Buenos Vecinos de Boquete February Newsletter

[Buenos Vecinos de Boquete]

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BVB 2020 Family Updates Denis cherishes the knitted gifts donated to her kids in time for Christmas. Benilda’s children have lost a full year of formal education, but they care for and support one another every day. Many of our BVB Newsletter readers have asked for updates on the BVB families we have featured this last year. Here are some highlights. To revisit some of details in the original stories, go to our website www.buenosvecinosdeboquete.com, click on FAMILIES in the heading, and then click on the photos to see the original stories beneath the photos. Denis’ Family Even though she has had to work harder to help the kids with their homework, Denis is very grateful to a neighbor who has made her internet connection available to them so they can now attend virtual school. They are flourishing. Brayen’s Family In January, for unknown reasons, Brayan’s mother Raquel and older sister Briseida and her four young children, returned to the Comarca. They abandoned the little lean-to house which they had cobbled together just eight months before, and the landowner disassembled it within a couple of days, so we suspect that they are not returning, at least not to this location. Manuel’s Family Manuel is slowly regaining his health and has been able to resume part-time work for two of his local families including the elderly lady whose life he saved more than a year ago. He still needs our assistance, for which he is very grateful, but he is on his way to a complete recovery. Valeria’s Family Valeria is still selling her handmade purses and native dresses when she can find buyers. With help from the BVB volunteers who deliver food to her each month, Valeria was able to get medical help for the insect infections three of her children suffered last month. BVB volunteers regularly assess their clients’ health and social situations in order to provide additional assistance when possible. Benilda’s Family Slowly but surely, Benilda is resuming some of her house-cleaning positions. She also tried raising maize and yucca in a neighboring field, but with mixed results. Without internet and devices her children have had no opportunity to participate in virtual learning, but their BVB volunteer is providing regular school lessons when she is able. Flood victims love the food and the warm knitted hats and toys from BVB and Boquete Knitters and Quilters. BVB Flood Relief Program The pandemic has created even more economic and social pressure on virtually everyone throughout the world, but for those already living in poverty, these hardships have pushed their families over the edge. Last summer we brought several new families under our regular Buenos Vecinos de Boquete umbrella. They are grateful for that support and we see that their burdens are beginning to lift.   And then, besides the eighty-plus regular families that Buenos Vecinos feeds every month, we added scores of families to our emergency roles in December and January in response to the calamitous flooding and mudslides in the wake of Hurricane Eta. Thanks to the generous outpouring of donors’ love and support, BVB was able to raise more than $3400 to relieve the suffering of many of our neighbors throughout the area. Those funds provided food, and other organizations donated soft warm hats, sweaters, blankets, and Christmas toys. We are so grateful to our partners in this project who provided these gifts or delivered them, partners like Boquete Knitters and Quilters, Dan Salas Ministries, Global Food Providers, Boquete’s San Bautista Church and their sister church in San Felix, the Parroquia San Antonio Mission in Puerto Armuelles, Carla Black, and Cocina Solidaria of Volcan. What a magnificent consortium! To view more photos from this program, go to our website and click on Gallery in the heading. 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!

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