HISTORY

Our Origin Story

In December 2014, as Bernardino (Chico) Orazco was driving our chairman from the Manzanillo airport, they drove past many men, women and children working in the jalapeño fields. Bernardino explained to our chairman that these people were usually of indigenous descent, from the rather impoverished Mexican States of Chiapas, Oaxaca and Guerrero and living in temporary camps under the most abysmal conditions. Deeply concerned for these folks, Chico and his wife, Belen, shared their Christmas bonus with these unfortunates, gifting them food and clothing. However, due to the large number of people, he lamented their effort made very little impact.
When the Chairman sought to know more of their plight, he was taken to a nearby camp. Chico’s assessment was absolutely correct. There were many children being cared for by two elderly women, while their parents - and the older children - labored beneath the hot sun in the fields. For this arduous, back-breaking work, they were paid 150 pesos a day (About $8 USD at the time). Their homes consisted of stretched plastic sheeting between poles for cover. Quite simply, the conditions were most appalling.
When asked what they would like for Christmas. The answer was an immediate, and simple, “beans and rice”. When asked what they would like if they were to have a really nice holiday, their responses were pathetically shocking - "Could we have a Coca Cola"? About this time a third woman joined us. When she learned the nature of the inquiry, she requested blankets . . . as she had just lost her infant to pneumonia.
For the next nine days, nearly 40 people volunteered time and money to help these unfortunate people have a better Christmas than those in the past. Nearly $5,000 was donated by the local American/Canadian community and 375 food gift bags (or dispenses as they are called in Mexico) were distributed to 375 families. Each bag contained a blanket, beans, rice, a three liter bottle of coca cola, sardines, coffee, sugar, Maseca (to make tortillas) and animal cracker cookies.

History: About

2015

In December we partnered with The Children’s Foundation as part of the Casa Hogar Los Angelitos Ministries of Love Program. Through this program our generous donors can receive tax deductions for their gifts. This program helped increase donations to $12,965 which resulted in 1,052 bags of food (19,000 pounds) being distributed.

2016

The donations increased even more with 65 people giving $19,840! This allowed us to fill 1,000 bags with 33,300 pounds of food. Due to cost and logistical problems very few blankets were purchased, but we distributed many more tons of food. Each bag consisted of 3 kilos (1 kilo = 2.2 pounds.) of rice, 3.5 kilos of beans, cooking oil, 1 kilo each of maseca, salt, oatmeal, & cookies, 1/2 kilo of sugar, powdered milk, candy, soap, & a can of jalapeños.

2017

With 68 contributors, 37,600 pounds of food was distributed to 1,351 families. This year we branched out beyond the farm works when we became aware that some of the local families were on Mexican Welfare - a place you never want to be. Due to the extremely high level of diabetes many of the older people here are amputees and are unable to work so they have now become recipients of this program.

2018

The program had 64 donors who contributed $22,155 that provided 34,419 pounds of food for 1,617 families. Due to the increase in demand we had to limit each bag so we could provide food bags to more people.

2019

We had 59 donors who contributed $18,800 which purchased 29,205 pounds of food that was distributed to 1,500 families. We had to cut back some of the contents in the bags due to contributions being down and the price of food increased dramatically. (One example: the beans went from 17 to 24 pesos per kilo.)

2020

Partnered with the Crossroads Rotary Club in Poulsbo, Washington, to aid in fundraising and develop this website.

Winter 2020-2021

Thanks to 47 donors, who contributed a record, $23,721, we were able to provide 42,000 pounds of food to 1,697 families, more than any year to date. We partnered with a new vendor, Cereales Corona, who offered cost that was 4% lower than the next bidder and was a wonderful partner, with timely deliveries.

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