Buenos Vecinos de Boquete November Newsletter

[Buenos Vecinos de Boquete]

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View this email in your browser This Month’s Updates:  Did you know that you can follow Buenos Vecinos de Boquete on most of your favorite social media sites?  In efforts to keep everyone informed of all the wonderful things our members are doing, we are updating our social media sites regularly.  Make sure to follow us, as well as hit the like button and share any of our great content.     Check us out: Facebook and Website Page: https://www.facebook.com/BuenosVecinosDeBoquete/ Twitter:  @BoqueteBuenos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buenosvecinosboquete/     Want to see our Team Members working hard to serve the Boquete Community?  Check this out:  https://youtu.be/ghawiV-ndus  Our IMovie features Music by a young artist, Danny Burns.  Listen and follow Danny at:  https://soundcloud.com/technocinema   Make sure to Like and Subscribe to our YouTube channel!  Want to see our Team Members working hard to serve the Boquete Community?  ❤️   Thank you to our sponsor, The Perfect Pair, for a perfectly wonderful rainy day indoor chocolate tour.  What a lovely staff and so many yummy creations! VOLUNTEERS OF THE MONTH   This is a new addition!  We are so excited to introduce to you some of our wonderful volunteers, or  as we call them, valuable team members.  Most probably do not know that we have a very active group of men and women who make our organization strong, and we want to share these amazing folks with everyone!      Our generous sponsor, Finca Casanga, makes this recognition possible.  This company is donating a pound of coffee to each winner and, for a month, one of their high producing coffee trees will belong to the winner(s) for a month!  Finca Casanga is a small family owned and operated coffee farm in the highlands of Boquete.  This wonderful family believes coffee is not just a drink, but should be an experience that is cultivated through:  • Passion • Science • Tradition • Responsibility to the environment and community!    Did you know?  Finca Casanga is not just our sponsor, and a local favorite, they are also known worldwide for their Coffee Tree Leasing Program and their Hands-on Tours.   Coffee Tree Leasing Program:  Each customer receives updates by email every few weeks with close-up pictures and explanations of their personal coffee tree. The “tree owners” also have access to view the live-feed cameras placed around the farm and, throughout the year, the customers are able to choose how their coffee is processed and roasted.  At the end of the season their own coffee is shipped to the individual tree owner after it has been harvested from their own tree.  Buy your tree today – and watch it grow!   Coffee Tours:  These renowned tours are hands-on and, during the harvest season, people get to pick, process, test, hull, and roast coffee to take home.  The tour is fascinating, informative, and delicious!  Book your tour today – and see how coffee ends up in your cup!   You can find Finca Casanga at:  https://www.buypanamacoffee.com/   So, thanks to we have the pleasure of introducing our first-ever volunteer recognition winners, Paul Arrandale and Frank Major.  Both these volunteers show up and “literally” do much of the heavy lifting for us.  You can find Paul and Frank gathering heavy food bags and helping to distribute food to our wonderful clients and these two team members do so with a smile on their face!   This is why Paul and Frank are receiving recognition this month.  These two men have been so reliable and so helpful. They deserve to be featured.   First, meet Paul, who, with his wife, Katie, moved to Boquete in 2016 from Atlanta.  Paul and Katie are enjoying their new adventure in Panama.  The Arrandales, upon their arrival, quickly rolled up their sleeves and dove right into numerous Boquete community service projects.  With his energy and helpful nature, Paul has established himself as a vital member of the Buenos Vecinos de Boquete team.  Paul says the BVB goal of helping people that need assistance to feed their families is, “More important than anything.” Paul believes in helping others, and he strongly believes, “Everyone should try it!”    Now, meet Frank!  This valuable team member and his wife, Patti, (with their super cute dog, Shiloh) arrived in Panama from Tampa in March of 2017, after a preliminary visit in 2016. Frank got involved with Buenos Vecinos shortly thereafter, when he learned about the work our group does for the community.  Frank’s helpful nature has been a needed resource for our Buenos Vecinos family.  When asked what he likes about being a Buenos Vecinos team member, Frank smiled and recalled, “I enjoy the camaraderie of the volunteers and their spirit of giving.”    Both of these dynamic couples prove that community service can be an integral part of a satisfying retirement lifestyle.  Due to their model of service, we salute Paul and Frank today and why we are excited to share these Staff of the Month Winners with you today! Finca Casanga Owner, Andie, is on the left. Paul is the tall guy in the middle. Frank is the handsome man on the right.  The Tree is BVB’s, donated by Finca Casanga!  See Paul and Frank guys in action on our YouTube channel!  Don’t forget to smash that subscribe button and share the video with all your friends and family!   AND NOW OUR FEATURED FAMILY It is with great pleasure that we are able to share this month’s featured family with you.  This spotlighted family has been a humble client since February 2021. Their family struggles began just before the pandemic hit the world and once the pandemic hit Panama, they have been looking for silver linings and avenues that lead them to better times.     Amongst their silver linings, this family of seven, has been gratefully enjoying Buenos Vecinos’ monthly visits and food deliveries to offset their difficult times.  The children look forward to the warm greetings and the friendly exchanges they all receive when Megan, our amazing team member, delivers the food supplies.   Megan has gained the trust and the appreciation of this family, who has been struggling to find stable housing and work.     The father, Francisco, is rarely with the family, which leaves part-time working mother, Itzel, to single-handedly care for her five children.  Itzel, who is a 34-years old food server at a local restaurant, is doing everything she can to be able to establish a stable home for her family.  Due to the housing woes, Itzel is thankful for the help and the kindness Buenos Vecinos offers her and, more importantly, that we have shined on her children.  Itzel hopes her hard work and grit will inspire her children to hit the books and have a happy life.  The hope for her children is not for great wealth, but one where her struggles mean they struggle less when they are navigating their own adult lives.  Both parents understand, “The school books are keys to the children’s future.”     Buenos Vecinos and the parents truly believe, food is life, as it is the fuel these children need to stay healthy and focused on their scholastic endeavors!   Now, meet these beautiful children who, like most, go to school and enjoy playing games with each other and their friends.  Dilan (16 years old) is a high school student and he is also employed by a bus transit company in Boquete.  He helps his mom with the finances and the babysitting.  Tatiana (13 years old) keeps her head in the books and she also helps with the younger siblings.  Kevin (11 years old) is trying to keep up with his older brother, which keeps him busy and challenged..  Kathia (8 years old), who was initially upset that she was no longer the spoiled baby of the family, is now showing her baby brother, Johan Leandro (1 year old), all about life!  She is proving to be a great “big sister.”   Our November Family of the Month  reminds our team members exactly why Buenos Vecinos is so important to the Boquete community and why we are fortunate to be able to serve this family  and all our BVB families!     Would you like to be one of our valued donors too?  Here is how you too can help us to help others.   As you know, we would appreciate your donation of any size. It’s important for you to know that we are a small all-volunteer force without any administrative or overhead costs.  Every dollar of your donation goes to the purchase of food for our clients, like Itzel’s Family.  When you make that important decision to help the less fortunate in our community, you truly become a “Good Neighbor!”  When you donate $400.00 a year (A little more than $33.00 a month), you become a Coconut Foundation Member, which is an acknowledgement of your care, concern, and generosity.  Please donate today.  You may do so through our online VERY EASY and VERY SAFE PayPal account or any of our other methods.    If you prefer to donate by cash or local check, please contact Louise or panamaleo@gmail.com for arrangements.   Be sure to check out our website and Facebook page: Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BuenosVecinosDeBoquete/ Website:  http://www.buenosvecinosdeboquete.com/     As always, we must thank our very valued donors!   We owe you all a big thank you!     Thank you! COMIDA ES VIDA! FOOD IS LIFE! Copyright © 2021 Buenos Vecinos de Boquete, All rights reserved.