4th year with 33 students and it looks like there will be 44 kids next fall! Students must have a 8 average (on a scale of 1 – 10, 8 is like a B.) Anyone interested in sponsoring a specific child should contact her via e-mail and put Progreso Apoyo Program in the subject as she doesn't open e-mails from unknown sources.

Her other big project is the construction of a clinic to provide low and hopefully no-cost animal services to Progreseñans who can't afford them. Protección de Perros y Gatos A.C. is a bona fide asociación civil, duly registered with Hacienda (IRS). They have bought a small piece of land near Rancho San Pedro in Chicxulub and are now raising money to construct the building. They're also collecting dog collars and leashes.

For more info on these programs phone her at 969 935-3551 – she will do pickups to collect $$ for both programs and/or leashes and collars. Call after 7:00 PM any evening except Monday (El Reino de los Suricatos is on Animal Planet – she never misses it and won't come to the phone when it's on!) For more information please contact: kbmorgan_99@yahoo.com

Chicxulub Food Bank

CHICXULUB FOOD BANK
The Chix Food Bank began operating in November 2005 to respond to an identified need in Chicxulub. In the village of Chicxulub (pop 6,000) the main industry is fishing, work that is at the mercy of the weather where between the hurricane and the norte seasons the port often is closed so there is no opportunity to go out fishing - no fishing, no money.

There are also elderly people who rely on their children to care for them. For this project a family can mean a single mom with children, an elderly person living alone, families with the usual complement of people and anyone in need.

On the 15th of every month these families receive a despensa/food bag that contains beans 900gms, rice 900gms, oil 500ml, sugar 900gms, cookies 500gms, detergent 500gms, powdered milk 2 liters, sopa (pasta) 400gms, salt 250gms. You can help by adopting a family for one year (cost is $600 pesos per family at the current despensa distribution of once per month), and donating shoes, jeans, school supplies and blankets.

For Christmas they want to provide boxes for 75 families. Sharon Helgason Chix Food Bank Tel. (969) 934-0558 shelgason@hotmail.com Read our article on them, click here.

BATTERED WOMEN'S SHELTER
In Merida, Confetur, a group of women that work in tourism, is helping a shelter for battered women. If you would like to donate something to this cause, you can drop it off with the driver or guides that do the Carnavalito City Tour. You will find the buses at the Sta. Lucia Park daily just before 10 AM, 1 PM, 4 PM and 7 PM (this last one, not on Sunday.) For more information please contact: confeturmid@hotmail.com

AIDS HELP
Brazos Abiertos (Open Arms) is a Houston based organization that is working in the Yucatecan villages providing education on the prevention of AIDS in the young people. They have active educational programs and do a good amount of fund-raisers. They need your help - the need is big. Las Casacadas B&B in Merida is a drop off point for donations. Tel: 923 8484
www.brazosabiertosyucatan.com

If you have an organization you would like to promote on this web page please let us know, we want to spread the word!

We also want to thank all the travelers who have contacted us asking "what is needed in the Yucatan" so that they can bring it along on their trip to the Yucatan...

MUCHAS GRACIAS!!!

info@yucatantoday.com