Hot and humid.

That about sums it up.  San Felipe is well known as a haven for many snowbirds who flea the frigid temperatures of their homelands in the winter months and bask on the temperate shores of the Sea of Cortez but the summer months find most of them have fled back to to cooler climates.

Food Distribution Continues – Need for Water Increases

Not all have this opportunity though.  For the full-time San Felipe residents, the summer months are not avoidable, they are just a reality to be endured and survived and for some, survival depends on the helping hands extended by others.  The VSL food bank is just one of the organizations who strive to help, but the rivers and streams aren’t the only things that dry up or are reduced to a trickle in the summer months.  Donations are diminished too as many of our donors are part-time residents also.

Seasonal Events Raise Funds to Carry On the Work

During the summer months sales at the VSL thrift store are sometimes reduced to mere pennies a day.  Yet, the need for food and water distribution goes on and more families in need come in each week.  We are grateful that this summer we have been able to continue to purchase food and provide necessary assistance for the families with disabled children because this year our two fund-raising events allowed us to put aside enough monies to carry us through the summer months.  As tempting as it was to use those monies to purchase a new (used) delivery vehicle or A/C for the segundo, the first and foremost priority was to have funds for food and nutritional supplements for the children so those “extras” have been put on the wish list but will not be purchased from regular donations.

Additional Needs – Affordable Transportation & Air Conditioning

The need for a truck to deliver food and water in the Arroyo is an ongoing concern.  We have had several possibilities but to date have not found a suitable solution.  What we need is a 3/4 ton vehicle with automatic transmission and preferably four wheel drive.  An Toyota V-6 1 ton dually would be ideal.  Our research has found that a vehicle like this will cost $4500 to $5000, although there was one that sold for $2900 within a day of hitting Craig’s List.  This need has been submitted as our special challenge on John and Rachel’s Baja Walk site but to date we have not received any funds for this purchase.  If you would like to help or you know of an organization looking for a special project, read more here.  We would also like to be able to install air conditioning in the thrift store.  This would not make food packing during the summer months more bearable but might also draw in more shoppers.

Need Help Planning and Organizing Coming Events

As we watch the bank balance disappear we are reminded that if we are going to have funds for next summer we need to planning for NOW for the next event.  The date has been set for October 17th.  The location is again the Pavilion.  The venue will be a combination fashion show with the addition of the tequila and wine distributors’ booths providing a delectable tasting experience as they did last spring.

What is missing is people to help organize the event.  A family emergency has required that I (Susan) spend the summer at my daughter’s in Northern California so I am dependent on the kindness of strangers (and friends) to jump in and fill the gap.  We need someone to take the lead in coordinating the event who can work with Cesar from the Pavilion and Carole from One of a Kind Fashions and the spirit vendors to make this event happen.  A flyer needs to be put together and printed and along with tickets distributed.  Contributions for the silent auction need to be procured, inventoried and supplies and helpers for the day of the event organized.  I won’t be back in town until mid to late September and that is too late to effectively put an event together.

Community Garden Project

There have been many discussions and emails about the possibility of starting a community garden somewhere in San Felipe to benefit the food bank.  My thoughts are that we would need to have a lot in the Los Arcos or a nearby neighborhood that is fenced and has water service connected.  We would likely have to find containers or materials to build containers for planting and bring in soil and amendments for the soil.  That is the extent of my expertise.  Rita Monares will be calling together those interested in working on this project when she returns in August.  Fall is the idea time to start planting in San Felipe so if you have land or want to lend a helping hand with the organization please let us know.

So how about it?  Are you looking for a worthwhile project to fill your summer days?

If yes, please write me (Susan Young) at vsl.vwl@gmail.com or send a message on Facebook.

April may not have brought rain to San Felipe but it did bring showers of good will for the people of San Felipe. Interact teens from Sonora California joined the Interact youth of San Felipe for two days of community outreach. On the first day, April 2nd, the teens broke up into four groups, shopped for fresh fruits and vegetables and went out with volunteers from the Better Together in Christ group and VSL and delivered a bountiful bag of produce personally to the homes of the elderly and children with disabilities. The next day, the teens and their chaperons returned to VSL to spend the morning painting the outside of the thrift store. It was was a Huck Finn kind of day and many willing hands made short work of an otherwise tedious job and resulting in a fresh new look for the food bank and thrift store.

As people get ready to leave, many have asked how they could best help the work of Volunteers Without Limits while they are gone. The easiest and most helpful thing you can do is to sign up for a regular monthly donation on our web site. Food distribution continues on through the summer months and water delivery becomes even more critical during these months of soaring temps. By the same token, sales in the thrift shop goes way down as our winter population dwindles. A regular monthly contribution of $10, $20 or more would help assure that our food bins don’t run empty between now and September.
Another tradition for many as they prepare to head north is to clean out the pantry and drop off any items that will not store well through the summer months. We will add these food items to our regular food distributions to the people of San Felipe. We have drop stations at San Felipe Storage behind the Roadrunner Cafe and Carole’s One of a Kind Fashion or Linda’s People’s Gallery in town.
Another way you can help is by setting up a recycle box in your home town to collect empty printer cartridges for the VSL recycling program. You can either wait and bring the cartridges with you when you return in the fall or send me an email (vsl.vwl@gmail.com) with your address and I’ll send you addressed and prepaid shipping labels for you to send the cartridges directly to the recycling center. These cartridges will bring $.50/ea (some more) to VSL for the purchase of food or the children’s special needs. You might even want to start you own recycling project with your club or group. There is some work involved as the cartridges have to be sorted and packaged according to the recyclers specifications. It is much easier to just bag them and drop them off at SunRunner or Yet Mail and leave the processing to the gals at VSL for a double blessing: first you will not be filling the landfills with waste and contaminants and second you will be supporting VSL’s food bank and aide to children with disabilities. Let me know if you need graphics or print material for displays.
Now to all our traveling friends, we pray for your journey to be safe and your return speedy. Looking forward to seeing you all next Fall.