Todo bueno translates to “all good.” Almost 510,000 pesos of good were distributed last Sunday morning at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church.
Eight local organizations received grants that were derived from the sales at St. Andrew’s popular bazaar, Todo Bueno. Each of these organizations has a significant impact on our local communities and the good they do is to be celebrated!
• Associación Femeninia Pro Mexico is a grass roots organization in San Juan Cosala that provides programming and education to encourage confidence and empowerment for its participants. They received funds to fix their plumbing, do software updates and purchase a cellphone for the facility.
• Casa de los Ancianos is a residential facility that cares for seniors and individuals who struggle with mental health, and provides hospice care. The funds received from St. Andrew’s will allow them to purchase new beds, a solar heater, a clothes dryer and fix their roof. This is an organization that cares deeply for its residents and provides a safe place for them to live in dignity.
• Cruz Roja (the Red Cross) is based in Chapala and almost everyone at Lakeside is familiar with their services. They treat over 1,000 people per month in their emergency room and provide an average of 150 ambulance calls a month. Their commitment to Lakeside communities is outstanding and they will now be able to purchase two vital signs monitors to better care for all of us.
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La Ola Orphanage is looking to increase their ability to care for girls and young women. They will be constructing a new building and the funds received from St. Andrew’s will allow them to purchase 385 bags of cement to use in the construction. This new structure will allow them to build their programming and increase the number of young residents from 26 to almost 100.
• Niños Incapacitados Niños Incapacitados is a not-for-profit, all-volunteer organization that helps Mexican families who require financial assistance pay for the ongoing and/or major medical related expenses for their children who have serious disabilities or life-threatening illnesses. The grant will allow the organization to offer monthly stipends for two part-time staff that assist in organizing the families so that they can be seen by volunteers in an orderly and timely fashion, to present their facturas for the expenses associated with their children in the program at the “clinics” held in Chapala and Jocotepec once a month. The grant will also allow Niños Incapacitados to expand services in San Pedro from 13 to 15 children.
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Volunteers for Poco a Poco can be found at the far end of Lake Chapala in Mezcala and San Pedro. Some of the most remote parts of the north side of the lake are a challenge for conventional medical attention and supply routes. Poco a Poco will be able to stock two pharmacies, provide clean drinking water for the Kid’s Kitchens and ongoing maintenance, gas and insurance for two vehicles.
• Tepehua Centro Communitario provides housing assistance, medical attention and educational programming to this impoverished Chapala barrio. They emphasize the importance of education and the funds received will provide scholarships for one high school student and one university student, giving them a chance to improve their own lives and that of their families.
• UVA Scholarships create structure and intense programming to ensure its students receive the attention they need to succeed in school. Students with consistent high grades and life skills are paired with mentors to guide them as they prepare for their careers. The funds raised from sales at Todo Bueno will support a bio-tech and diet engineering student, as well as a single mom attending nursing school, both of which carry GPAs in the 90s.
At the August 28 event, representatives from the organizations proudly collected their certificates and offered their thanks for this generous contribution. The room was overflowing with good vibes and all parishioners were in awe of the work done by these organizations. After the service everyone gathered in the garden for coffee and cookies. Parishioners had the opportunity to talk with the group leaders and it was a really nice morning. Lots of good was done, and recognized and encouraged.
To contribute to this annual distribution of funds, you can participate by donating items to Todo Bueno or shopping there when looking for that special item for your home. Todo Bueno is at Hidalgo 231 in Riberas del Pilar, open Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.