How to assimilate into the Boquete community

[Bonnie]

Having left friends and family behind, folks moving here often experience feelings of alienation and loneliness. As a resident of Boquete for over nine years, I offer the following suggestions for assimilating into the community as a whole: become a volunteer for one or more charitable or civic organizations and attend functions that support those organizations. Most have a broad membership base and more participants than you are likely to come to know through neighborhood and special interest groups (although those are important, too).

Among the many charitable and civic organizations are Amigos de Animales de Boquete (spaying and neutering of dogs and cats); ARF (adoption, rescue, fostering, and feeding homeless dogs and cats); Boquete Community Players, better known as BCP (community events center); Biblioteca de Boquete (library, educational, and cultural center); Boquete Knitters and Quilters (making warm garments for infants and children of impoverished families); Buenos Vecinos de Boquete (feeding the handicapped and impoverished); Fundacion Pro Integracion (serving the disabled); Rotary Club (supporting the community primarily through education and water availability support); the Santa Lucia Kids Camp (providing summer activities for children). There are others that have slipped my mind in my haste to post this, and I invite responders to mention and promote them here. All need helping hands, particularly as their founders and original members grow older and are less able to participate as fully as they once did. When you support these organizations, you not only are making a better community but also are making friends, lots of friends. You are truly becoming a part of the community.

The same goes for financial support via attending fundraisers. There are notices throughout the year for functions--patio sales, book sales, bake sales, wine tastings, parties, dinners and food contests, etc., etc.--all of which provide perfect opportunities for meeting people and building a friendship base. Remember too that the above organizations depend on community financial support to continue their vital work. If you make a commitment to become more involved, you can start with attending the Tropical Treats fundraiser for Buenos Vecinos this very weekend. Many other fun fundraisers are in store for the coming months.

Boquete makes it easy to assimilate while building a better community for all residents. We oldtimers have found that when we work together, we get things done and make friends.

[Bonnie]

I had meant to include Boquete Hospice and Health Care, but, somehow in the writing, it was left out. Hospice welcomes all volunteers but particularly can use those with a background in healthcare.

[Boquete Community Pulse]

While not exactly classified as volunteering for a charity, many closet thespians have found real enjoyment and new friends by performing in local theatrical productions. There's a need for a lot of non-performing volunteers also whenever a production is being staged.