Months of preparation by Friends of Cozumel volunteers has come to paid off with a successful school supply distribution to more than 520 students from kindergarten to university level. The smiles and thank-you’s made the long days of work worth it.
The numbers:
- 460 students received backpacks, supplies (pens, paper, protractors, dictionaries and so on), and shoes.
- 60 or more will receive supplies at the CAM school for children with disabilities.
- 180 volunteer positions were filled over a two-day period to work with each student and family attending the distribution.
The process:
- First, families in need are identified by community leaders as well as the FOC leaders.
- They’re screened for financial need, sources of other support and special circumstances such as number of children in the family and disabilities.
- Documents are also checked for the students’ grades and school registration.
- Thanks to local leaders Carla, Elena and Maria as well as Pastores Mariela and Salomon for helping FOC make sure all school supply and shoe donations get into the hands of people who truly need them.
Some students’ are also awarded a “beca” or scholarship, for tuition. Twenty three high school students and 14 university students receive FOC becas. This is a wonderful illustration of the program’s success since many of those students have been supported by FOC since they began attending school. Special thanks to scholarship recipients who pay it forward by also volunteering to help as FOC volunteers.
We appreciate all of our generous donors. Want to continue to help? Buy school supplies NOW for next year while they’re on sale. Watch for an updated list of needs to be posted soon. Your donations, big or small, make you part of this tremendous team effort. We certainly can’t do this without you. THANK YOU.
~ Phyllis from Nebraska