Are We Done?

How can you tell if you’re done when there’s so much left to do? That’s the question for Friends of Cozumel volunteers. Some say it’s when you absolutely must return home to your ‘real’ work. Others say it’s when you run out of time and energy. But perhaps there is no such thing as being done as long as the need remains.

The project list could go on and on, but the rewards continue, too. We’ve received lots of smiles and blessings. And it’s great when you can see you’ve made a dent in solving a problem.

When we tally up the numbers, it’s clear we had an impact. These stats provide the details, but the photos below also help tell the story.

Total of 40 volunteers including 2 Canadians, 7 Mexicans and US visitors from, Colo., Iowa, N.C., Neb., Minn., Texas, Oregon. Half volunteered for projects on a half or full-time basis. Others joined for one or more activities during the week. Half are island visitors combining some vacation time with mission projects; the rest are island residents.
Total of 22 community service projects focused on benefitting children with special needs, providing learning opportunities for children and adults, helping families and non-profit organizations that support them to become self-sufficient, and promoting local volunteerism.

Impact:

Enhanced quality of life for children with disabilities—through construction of therapy equipment, repairs for Casita Corazon, preparing a donated lift van to transport children to therapy.
Increased knowledge, skills and learning experiences for individuals, families, non-profit organizations and ministries to help them advance economically—by providing 7 classes in composting, sewing, mending, crafts to sell, basic home repairs, conversational English.
Supplemented food resources for 32 children and 16 adults –by implementing garden beds and container gardens in six family homes.
Enabled families to receive daily needs of clothing, shoes, household goods through the Gran Bazar and distribution of reading eyeglasses
Helped Cozumel becoming an audiometric evaluation, therapy and resource center—through construction of a soundproof testing room for Manos y Voces, enclosing a teaching classroom for the hearing impaired, and making improvements positioning Manos y Voces to be a holistic evaluation/therapy/retail resource center. Families will no longer have to travel to the mainland to receive services.
Built cross cultural bridges of understanding—through a number of interactive events for local families and volunteers.

A huge thank you to every single one of this mission week’s volunteers. You KNOW how much effort you put into this. And we couldn’t have done it without the contributions of so many generous donors. Literally hundreds of people have given everything from used and new clothing to sewing machines and tools to money. Thank you, thank you and muchisimas gracias por todo.

: Gary and David cut recycled plastic jobs for container gardens.

: Izzy sorts seeds for the garden project.

: This class of sewing students loved making shorts and boxers.

: A craft class included making flowers from fabric.

: Ilene (right) demonstrates at the sewing class.

: A team worked on a light box as a visual stimulation therapy aid.

: This is what a child might see inside the light box.

: Diane (left) and Becky (right) upholstered a therapy swing pad.

: Roger (right) gets help from Diane (left) and Lupe (center).

: Jose was one of the first to try the new swing at Casita Corazon.

: Jose and his therapist try out the new sling swing.

: David and Shelley admit to a bit of a litter pickup addiction after helping to clean beaches on Cozumel’s east coast.

: Shirley helped women learn about faucets in a home repair class.

: Nothing is wasted here. The composting class taught that organic waste can be turned into garden soil.

: Gary (and the rest of us) loved the meals prepared by faithful volunteer April.

: Margarita (center) and her family were happy to receive container gardens.

: Balloons and darts were a hit at the Manos y Voces family fun night.

: Carl checks out the new observation window he helped build at Manos y Voces.

: Amy (left) and Janet (center) help with manicures at a family fun night.

: Hetti (left) and Mike (right) enjoyed helping with conversational English classes at ICAT.

: Gary and Kristin learned that some jobs are dirtier than others.

: Even some of the visitors got a whack at the pinata.

: Roger explains his project progress at a planning meeting.

: Making balloon animals helped occupy children while parents shopped the Gran Bazar.

: John and Paddi (left) helped students with their English.

: Ray (left) helps Gary fix bathroom fixtures at Casita Corazon.

: Just five days after planting radish seeds in her new garden bed, Lupe has sprouts. !Qué milagro! (What a miracle.)

: This donated lift van will soon transport children with disabilities to Casita Corazon. FOC volunteers gave it good cleaning inside and out and refurbished the interior.

: Larry helped children play basketball at the Casita Corazon family festival.

: Nuria (left), a local volunteer with excellent English, helped students at ICAT

: You can run, but you cannot hide from the camera, Byron.

: Phyllis, Shirley, Karen and David have fun working at the Gran Bazar.

: Women learned about creating organic fertilizer for their gardens from a local biologist.

: We wouldn’t have accomplished much without transportation from local volunteers. Special award of merit to AzulBebe (blue baby) and its drivers.