The Today show claims vacations with a purpose will be trending in 2016. For many across Puerto Peñasco, it’s easy to see we’re ahead of the trend.
During the recent holiday break, under the motto of “Be Good, Do Good,” more than 50 volunteers from the Charity Anywhere Foundation traveled from Utah to the shores of Rocky Point to spread joy by providing a holiday party for children at the Amores de Peñasco Children’s Home, as well as a dinner for over 400 people in the area of San Rafael, who gathered at the Palabras de Esperanza community center. The group also brought down a number of gifts for local children, along with backpacks and school supplies. Loly Martínez, Community Projects Chair for the local Rotary Club, as well as active member of the Rocky Point Medical Clinics team, explained the group was led by Ted Dodge who had been introduced to Puerto Peñasco through service projects at the 2015 Utah Rotary District Conference held here in Rocky Point. Dodge had in fact returned in August, with another group from Charity Anywhere, at which time they helped paint a multi-purpose athletic court at Esperanza para los Niños Children’s Home and spent additional time working to advance on the “piñata factory” expansion begun by Rotary groups earlier last summer.
Similarly, Martínez detailed, in coordination with the local office on Integral Family Development (DIF) and Families Helping Families (FHF Mexico, Inc.), more than 200 FHF volunteers worked on projects at the Palabras de Esperanza site in helping to build a caretakers’ home, an open-air kitchen, and a space specifically for physiotherapy and orthopedics. For Families Helping Families, these projects were in addition to constructing homes in different parts of town and, oh yes, finishing up work on the “piñata factory”. The homes FHF builds are then later completed and furnished by follow-up service groups befoe being presented to pre-evaluated families in town.
To wrap up the holidays, John Fowler of the Santa Claus Club, which delivers clothing and goods across the community throughout the year, reported 2015 “broke every record we have kept for 32 years.” In addition to delivery clothing, comforters, blankets, sheets, shooes, household items, bicycles, and food bags, on Christmas Day, the Santa Claus Club loaded up 9 trucks with toys and cookies to pass out to 2000 children in neighborhood barrios.
Looking to vacation with a purpose? Be sure to explore the numerous opportunities in Rocky Point. Here are just some of the many options in town.
Homebuilding
Medical trips
Vista America vision clinic
Children & Youth / education & school supplies
Adopt a Classroom – Barb & Mark Olzsewski @ From US: 602-324-9529 In Mexico: 638-383-4963 or Email: RockyPoint@myway.com
Food Baskets / Clothing / Household Items
Additional thoughts:
Contact the local Rotary Club – Club Rotario Mar de Peñasco, A.C. – as a liaison to direct you to appropriate projects
Mark & Barb Olzsewski – also one of the community’s tremendous links to direct your interest and/or donations into projects across area [see contact info above re: Adopt a Classroom]
DIF Puerto Peñasco (office on Integral Family Development) – government organization