Early to mid-July seems to be a good time for a “Diapey and Wipey” Drive in Puerto Peñasco, all for the benefit of Amores de Peñasco Children’s Crisis Center. Hearing about the need for diapers, children’s shampoo, and other care products, on July 6th, a number of people came together for a “Diaper Tea Party” hosted at Giuseppi’s, collecting boxes of diapers (and wipes) that are then stored and managed by Amores volunteer Kathleen Duncan. Around the same time, longtime Puerto Peñasco fans Angela Scriver and her husband Scott started their own diaper drive up in Arizona the “Diapey and Wipey” drive for Amores de Peñasco, which culminated in a mega-shopping spree at local stores.
Amores de Peñasco fervent supporter and volunteer Kathleen Duncan tells the story best:
I am feeling incredibly grateful to have had the chance to travel to Peñasco [July 14th] to meet a wonderful and incredibly generous couple that were not able to attend the diaper drive that Sandy Spain and Barb Olszewski hosted for the shelter last weekend. Angela and Scott Scriver collected donations from friends and family in the U.S. to buy diapers and wipes during their trip down this week and they ended up collecting over $1,500!
Barb, Sandy, Angela, Scott and my newest friend and volunteer Mary Robson and I all gathered for a really fun shopping spree at Sam’s Club this morning to spend that money. A literal mountain of diapers and wipes are all now safely stored in closets throughout my house! Between the diaper drive last weekend and our shopping spree this morning a total of 10,605 diapers and 8,506 wipes were collected! We also purchased a few other items needed at the shelter including baby shampoo, soap and powder, diaper rash ointment, toilet paper and garbage bags.
Now that we will not have to use our limited funds on the items that are being donated by so many of you generous people, we can now begin focusing on providing much needed activities and services for the kids at the shelter. We have a teacher coming in to tutor the kids all summer and last week I arranged for our kids to have swimming lessons from a local instructor. They start swim classes tomorrow and most of these kids have never had the chance to swim in a pool before and they are SO excited (and so am I!)
I continue to be encouraged and humbled by the generosity of so many and am confident that, poco a poco, we will be able to begin to impact the lives of these kids:)
Gracias y Hasta Luego!!! – Kathleen Duncan
The Amores de Peñasco Children’s Crisis Center, run and operated by the local DIF (Office for Integral Family Development), is located next to the City’s Rehabilitation Center. It was officially inaugurated in March 2012 following the efforts of various local administrations and numerous supporters over the years to help establish a children’s shelter in town.
The recent diaper drives will go a long way in addressing Amores’ “Big 5” wish list, which also includes: toilet paper, all-purpose cleaner, Clorox beach, and laundry soap. For more information about the center, and ways to donate, contact Kathleen Duncan at friendsofamores@gmail.com
