Sometimes help from charity organizations doesn’t go as planned.
The expat volunteers in San Juan Cosala’s Operation Feed program thought it would be great to add soy to the weekly despensas (food baskets) but it turned out that many of the families receiving the food thought this was dog food. So something had to be done, and cooking classes were instituted to rave reviews from the families.
Cheryl Kennedy took on the task of designing recipes that use the despensa items, such as soy and oats, in new and tasty ways. The extra ingredients needed for each recipe, such as chia seeds, can be easily and cheaply found right in San Juan Cosala. Last year, Kennedy and her husband Jon Seaborg, funded the cooking lessons by themselves. This year, with the assistance of Paula Odom, a grant was received from a vegan organization, The Pollination Project, which allows Kennedy to conduct five cooking lessons throughout the year and provide the 50 women in the classes each time with the ingredients for the recipe. From soy ceviche to chocolate chia pudding, the meals are outstanding.
The women look forward to each class and have been able to make the dishes at home over the fire in one pot. Kennedy is careful to recognize that the women do not have ovens and fancy equipment, so she orchestrates each lesson to be a one pot or one bowl recipe with little fuss but great taste. How about Soy Sloppy Joes or overnight oatmeal or no bake peanut butter oatmeal cookies? From the homes of Operation Feed families, the answer is a resounding “yes!”
But why is it important to provide food to families in San Juan Cosala? Sometimes people forget how difficult it is to survive poverty in Mexico. In San Juan Cosala, Operation Feed assists 92 families who are in need of food supplies and other means of assistance. Some of the clients are infirm, senior citizens with little support. Others are women with children and cannot have a full-time job while managing the house and schooling needs. Some do work as housekeepers, makers of brooms, food stand assistants, etc. But the income from these jobs is not enough to make it possible for them to deal with the cost of schooling, health care, and daily needs.
Operation Feed began in 1989 under the direction of Willy and Millie Peniche and grew through the efforts of Earl and Loretta Smithburg, Jim and Anne Scott, and Arnie and Rosie Mogseth. The families are only permitted four years of assistance unless there are critical circumstances. The donors make it possible to provide a weekly food despensa, and through various projects, the charity has been able to assist the clients to move toward improving their lives.
The San Juan Community Garden provides experience with organic gardening and a means for augmenting their family’s vegetable allotment. The Moringa Madres have established a business selling moringa products both here and in the U.S. which provides them with a small weekly salary and a health and school savings account. The Macetas de Mamas also have a business making and selling garden sculptures. The clothing drive, which is being more and more managed by our despensa families, provides clothing, shoes, and bedding twice a year. New projects include English lessons, alcohol burning stoves, simple solar ovens, and helping with the pre-school program.