We all know the phrase “It takes a village.”  Our group is no exception.  The annual school supply distribution that we do is definitely the biggest effort of the year for our group. We firmly believe in education of all (children, adults, public school, workshops, etc.).  Learning is a life-long process.  To be able to serve the number of children that we do (680 in 2017!) we rely on a lot of efforts and contributions from a lot of people.  It begins with the many, many people we hear from throughout the year that come to Cozumel either on extended-stay vacations or for only one day (cruise ships) that want to contribute to the future of the people living here. We receive backpacks, pencils, crayons, markers, scissors, etc.  These items are collected throughout the year for our annual distribution which takes place in July.  School years typically end in July and begin at or before the first of August in Cozumel.

Ellen and Anne sort out the larger-sized backpacks for the secundaria (middle school) and prepa (high school) students.

Mick helps us sort a large quantity of backpacks volunteers brought with them.

As we receive these wonderful donations we track and inventory these items to ensure that we have everything the students are asked to bring for the coming school year.  This requires a lot of effort to count and store everything.  This week, with a number of volunteers coming to Cozumel we had a lot of backpacks and other supplies to sort, count and store.  THANK YOU to everyone who makes this possible.  We are committed to promoting education for all ages.

Anne is a first time volunteer with Friends of Cozumel.

My name is Anne and this is my first opportunity to experience Friends of Cozumel in action. I spent the past three days helping teach a sewing class and did a lot of sewing on other projects at the apartment where we stayed.

This morning I went with my sister Ellen, and Ilene, a Friends of Cozumel organizer, to Vida Abundante Church. To the background music of construction on the front wall of the structure, the three of us showed Pastora Mariela the steps involved in making a banner for the church.

Ilene and Ellen had already purchased the fabrics with Mariela. From enlarging the dove design Mariela had selected onto a plastic tablecloth (in the absence of newsprint), to demonstrating the use of Heat and Bond, to selecting the layout of the final design, it was an amazing experience. Ellen kept her trusty dictionary handy and was our translator. Mariela was an able and eager learner, sharing her ideas for each step of the process.

Pastora Mariela works on a banner for Vida Abundante Church.

The final product pleased all of us. Mariela was given the extra supplies, and is anxious to try her hand at making a banner for the church on her own soon.

Love and laughter while working on a shared project transcend language, and the finished banner shares a message that also requires no shared words. ~ Anne from Illinois

From left: Ellen, Ilene, Anne and Pastora Mariela proudly display the newly created banner.