The perfect time to share the LOVE.

Ordinary people taking extraordinary action, La Cruz’ers step up again, sharing LOVE and more LOVE. [Updates at the bottom under the story.]

In the ten and a half years that I’ve lived in La Cruz, I’ve been to more fundraisers for those in need than I can count using all my fingers and toes. When there is a need this community steps up! A worldwide crisis affecting those who have lost jobs and who face one to eight months without work… without money to pay for necessities, it is a daunting concept for anyone to grasp. Let’s face it, what’s happening around us is inconceivable yet here we are.

Phone calls, facetime calls, text messages, emails and Facebook posts brought a small group of people together wearing face masks and separated 2 metres apart to take action. Committees were formed; some of which include folks who:

  • Determine who is in need;
  • Raise funds;
  • Collect the money;
  • Account for the all $$ collected;
  • Create facemasks for those delivering; safety first was the message!
  • Purchase the food (with a focus to support/buy local);
  • Store, organize all that’s bought;
  • Bag the food;
  • Distribute the food;
  • Communications:
    • To the donors
    • To the community
      • Those in need
      • Those helping
    • With the government

In an unbelievably efficient one and a half hours all of the above was discussed, plans put into place, people joined the committee’s and distribution began that day. Immediately, it was determined that twelve families were in desperate need having been laid off at the beginning of the crisis. As many people had already donated food the twelve families were looked after on Wednesday. On Thursday, it was nineteen families served and by Friday, the list was up to forty-five families in need, NOW.

The Delegado (La Cruz’ local delegate to the municipality) and longtime locals are creating the list and updating as names of those in need come forward. Approximately, 50 families with an average of four per family means we’ll be feeding 200 people promptly and based on how long this lasts we could be serving 200 – 250 families OR 800 – 1000 people over the next seven to eight months.

GOAL:  250 families provided one meal daily in weekly grocery delivery for a family of four, from April through October. 

305 pesos per family x 30 weeks x 250 families = 2,287,500 pesos (approx. $99,460 USD).

The group’s name is “The La Cruz Food Pantry” and 100% of monies raised go to the food pantry for those in need. There are many ways to donate:

The people of La Cruz appreciate this community; their help, encouragement, financial support and LOVE.

Once again being a part of folks getting together; businesspeople, locals, and ex-pats makes me proud I chose La Cruz as home.

Blessings, Love and Saludos to all!

Love

Update Monday, April 13th, 2020 for all our Friends and Volunteers

From the La Cruz Food Pantry, La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Nayarit, Mexico

Email: LaCruzFoodPantry@gmail.com

Find us on our Facebook Page: La Cruz Food Pantry and/or La Cruz Pantry Crew

The La Cruz Food Pantry is a grassroots community-wide effort helping our neighbors survive in these trying times caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

We quickly identified 50 of the neediest families in town and were able to begin delivering groceries within five days of coming together as a group.  Our list will undoubtedly grow.  We are working with our local Delgado to identify other families in need.  As our deliveries become more regular, the word will get out and we expect to be flooded with requests.  Our group includes locals from La Cruz who visit each family and assess their needs.  (Recently, the government launched a food voucher program.  The initial vouchers for $400 pesos are only worth about $18US/$24Canadian per family and this may be repeated monthly.  Roughly 300 families signed up and probably only 250 will be accommodated.)  We are thinking we may need to serve as many as 200-250 families as this crisis continues.

None of us know when this will end.  Hopefully, something will change in the coming months.  But the tourist season does not begin again until November.  Many families need the income from the last two months of this high season (and Semana Santa) to make it through the lean summer months.  We believe that we may be assisting our neighbor families for up to 26 weeks.

Our goal is to provide a family of four with a weekly delivery of groceries that will help them with roughly one good meal a day.  The government may continue with some relief and fortunately, we live by the Bay and our abundant fisheries.  If people can’t afford propane for cooking, we may need to switch to a Soup Kitchen-model or start delivering prepared foods like another nearby food project has already begun.

Our weekly grocery list includes:

2kg frijoles (beans)

1kg huevo (egg)

1kg arroz (rice)

1kg azucar (sugar)

½lit. aceite (oil)

2 pastas

1rollo papel higienico (toilet paper)

1kg jitomate (tomato)

1kg cebolla (onion)

1kg papa (potato)

1kg zanahoria (carrot)

1kg chayote (squash)

Chile serranos

1/2kg soya deshidratada (soy)

1kg lentejas (lentils)

(Items such as oil and sugar will be sent every other week – we will fill in with canned goods, milk, soap and the like.)

To donate items, please drop them off at the Treehouse Bar when they are open, 4-10pm. Gracias! ❤️

We want to purchase our food in town as much as possible, further supporting the local economy.  A wholesaler in Guadalajara can provide this list for $300 Pesos (about $13US, $18Canadian).  One of our neighborhood tiendas in La Cruz can provide this for 305 Pesos and will distribute and pack individual parcels for our pick up and delivery.  We will work with other stores in town to keep everyone involved.

There are so many talented and dedicated volunteers, Mexicans and Expats in Nayarit, Canada, and the US, working on the La Cruz Food Pantry project — and other efforts, sewing masks and personal protective equipment for local hospitals that have almost no supplies on hand.  We would love to proudly shout out each name to let them know how grateful we are for their time, their sweat, their energy, and their enthusiasm.  However, we have decided to keep a lower profile out of an excess of caution.  In these times, who knows what the future will bring?

But we do know two things:

First – Every dollar we raise will go directly to buying food and supplies for direct relief of the families of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.

Second – We appreciate you.  Your help…your encouragement…your financial support means the world to us.  There is no way to fully express our gratitude for your gifts.  Muchisimas Gracias – Thank you so very much!  And please, stay safe.

Juntos somos Fuertes – Together we are Strong.

 

Update Friday, April 17th, 2020 for all our Friends and Volunteers

Thank you very much for volunteering to help with this important project in our community.  So many of you are anxious to pitch in and help — and we need and thrive on that enthusiasm.  We would like to let you know where we are in our planning at the moment.

Last week, we served about 50 needy families.  First, we delivered food that had been donated to and collected by the Tree House Bar and Grill.  Then we purchased food at one of the local tiendas, which put together packages for delivery.

On our initial deliveries, we gather information, assess the needs, and have begun a family database.  We have found it works best when contact with our families is made by another local Spanish-speaking Mexican.  In the future, more of us will be able to fan out and make deliveries.  We are building trust and confidence, and hoping to control what could be a potentially chaotic build-up.

We are masked when in the field and are working in as small a group as possible to help with social distancing.  Starting tomorrow, masks with instructions and information will be included in our food packets.

This list of the needy is growing by the day. Addresses are extremely hard to find in this village and a few folks have begun making delivery route maps, with photos of houses so that more folks can pitch in and help.

Initially, we envisioned that bulk foods would be bought then divided into family portions by volunteers at a central storage centre. As yet this has not happened, as a local tienda has been happy to provide and portion the food for us. We want and need to get additional stores involved as well.  And we just began purchasing some items in bulk – so we are already evolving and will soon have more of the traditional food bank slots that many envisioned.

This week, we had a small crew sort through the current supplies of donated food, and today a different small group will help the tienda pack food for Friday’s deliveries.  We are expanding from one delivery team to three and including another volunteer to learn the route and get a feel for the process.  Our hope is that next week, we send out six trucks to make deliveries and include and train even more volunteers as we go forward.

The government’s food vouchers (400 pesos for some families) have given us a little breathing space, but we expect the number of struggling families to keep climbing.  We are serving and vetting around 65 families this week.

Giant CYBER HUGS to all those volunteers who have jumped in already – some incredible fundraisers, translators, the pet food team!, starting a propane fund, the Masketeers!, poster makers, and more!  Does anyone want to make us a logo?

It has taken some time to get organized, but there are definitely more opportunities to pitch in next week. We hope to get the volunteers who might be leaving by summer helping while they can, and those here full time will be able to continue until this project ends, probably in November.

With all this in mind, and understanding things evolve by the minute, our volunteer coordinator, Johanna Denesiuk, has been working on creating “committees” for different areas, both administrative and “in the field,” based on the needs, skill sets and interests of our volunteers. If you have not yet replied to Johanna or know someone else who wants to help, please get us this info ASAP.  (Name, phone, email, comfortable going out or prefer staying home, level of Spanish proficiency when you might be leaving the area and your dream way of helping this project).

Scenes from the La Cruz Food Pantry; Day 19 (or so), halfway through Week 3

La Cruz is quiet. It’s always quiet, but now there are noticeably fewer folks out and about. The vibe is much more like sleepy mid-summer, although we’re just past Semana Santa and should still have hundreds here enjoying the perfect weather. Thankfully, we see more masks on more people each day. It’s hard to smile at your neighbors in a mask – but an “Hola” and a “thumbs up” works well too.

The Word is Out
We started with 26 names, added 19 more, and quickly grew to 50 families. Jumped to 88 families for Week 2. Later this week, we will deliver to more than 150 families. When a truck full of food goes out on the street, folks come around and ask if they can be on the list, or name a neighbor or family member who needs help.

On Monday, when the Tree House Bar and Grill opened at 4pm for takeout, there was a crowd outside. Marichuy spread the line down the block (social distancing!) and patiently collected their information. 79 new families! On Tuesday, 25 more! We are growing very fast, but we are up to the task — thanks to the talents and energy of our dedicated volunteers. We have more and more for you to do each day! (If anyone has any donations of canned food or dried goods, The Tree House at 68 Coral is our drop off location – after 4pm.)

Arroyo Seco
(You may never have been to this part of town. Past the light at Langosta heading towards Punta de Mita, there is a bridge. The “Dry Riverbed” colonia stretches up the hill on the inland side. Thanks to Erin for this wonderful first-hand account!)

It was her smile that caught my attention. Her face lit up and her brown eyes sparkled. She was about ten with a long brown pony-tail, wearing a pink polka dot t-shirt. She walked past me a few times, as we were in her neighborhood of Arroyo Seco, and she had places to go.

We had list of names and addresses, carefully compiled into a spreadsheet. The straight lines and columns of a spreadsheet can’t exactly capture the liveliness or creativity in design found in a small neighborhood barrio. The architecture runs the gamut from a two-story house with a large balcony to a semi-hut with a covered chain-link fence as a wall. Some streets remain un-named. Valentin and Kiki started by finding the first address, Cirilo came with his truck full of food, and I went to talk to the lady that ran a little food stand along the arroyo seco in front of the footbridge. I thought it would be polite to explain who we were and why we had descended with two vehicles, full of bagged food, like a small band of locusts on her neighborhood. The shop lady was carving a large pumpkin and I explained that her pumpkin would definitely win a prize at Halloween. The pumpkin pieces were then set out to be sold, a great vegetable to add to a caldo soup.

The search for families in their respective homes began, and large bags of fresh vegetables and staples were personally delivered to the families on our list. Some people were very shy about receiving the “despensa,” but their gratefulness in receiving the food was clear. Each bag was beyond full, containing a variety of items. Cooking oil, flour, ground soy-bean flour, beans, rice, pasta plus tomatoes, chayote, onions, peppers. Also included were soap and toilet paper and a few canned goods. A kilo of eggs was also given out, but a few people with egg-producing hens politely said to share them with another family.

Up through the arroyo we went, stopping off at different houses, asking for directions, and finding our neighbors that were in need of food. We came ready with prepared sheets of paper that people could fill out if they were in need of food. We gave out the slips of paper and then picked up the filled-out forms on the way back down the hill. Food was distributed on Friday and many in the community were going to have a much better weekend with some food for the family and the knowledge that many people care.

On the return down the arroyo, I saw my new young friend again, and I told her that she had a beautiful smile. Her whole face brightened. It lit up the world.

The Merry Masketeers
Sewing machines are humming all over town. We’ve distributed masks with our despensas and left some for free pickup at a few local stores. Some volunteers are concentrating on making PPE supplies for the hospital in San Pancho where most local residents would go with bad symptoms. The word is the hospital has NADA.

The latest government release says that schools may reopen around June 1st – almost a month after our peak. Today’s chatter in the group is “let’s make a mask for every school child in town.” That’s hundreds of children (probably over 500 masks) but if you witnessed the energy and enthusiasm, you would not doubt that these volunteers can do anything! (If you have any cloth, sheets or eleastic that can be put to good use, please contact LaCruzFoodPantry@gmail.com.)

Loaves and Fishes
Our group is not just dedicated – it’s talented, thrifty, energetic, wise and harmonious. We are committed to keeping it simple – there are mouths to feed. We’re buying in bulk when we can (some hoarding is starting to raise prices), hitting the sales, and determined to include as many local providers in the mix as possible. We’ve passed out corn meal and oil for those who still make tortillas at home – and hope soon to include fresh tortillas for those who don’t.

We live on the beautiful Bahia de Banderas and one of the most abundant fisheries in the world. Last evening, a few of our crew were brainstorming about how best to tap into this resource, and who should walk in but one of our local fisherman with a load of 50 beautiful fresh-caught lenguados (sole).

These are for you, he said. My family needed a despensa last week. I just wanted to say Gracias.

More soon – but let’s echo that sentiment.

Gracias to all of our amazing volunteers.

And Gracias to all our donors, here in Mexico and all over the world. Your generosity — and the love you show for this special place — is humbling and inspiring.

We need every one of you.

We are here for the long haul.

LOVE

 

Send your volunteer info to LaCruzFoodPantry@gmail.com — and stay tuned for more!

La Cruz Food Pantry – Week 4 Update from Tim Fisher

Hola Amigos!

We’ve been busy but I wanted to take this opportunity to send all of you a quick update for the La Cruz Food Pantry – Week 4.
Over 350 families served this week! Many thanks to all the donors and tireless volunteers who have made this happen.
Beans, Beans, and More Beans!
As our list of needy families in La Cruz continues to grow, we are trying hard to spend your pesos and dollars wisely. We’re always looking for a good deal on large quantities of bulk items, so when we heard of several tons of beans at a great price – off we went. Cirilo drove three hours north and returned with two tons! Gathered a few strong lifters and unloaded the truck.
In came the Bean Bag Brigade and divided it into individual family portions.
LOVE
The beans were moved to the staging area for packing into the family despensas. Loaded the trucks and off it went! Go, Team!
Two more stories for you….Not only do these wonderful women help deliver food, but their words also connect us all to our neighbors. Thank you for sharing….
First, from Jo Wood – who sews masks by day and once a week, climbs in a delivery van to meet the people of Colonia El Mangal – inland opposite the town’s Primaria.
Friday….the day for deliveries.
I arrive at 10:30 at the tienda where the packing crew has already bundled up 150 plastic bags with rice, beans, soy, tomato sauce, tuna, pasta, soap and more. That is our “despensa” for the week – enough to keep a family of four from going hungry. The crew has been extremely organized, and as the delivery teams arrive, everyone pitches in to load up the vehicles. We add masks that have been sown by volunteers and pet food that has been donated. Then, armed with spreadsheets of recipients’ addresses, we take off to find them.
Going into Colonia El Mangal we search for street addresses. They are in no logical order: house #7 might be next to house #21, #32 next to #20. But as we walk through the streets looking for the right people, neighbors come out of their houses to help us find them, and everyone is friendly, helpful, and wishes us well. Some of the kids from the school recognize me and are thrilled to say ‘Hello, how are you” – in perfect English. Other women know me from English classes that I’ve taught at the evening school at the Octopus Garden and are very welcoming. I feel a little sense of belonging with them as we wish each other safety and wellness.
The furthest delivery is waaay back behind the highway where a mother and her 2 kids are just hanging out with neighbors at their tiny little house on the edge of an arroyo. They all give us big smiles when she sees us with our bag of staple foods. The kids are so open and friendly — one little one is cuddling her Peppa Pig toy. I asked her what its name was, and she looked at me like I was crazy and said scornfully ‘PeppaPig’. OK….silly me!
It’s a privilege to tag along with Marichuy, Alfredo, and the other helpers. This grassroots endeavor consists of many people responding with their many talents…accounting, tabulating, budgeting, organizing, multi-tasking…to help our neighbors in the town.
We can give of our money, time, and expertise, but our town gives us so much…safety, welcome, and acceptance. We are blessed.
Finally, Erin Quinn’s been back up with our neighbors in Arroyo Seco, the dry riverbed Colonia, stretching inland behind Pico’s Car Wash.
Turn left on 4th Street.
This would seem to be a simple direction. Two houses that we were searching for were located on 4th street. There are two ladies on our list who live on Calle 4 in the La Piedras barrio of Arroyo Seco. They both have the same given name of Adriana. A nice coincidence, and easy to remember. In fact, I told them both that I thought it would be better to rename the street to Calle Adriana. There were smiles and laughs. We found out that although 4th Street existed and a 5th street (a bit different feel than 5th avenue) also existed, that was the extent of the streets in this barrio. There’s no 1st street, nor 2nd street, nor any other street. This fact didn’t seem to bother anyone but me.
We drove to the top of 4th street, up the hill to where the street ends. The view was spectacular, rolling hills of the dry jungle, the beauty of nature to fill up and replenish our senses. It felt good to fill up our senses. So many mixed feelings some from making these deliveries. This neighborhood was developed as a cheaper alternative than living in town. There is no running water, and no sewage system. It is a long, dusty walk to town.
Valentin, a local young man who lives in Arroyo Seco, is helping us to do all the deliveries of the despensas in this area. We are grateful for his help, his kindness, his gentle smile, and his ability to interact with everyone. He also has a great sense of humor. Valentin studied for his degree in marine biology at the Tech University in La Cruz. He finished his courses but was never granted a degree because his high school work was not validated. His comment to me was that he wanted to learn so in some ways the degree doesn’t matter — an acceptance of what he has no control over. Valentin helps make sails for sailboats and does whatever he can to help his boss, Mike, the owner of North Sails in La Cruz. Everyone has had their hours cut or suspended. Valentin’s hours have been cut too.
The global changes, caused by this pandemic, are causing all of us to rethink our lives and our world. What is important and what isn’t — so many changes; so fast. Almost everyone we meet and give-out food to was working until just a few weeks ago. We meet cleaning ladies, spa workers, gardeners, laundry workers, fishermen (those without their own boats), cooks, restaurant workers (including waiters and helpers), maintenance men, construction workers, etc. This area is dependent on tourism. When the tourists stopped coming, the economy of La Cruz stopped. The restaurants are closed, the hotels are closed, the tourist fishing boats have stopped, the bay cruises were shut down: all “non-essential” businesses are closed.
The streets are much quieter than usual in La Cruz. It is quieter this week than last week. The Plaza is empty. This weekend was the beginning of the annual celebration of “La Cruz Days.” Unfortunately, the only parade in town on Friday consisted of some of your friends who went out to deliver food to the three areas of La Cruz. It was a quiet event, no balloons. A lot of heart and soul though.

La Cruz Food Pantry Update – Week 5; from Tim and Mark

Buen Dia de la Madre! 

Hello from the Food Pantry Crew! We’ve settled into an easier routine keeping La Cruz fed – 362 families this week.  It costs us about $2,500 US a week to feed these numbers – so our budget is in decent shape for the long road ahead.   Every donation is much appreciated and truly inspiring.

We deliver on Fridays, so Saturday we recover.  It’s starting to get a little warmer out there!

Sunday – we gather the numbers and get our list in shape.  Monday – we place the grocery order for the week.  Tuesday – the Bean Baggers arrive and break down giant 50-kilo sacks of Frijoles into individual family-sized portions.  Wednesday – a crew moves the beans to the warehouse.  Thursday – food arrives at the warehouse and…. on Friday, the real fun begins.

Bright and early at 9 am, the baggers arrive.  Wearing their masks, they set up an efficient assembly line – beans, rice, toilet paper, soap, corn meal, oil, milk, sugar, veggies, pasta, tuna, lentils – whatever this week’s despensa holds.  The effort is amazing — stooping, lifting, sweat dripping – but always a cheerful camaraderie.

Our grocer, Maiko, his family, and employees all pitch in with the rest of the volunteers.  He’s given us the run of the warehouse space and doesn’t care where we buy the provisions.  His place is available for as long as it is needed.

By 10:00, the first truck is loaded.  Don’t forget the dog food that has been donated.  Double-check the list; Got the map? Take a pile of masks if anyone needs them.  Here’s some candy for the kids.

Three more vehicles are loaded in short order and the volunteers finish the last bags shortly after 11:00, check the count and go celebrate with a well-deserved cup of coffee.  We’ll load the last two vehicles later this afternoon.

It takes a village…to feed a village.  Thank you one and all!

Feliz Cumpleaños to a Special Lady!

The question was…What do you want for your birthday, honey?  The answer was…Let’s raise some money for the Food Pantry!

Find some donors who will make a match, set a goal ($10,000 US), get on Facebook and spread the word to family and friends.  Why not have a concert on Facebook?  Sing songs, promote the pantry, have fun, tell stories about La Cruz and tout the wonderful music, food and art scene we have here!  Let’s plant the seeds to get people thinking about their return in the fall – we can jumpstart this economy.

It worked – by night’s end, the total had climbed to over $12,600 US. Our deepest thanks to Cindy and Chris.

And if you were lucky enough to catch the concert – a great time was had by all!

And finally, here’s a great story we forgot to tell you….

A few weeks ago, after we had just finished delivering to 150 families (early days!), an unexpected and most welcome visitor dropped in at the Tree House — Mariela of Bahia Unida brought us 50 more despensas!  Bahia Unida is an eco-minded organization that watches over the Marietas, Los Arcos, and the whale watch boats.  They are funded by a small fee that they receive from every tourist boat – so at the moment, no income is coming in.  But they are taking the funds that they have on hand and providing food to the groups like ours that can deliver it to those in need.

Talk about good timing….

As the sun got lower in the sky, people started showing up. Two ladies, a mom, and a stroller, a young couple.  We’re out of work – there are 8 of us at home – please, can we get a despensa?  We gathered their info, heard their stories, checked our list, and sent them home with food.  By the time the sunset and people stopped dropping in, all 50 of the extra parcels had been given to grateful families.  A giant Thank You to Bahia Unida!

#JuntosSomosFuertes – more from us soon.  Stay safe!

La Cruz Food Pantry – Week 6 Update;

Mark-Tim Kamchi-Fisher·Sunday, 17 May 2020·

To Donate (para donar):
– GoFundMe – www.gofundme.com/LaCruzFoodPantry
– PayPal or Zelle – contact us at LaCruzFoodPantry@gmail.com
– Canadian etransfer – contact Fiona at fmacnicol@gmail.com
– Mexican etransfer – contact us at LaCruzFoodPantry@gmail.com
– Physical donations (cash and food) – Tree House Bar & Grill from 4-10pm.
Hello from the La Cruz Food Pantry!
Around town this week, we were met with smiling faces and grateful thanks as our vehicles pulled up in front of homes. And to our delight, one woman said, “ Thank you, but I don’t need a despensa this week – I had a few days of work. Maybe next week.” And that sentiment continued… A young couple with a small baby in mom’s arms came running from their house, beaming. “This will be our last despensa! My husband got a construction job and starts Monday.”
These are some of the incredible people of this community we are so proud to serve. We delivered to 363 families this week and hope these numbers will begin to slowly reduce as some folks are able to get back to work. Feliz Dia de Maestro!
Maricela, who teaches first grade at the Primaria, has been instrumental in our group from the start. She goes out on deliveries twice during the week and keeps meticulous records of each delivery and each family’s situation in our database. She still teaches her students (via phone on What’s App) and is completing her Master’s Degree. Friday, our delivery day, was Dia del Maestro – Teacher’s Day in Mexico. Her students knew where to find Maricela – just look for the SUV! Smiles, hellos, lots of waving!
One girl had made her a card. “Happy Teacher’s Day!…I want to return to class.”
There was talk about reopening schools in June – now maybe not – but we all hope to see those incredibly happy children back learning soon, and Maricela doing what she loves best.
Remembering Gloria

                                                                    Cathy’s note
A few months ago, we lost one of our dear friends, Gloria Martony, a long time visitor/resident of our town. This week while the crews were bagging for deliveries, her husband, Larry, stopped by. Friends and neighbors back in Wisconsin had collected donations in Gloria’s memory and Larry is contributing it to our Food Pantry efforts. In addition, he announced a gift – of 1000 masks — from their “adopted” daughter, Cathy Chen, a young woman living in China.
It takes a village… and in these times, villages have no borders. Thank you all!
#JuntosSomosFuertes
P.S. Because who can resist that smile… introducing Daisy, the smallest member of the “La Cruz Pet Pantry,” assisting Kiki, Charity, Valentin, and Erin with deliveries in Arroyo Seco and making lots of new friends!

La Cruz Food Pantry – Week 7 Update;

Thank you donors
Thank you, volunteers
Thank you people of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle.
We are all here for one another. #JuntosSomosFuertes

                                                   Bagging Day… an hour until the first delivery truck arrives. Piece of cake!
This week, we delivered 353 despensas. There are signs of Nayarit opening up soon and hopefully more people will get back to work. The governor has targeted June 1st for reopening – although schools will not resume until the end of August after the summer holiday.
Most families usually hurry outside to meet the delivery vehicles when they pull up. The despensa makes a huge difference in their life.
                                                                                                     Smiles… Gracias… Blessings to You!
This week however, our delivery teams noticed some – a few – families weren’t home waiting for us to arrive at the usual time – could they be back at work? We hope so – we’ll check on them and make sure everything is okay. And if you haven’t had a chance yet, here is a wonderful slide show that Kiki Cheung put together with pictures taken along the delivery route in Arroyo Seco, a colonia that runs along the dry river bed on the north side of town.
Surprise!
On Saturday evening, after delivering through El Mangal in the blazing midday sun on Friday, two Food Pantry superstars, Marichuy and Alfredo, had a big surprise in store for La Cruz… they hosted a special concert featuring the music of Cheko Ruiz. If you haven’t had a chance to view it – here’s a little taste of the incredible live music scene in our town.
And finally… Muchísimas Gracias, Erin Quinn, for another glimpse of Life in La Cruz!

Love in the time of COVID: Lucas times two.

Lucas happens to be one of my favorite boy names. Two of my best friends, Janet and Barbara, both named a son Lucas, and it fits them perfectly. They are two of the nicest young men I know. Sincere, intelligent, funny, kind and very capable. Now there are two more named Lucas in this world. I met them both on my routes within the town of La Cruz, helping to distribute the “despensas”, which have been a lifesaver to many families during our COVID 19 economic shutdown in the Riviera Nayarit. The newest arrival to La Cruz, is Lucas Efrain, he was born on the 13th of May to the delight of his parents. We met his mom Perla when we dropped off despensas to two families; Perla’s family, and to her husband’s family. Perla’s daughter was riding her bike (pink, of course) around the dirt yard. They live in an area called Cuastecoamate, which refers to a type of tree. It’s an area just above Playa Manzanilla – very simple homes, cinder block construction with palapas for shade. Most of the people who live here are fishermen, and vendors who sell bread or fruit on the beach. I talked to our 5-year-old bike rider and her Madre, who was visibly pregnant. When I asked Perla when the baby was due, she said “today.” Well, that reply got my attention. Perla then said she had an appointment for later in the day at the hospital. They were heading over to San Pancho in the afternoon. We said our goodbyes and I told Perla that I would pray specifically to the Virgin of Guadalupe for a safe delivery. We dropped by her house a few days ago to leave some freshly baked Mexican sweet rolls, but no one was athome (that’s okay, the sweet rolls were very much enjoyed). I dropped by again today. Perla wasn’t there – she was still staying with her mother (smart lady). Her husband, with pure joy on his face, told me that they had named their little boy, Lucas. Perla and Lucas will return home tomorrow.

Our second Lucas is of the canine variety. A Chihuahua to be exact. It was the end of the day and we were at the bottom of the Arroyo Seco, almost done with our deliveries for the afternoon. An older woman came up to greet me, and she was followed by the most self -assured Chihuahua I have ever met. I picked her up and petted the puppy, and immediately fell in love with this tiny dog. The puppy was sweet, well cared for, and just perfect. Then Evangelina walked up for her despensa. I was still holding the puppy. She is an older lady (70s), very polite, shy, and gentle. She turned to me, and said, “I gave them the puppy.” I asked her more about the puppy, and she told me that she had the parents and that she still had the two brothers. My friend, Charity, our route chauffeur, was waiting in the car for us. Knowing that Charity is crazy about Chihuahuas, I asked Evangelina, if I could show her the girl puppy. Well one thing led to another, and soon we were traipsing through multiple family compounds to arrive at Evangelina’s abode, which had a large, well-constructed dog kennel to see the other puppies. In the kennel were the mama Chihuahua and her two sons. One was dark brown, and one was a caramel color. That was it, love at first sight. Charity picked up the caramel-colored puppy and then suddenly realized that she knew Evangelina. Two weeks ago, Evangelina had brought Papa Chihuahua into the La Cruz spay and neuter clinic staffed by Charity. Charity asked Evangelina, do you want to give the puppy to a new home? With a tear in her eye, she nodded yes. Charity asked Evangelina what she called the puppy. His name is Lucas was her reply.
Just when I thought that the day couldn’t get any better, the young, beautiful couple living on the corner house of Rio San Juan came up to us and announced that today was the last time that they would need a Despensa. Her husband was starting a new construction job on Monday, and they were both so happy. A feeling of community has been reached through this project; trust is evident. We heard from three families that work was restarting, and a return to normalcy. In a time that could have been a bit ugly, we have seen the most beautiful part of the human spirit. Love abounds.

                                                                                       Charity and Lucas – love at first sight

#JuntosSomosFuertes

P.S. The La Cruz Food Pantry only uses images with the full knowledge and consent of the individuals and in the case of minors, their parents.
To Donate (para donar):
– GoFundMe – www.gofundme.com/LaCruzFoodPantry
– PayPal or Zelle – send to LaCruzFoodPantry@gmail.com
– Canadian etransfer – contact Fiona at fmacnicol@gmail.com
– Mexican etransfer – contact us at LaCruzFoodPantry@gmail.com
– Physical donations (cash and food) – Tree House Bar & Grill from 4-10pm.
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