Buenos Vecinos de Boquete September Newsletter

[NewsLady]

 

BVB Newsletter September 2019 BVB Volunteers Greet the Public at Romero’s The “ladies in blue” will once again appear at the entrance of Romero’s Food Market in Boquete on Saturday September 14th 9 am – 5 pm to collect select food and cash donations to fund the Buenos Vecinos de Boquete food charity which feeds around one hundred local individuals and families. They’ll be joined by a number of gentlemen who have joined the Buenos Vecinos volunteer ranks. BVB clients represent some of the neediest residents in our area who are single moms, elderly individuals who lack family support, or handicapped individuals and the families who provide their care. Buenos Vecinos also steps in to provide short-term emergency provisions or longer -term food assistance for those with chronic problems. Cash donations are especially welcome because BVB monthly food supplies are purchased locally in bulk and at wholesale cost to maximize the organization’s purchasing power. Each dollar BVB spends on food goes approximately fifteen percent further than what our recipient can purchase on his own in the local marketplace. In addition, BVB has recently purchased reusable bags for our clients. We are no longer purchasing four hundred disposable plastic bags for each monthly food pack. Now, one-hundred percent of every cash donation goes to the purchase of food for the clients. Come see us this Saturday and let us thank you personally for being a “good neighbor”. PayPal Helps BVB Collect Donations   Over the years, as the number of donations to Buenos Vecinos has grown, so too have the costs to accept those donations. Foreign checks sent to our Boquete account from generous donors in the U.S., Canada and other countries have incurred ever-increasing processing fees some more than $20. PayPal has become an important and valuable tool to responsibly manage our donations. This worldwide online payment system makes it possible for our donors to make one-time or regular recurring donations to Buenos Vecinos de Boquete while keeping their own financial information secure. There is no cost to donors to sign up or to donate. If you’d like to learn how PayPal can facilitate your financial support of BVB go to www.paypal.com. September 2019 Family of the Month Jon’s Family   Four-year old Jon is still too little to join his five brothers on the long walk to school each day, but he is eagerly looking forward to next year when he can dress in a white shirt, long pants, and put on his first pair of real shoes. He and his family live in a two-room corrugated tin house held together with bamboo strips. Only the door lets in fresh air and light during the day. The dirt floor is uneven and becomes muddy during the rainy season even where the tin and tarp roof doesn’t leak. With no source of running water indoors, showering and other hygiene activities are difficult. And without electricity bedtime comes early for this family. Jon’s mom cooks in an outdoor shack on a wood stove. The cauldron on the open fire goes from sun-up to sundown cooking beans, rice and root vegetables for this hungry household. Occasionally an old hen becomes the prized centerpiece of the meal. Everything and everyone smells like the campfire. The family is oblivious to the smoke and its hazard to their current and long-term health. Jon’s dad is a machete worker just as his own father was. Sometimes he helps neighbors harvest sugar cane, chayote or tomatoes. Now that his oldest son, Adrian, will pass the sixth grade in December and will no longer be required to attend school, he and his father will soon work together in the fields. Jon’s family illustrates why Buenos Vecinos de Boquete is so important to this community. There is little support from the government for those who are near or at the poverty level. The family has made little progress toward a better future for the boys, but Buenos Vecinos has been a source of encouragement and monthly supplemental food, a consistent and dependable lifeline. BVB supplements the food store for this family and almost a hundred others every month. How to Help If you would like to help our clients and the efforts of Buenos Vecinos de Boquete, we would appreciate your donation of any size. It’s important for you to know that we are a small all-volunteer force with no administrative or overhead costs. Every dollar of your donation goes to the purchase of food for out clients. When you make that important decision to help feed the less fortunate in our community, you have truly become a “good neighbor”. When you donate $400 a year or a little more than $33 a month, you become a Coconut Foundation Member as an acknowledgment of your concern and generosity. Donate Online: We use PayPal for easy and secure transactions.   If you prefer to donate by cash or local check, please contact Louise Orr panamaleo@gmail.com for arrangements.   Be sure to check out our website and Facebook page:   Face book page: https://www.facebook.com/BuenosVecinosDeBoquete/   Website:  http://www.buenosvecinosdeboquete.com/ Thank you! Copyright © 2019 Buenos Vecinos de Boquete, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: Buenos Vecinos de Boquete Boquete, Chiriqui Panama City Panama Add us to your address book