The Worldwide Christian Scuba Diver’s Organization visited Cozumel last week to dive and serve the community in various ways. Their service efforts included a wide array of work to benefit the community:
Painting the exterior and selected parts of the interior for Centro de Autismo, a facility that provides therapy for youth on the spectrum and parent education
THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS FROM WORLDWIDE CHRISTIAN SCUBA DIVERS ORGANIZATION!
On June 1st, sixteen water systems that filter out the impurities in the ground water and tap water were delivered to local families living in an area called “The Ranchitos” which is located on the transversal road that runs between the East and West sides of the island.
Having these systems will eliminate the expense of purchasing purified water and provides some economic relief for these families. This group of water systems was delivered by Judy Buchanan Campagna and her group #TogetherWeAREMakingADifference. It’s wonderful when different groups can collaborate to jointly help local families that need additional support.
This type of effort would not be possible without the contributions of many people and organizations. Worldwide Christian Scuba Divers has been providing water filters to Friends of Cozumel for 4+ years. Another organization, Everybody Fed has also provided us with funding to purchase materials and supplies to make the bases and purchase the buckets. Lastly, many of our volunteers have participated in constructing the wooden stands and assembling the filters and faucets.
To date, Friends of Cozumel has placed over 200 water systems with local families.
A HUGE THANK YOU TO EVA AND GLENN FOR PROVIDING SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR US!
We were asked to keep them up to date on future needs as more visits are planned in the future. THANK YOU!
In February we received a message from Sharyn Friesen. “I know that at times it is difficult to get all of the school supplies you need delivered. I have found an attractive price for a roundtrip flight from Houston to Cozumel and I would be willing to bring you two checked bags of school supplies if that would help out.”
We were thrilled at this idea and Sharyn’s generosity so we gladly accepted and immediately made a wish list that donors could purchase from and ship the supplies directly to her. Sharyn arrived in Cozumel on May 12 with 100 pounds of school supplies which included 86 Backpacks, 60 boxes of colored pencils, 390 pens and 250 pencil pouches. The pencil pouches are hand-made by the women from Volunteer Christian Builders (They have provided us with pencil pouches every year for 8+ years for a total of over 4,000 pencil pouches a well as other market bags, gift bags, and other items). Sharyn also brought us cash donations which will be used to purchase a number of supplies from local merchants here in Cozumel.
As planned, Sharyn was here for less than 24 hours and on May 13 she was at the airport to return to Houston. She left us overjoyed with our latest donation and the fact that she plans to return in July to personally help us with this year’s distribution to the children!
We now have a new title . . . “School Supply Runner”
We enjoy hearing from people whom we have never met and are inquiring about donating school supplies towards our annual distribution. This was the case when we received an email from Mary Powlen, President-elect of the Garland, Texas chapter of Altrusa, a non-profit organization dedicated to service projects that improve the educational, economic, and quality of life outcomes of communities around the world. Mary explained to me that Shirley Raymer, the District governor of Altrusa for the state of Texas, is a frequent visitor to Cozumel and their chapter was interested in contributing to our School Supply Distribution project.
We are very grateful for this wonderful donation of calculators, highlighters, dry-erase markers and pens! Thank you to Altrusa for your support!
Do you want to help with our school supply program but are not traveling here anytime soon or you don’t have space in your luggage? Here are three ways that you can help.
CASH DONATIONS
2. If you want to donate without the ability to deduct it on your taxes,make the check payable to “Friends of Cozumel” and note the purpose (i.e. “School Supplies”) in the memo line. Mail it directly to our U.S. address.
DIRECT PURCHASES
If you are not traveling to Cozumel or don’t want to pack it in your luggage, you can order through your Amazon account by using amazon.com.mx. You can ship to one of their drop off sites that include Donasusa stores, Estafeta and DHL Express. When you receive notice from Amazon the product was delivered, forward us that notice plus the QR code for us to pick it up in Cozumel.
Steps to add a drop-off location in Cozumel to your account’s address book
Now that this is in your address book, you can purchase on the amazon.com.mx site and notify us regarding delivery.
If you have questions about this information please contact Larry Pedersen PEDERSENLL@HOTMAIL.COM / 01-515-249-9241
As we head into 2024 we are preparing for the distribution of school supplies for the 2024-25 school year. In the coming weeks we will begin assembling school packets for this year’s distribution which will take place in July 22 & 23. Last year, we were able to provide backpacks and school supplies to over 800 students and we hope to do the same for the upcoming year. In order to do so, we still need additional supplies.
Here is a list of items we need. If you are coming to Cozumel in the coming months and are willing to put some supplies in your suitcase or backpack we are providing a description as well as links to Amazon’s site with some of the best prices we’ve found. You can contact Larry Pedersen (PEDERSENLL@HOTMAIL.COM) or via phone (515) 249-9241. We will make arrangements to meet you if you are visiting on a cruise or coming to vacation in Cozumel.
REGULAR SIZE GLUE STICKS – NEED 100
Amazon.com : Amazon Basics Purple Washable School Glue Sticks, Dries Clear, 0.24-oz Stick,60-Pack
BLACK PENS – NEED 300
BLUE PENS – NEED 200
YELLOW HIGHLIGHTERS – NEED 200
SCIENTIFIC CALCULATORS – NEED 80
ENGLISH/SPANISH DICTIONARIES – NEED 40
BACKPACKS We are also in need of backpacks for July’s distribution. Specifically, we need the following
55 Small backpacks for Kinder–3rd grade boys
25 Small backpacks for Kinder-3rd grade girls
110 Large (19”) backpacks for Secundaria (Middle School) – University boys
115 Large (19”) backpacks for Secundarai (Middle School) – University girls
Meet Veronica Pool, an amazing single mom who works cleaning homes. She is determined to earn her prepa (high school) degree. Veronica is an excellent role model for her three children (one in primaria/elementary; two in secundaria/middle school). She attends Saturday classes at Bachilleres, a Cozumel prepa known to be one of the best academic high schools to prepare students for college. Veronica receives a “beca” scholarship from Friends of Cozumel to help pay tuition. Many of our students who receive becas are truly breaking barriers by being the first generation in their families to attend high school and university.
Sixty-nine students received becas this fall semester; 51 high students and 18 college students. Most of these students receive becas from the general FOC Scholarship fund; a few selected students also receive private scholarships from donors.
Prepa student becas are $1,300 pesos (about $77 USD @ FX 16.8) per semester. High school students are required to pay “inscripcion” (tuition) fees each semester. Their high school will automatically enroll them to receive a government scholarship that their family will receive in November or December so the students can use this to pay for tuition and other school expenses until they graduate.
University becas are $1,800 pesos (about $107 US) per semester for full-time tuition or some students use becas to pay for internet service at their home since much of their work is online. Friends of Cozumel supports a total of 63 university students with school supplies; 65% are young women. Examples of careers university students are using the becas to achieve: accounting, bio-medical engineering, food/beverage, business administration, nursing, nutrition, teaching, tourism, etc.
Becas are also available to students of all ages to take English classes that supplement what they learn in school. The ability to understand and speak conversational English is a huge advantage here to get a job supporting the tourism industry.
Special THANKS to our donors who fund the scholarship program. It is a wonderful investment that enables individuals and their families to become self-sufficient.
1. 826 students (kinder – university) received school supplies
2. Community Outreach . . . Other non-profit organizations’ families benefitted
3. 57 adults received free reading eyeglasses
4. 40 volunteers participated (38% local citizens)
The challenge . . . Help us gather the top 10 GREATEST SCHOOL SUPPLY NEEDS
Now that most schools have begun, managers in stores are marking down prices to clear out their inventory to make room for holiday merchandise. If you are an online shopper, especially Amazon user. . . . see the links below.
These needs are the items we have the lowest inventory of going into next year.
We can ALWAYS use other basic items like blunt scissors, dry erase markers, coloring books (for kinder) and good quality pencil sharpeners that have space for shavings.
Important tip: Please keep the receipts for items purchased to show when you pass through customs.
THANK YOU for being part of our volunteer/donor “village” that makes this project possible!
The Challenge . . . 400+ backpacks are needed in 11 months
Every year we wonder if we’ll have enough backpacks to give to 625+ students? Our amazing SUPER SHOPPERS and SHERPA volunteers who visit Cozumel throughout the year have always filled the need.
This is the time of year when you can score the greatest discounts on backpacks for next school year. After Labor Day in the US, store managers want to clear out their inventory to make room for holiday seasonal items. Our volunteers have had success in asking for a manager for a discount on purchasing backpacks in quantity, at their local Walmart, Walgreens and office supply stores. They may have 5 to over 200 backpacks available at $3.00 each or even less. Be sure to keep your receipt to bring through customs.
We group backpacks in three sizes according to grades: Kinder – Primaria (elementary) grades 1-3; Primaria 4-6; and Secundaria (middle school) through University. Thankfully we already have enough for Primaria 4-6 for next year.
Our GREATEST NEED is 300 backpacks for secundaria – university (60 % female/40% male). The next need is 100+ backpacks for kinder – primaria 1-3 (50+ girls; 50+ boys). Colors/themes or prints that are unisex are very helpful. The culture here has been very traditional in terms of male/female colors although we see that changing over time. We also have online sources to order backpacks in cases of 24 that can be shipped to someone’s home who is coming to the island.
If you know you will be visiting the island but shopping online or in person is not your thing . . . but you are willing to bring some backpacks when you visit the island, let us know your travel dates so we can funnel backpacks or supplies for you to bring.
Please check back often for the following series of postings:
We are in the process of renewing registrations of families for the 2023-24 school year. We have nearly all the basic supplies to help 800 students on our list from last year. Financial donations are used to purchase paper products locally. Donations received from now until the distribution in August may allow us to add some families on our long waiting list.
Thanks to our collaboration with the Chrysalis organization, there are several drop off sites located downtown, mid-town and south of town. Drop Off Locations – Cozumel Chrysalis Group Or feel free to contact us to meet you personally to receive your donations.
Special thanks to Jacqui Sargeant for her donation of backpacks.
Last week, we received another fantastic donation of 17 backpacks and school supplies from COZUMEL BAR HOP. They are a wonderful supporter of education for children on the island as they collect donations on our behalf from their clients.
We are busy preparing for this year’s distribution of school supplies which will benefit nearly 800 total students.
GREATEST NEEDS: While we gladly accept all supplies, the biggest needs for this August include:
Stay tuned for a blog detailing our drop-off sites. If you are visiting by boat or plane, for a week or only a day, contact us and we will make arrangements to get any donations into our hands and ultimately the hands of the children for the coming school year.
We are blessed to receive a variety of donations to support Cozumel families in need.
Thanks to donors who recently brought backpacks to be distributed this summer to students in kindergarten through university. Guests of Paradise Beach recently donated both backpacks and various school supplies. Kim Trethewey brought a case of 24 backpacks we ordered and shipped to their home to bring on their Cozumel vacation.
Rosy Vargas, co-owner of Pepe Scuba, provided a very generous donation of 100 meters of fleece fabric. Friends of Cozumel volunteers will cut the fleece in lengths to the size of throw blankets to distribute next winter. Many families we support live in very modest 1 or 2 room homes that do not have protection from strong winds or are not completely enclosed.
Armand Gautron and Leanne Pauch donated a good condition bike and helmet that we matched to a single mom with 5 children. She is a hard worker and now has a full-time job cleaning at one of the hospitals to support her children. She is one of the mothers who receives a “hand-up” through Diana’s SMILE (Single Mothers Independent Living Endowment) with the goal of helping her family to become self-sufficient. The bike will provide transportation to/from her job and for the family to use for errands.
Coming soon . . . our next posting about personal hygiene products provided to a special group of mothers.
It is high “tourist” season here and visitors are giving generously to the community. Cozumel expects 35 cruise ships this week. Full flights with families on spring break arrive daily.
A growing trend is adults of all ages coming to the island for longer stays of 2 or 3 weeks to 4+ months during the winter to enjoy tropical weather and volunteer their time. Friends of Cozumel hosts Volunteer Thursdays, a 2-3 hour commitment a couple of times monthly.
A special shout out of THANKS for these recent wonderful donations . . .
Remember this theme song from the old TV series “Golden Girls”? Celebrating love and friendship is the focus for Valentines Day in Mexico. In a troubled world with natural disasters and so much negative daily news, it is important for us all to reflect on the blessings and inspirational stories that have and will continue to occur.
Our heartfelt thanks on behalf of Cozumel families.
Your love and generosity enabled Friends of Cozumel to achieve these results in 2022:
Karen and Larry, Cozumel
This month, we have been blessed to receive two large donations of school supplies as we build our inventory levels in anticipation of the annual distribution in July or August. Last year we increased the number of students to approximately 800 that would receive school supplies in collaboration with the Cozumel Chrysalis Group. We knew it would be a challenge to procure the quantities that would be necessary to do the same number of students again in the 2023-24 school year. However, donors have once again proven that we should never underestimate the generosity of people who visit this island that we all love.
Cozumel Bar Hop has been a strong supporter of the Cozumel Chrysalis Group for a number of years as they collect school supply donations from people who go on their tours. January was no exception as we received the supplies that are in the photo above. A huge THANK YOU is due to COZUMEL BAR HOP for their continued support.
Last December, we received a message from Mike Larsen that a group of approximately eleven people would be visiting Cozumel in January and their tradition is to bring school supplies to wherever they vacation. We met with them and were overwhelmed by the generosity of this group. They travel to various destinations in the Caribbean and support education in this way. We are blessed to make new friends that often become repeat donors.
If you are visiting Cozumel in the coming months and would like to help us out, here is a list of our greatest needs. If you don’t have room to bring supplies we gladly accept dollar donations that enable us to purchase paper products locally.
Last August we had our largest distribution (~800 students) ever. Distributing supplies to this many students over two days requires a lot of coordination and a LOT of volunteers. Bob and Linda, a couple who helped us for the very first time with school distribution are committed to see this succeed in the future and told us they would be actively looking for school supplies for 2023.
In November we received a call that they had purchased 300 backpacks at a very special price as a local Walmart store that wanted to clear out inventory after back-to-school sales. Now, the only challenge was to find a way to get them to Cozumel. We then reached out to another volunteer/donor couple who lived in a nearby state and would be visiting this winter. Debi not only agreed to find people to bring these backpacks to Cozumel, but also found someone who was going to be traveling through the other state and could pick up the backpacks. She also found people to donate luggage. Debi and Randy brought the first group of 90 backpacks (and 50 dictionaries) the first week of January. It just shows how you can never underestimate the creativity and power of a network of donors.
If you are visiting Cozumel in the coming months and would like to help us out, here is a list of our greatest needs. If you don’t have room to bring supplies we gladly accept dollar donations that enable us to purchase paper products locally.
Day of the Dead and All Saints Day (Nov. 1-2) is a special time on the island when loved ones who have passed are honored by their families and friends.
CAM school students, parents and staff had a wonderful celebration recently. Friends of Cozumel (FOC) was invited as a special guest at this celebration in recognition of the ongoing support our volunteers and donors provide to the primaria (elementary) and secundaria (middle school).
CAM serves youth with various disabilities and include an early identification program for infants through preschool. FOC provides school supplies to 140 CAM students and teaching material for the staff.
Hurricanes are in the news across Canada, the US and the Caribbean. Friends of Cozumel with the aid of our local volunteer leaders proactively prepared to help 140 Cozumel families with emergency mini-despensas in the event of a category #2+ hurricane. Despensas are dry food products. The food was purchased when “Ian” was forming in the Caribbean. Since then, Hurricane Ian’s path has changed to have the greatest impact on Florida.
Although we will not distribute the mini-despensas now, they are stored and ready to distribute from two locations whenever needed just before a hurricane. Families on our list will be advised via whatsapp to come to: 1) Vida Abundante Church or 2) Amigos de Cozumel bodega (our storage location) on a certain day/time and bring their bag. The mini-despensas include enough food for 1-2 days: 4 liters drinking water, tuna, mayo, crackers, spaghetti, tomato puree, precooked pouches of refried beans, canned mixed vegetables, powdered chocolate milk, a candle, matches, and cloro (bleach) to clean after hurricanes. Volunteers will deliver the mini-despensas to home-bound families.
The most economical brands of products were purchased from various stores. Each despensa cost 188 pesos ($9 USD) per family . . . a great “investment” to ensure families in need have food/drinking water during a hurricane. This is one example of how monetary donations we receive for “Greatest Needs” are used. The despensas will be stored until the island is forecasted to have a category #2+ hurricane or the end of the season. If not used by November; these despensas will distributed to help families during “low tourism season” when many jobs are affected.
Although local families with low resources may lack the funds to cover windows with wood panels or hurricane shutters; the process for preparing homes for those with resources provides temporary work/income for local families. We salute the families Friends of Cozumel supports who are very creative in using whatever they have to prepare their homes for hurricanes.