Hola amigos,
This is a RARE letter, written by Ben, and it is from the heart. We have been very busy in this time of "sheltering" here in Mexico. We haven't just been doing daily walks, eating more home-cooked food, gardening, wood-working projects, or painting the house. We've also been concerned about the local Mexican people who are now out of work and hungry. Please read on...
From Ben...
As you may know, Harriet and I took on the task of organizing the “Feeding the Hungry Fashion Show” each year here in Los Barriles. We took it over 4 years ago from the lady that originally started it in 2012. It got to be too much for her to
do and we volunteered to carry it forward.
To put on the fashion show, we need to start about 2 months early getting people lined up to help with the various functions, and getting all the posters and handouts printed. We then start canvasing the business community asking for donations
which are usually items that can be sold in a silent auction or raffled off. Between those functions and the $20.00 USD that we charge to get into the fashion show we usually bring in $5,000 - $7,000 USD. That money usually lasts 5 – 7 months.
With that money we buy food vouchers at the local grocery store that are handed out by a local Mexican and his wife, Chuy and Lydia, who have lived here in the area all their lives and know the local Mexican community very well. He is hired by our local church to purchase some very basic food, like beans, rice, cooking oil, flour, etc., which get delivered to about 25 Mexican families each week. He also hands out our food vouchers to the neediest of that group. With the vouchers they can buy the items that they need the most like fruit, vegetables, diapers, medicine, and so on; no cigarettes or alcohol. Each voucher is worth about $11.00 USD.
What we never imagined in our wildest dreams was that in 2020 there would be a worldwide pandemic that would affect us here in Mexico. Our fashion show was about the first large function in this area that was canceled. It was originally scheduled for March 20th .
By March 20th our community was in the throes of social distancing. The governments were starting to regulate people’s activities and businesses. To the Mexicans, Easter is the biggest vacation of the entire year! The government declared all beaches were closed. To us living here is Los Barriles/Buena Vista that was a good thing as Mexicans from all over Mexico come here to camp and party for 1 - 2 weeks.
So, there are no visitors in the area because not only are beaches closed, but also many businesses. Restaurants, hotels, time shares, rental units, schools, massage centers, sports clubs, public gatherings or events, and recently they stopped
ALL contractor work! Many people are now out of work. Many families now have no income since they cannot work and there is no money to feed the families. Unemployment compensation is an unheard of concept in Mexico.
Well, where does that put the organization named “Feeding the Hungry”? We were the only organization doing that kind of work in the area along with the local Christian Church. Our big problem was that our fashion show had been canceled,
so the income to us from that event was practically non-existent.
Two things happened at that time. We put out a local plea for money donations even though the fashion show was canceled, and others in the community started the Los Barriles Food Bank. As I write this the food bank is organizing and planning to distribute their food and money. Our Mexican friend who distributes our food vouchers is coordinating his efforts with them so there will hopefully be no families receiving support from both organizations.
From our first request for the donation of money to help us buy the food vouchers, some people did make donations. One family in particular has been a great assistance and a wonderful moral support. Recently we sent out a second reminder that we still needed donations because all we were seeing was “support the local food bank”, which was fine, but we were there also to help and forgotten by many. Actually, many people were confused about the two organizations.
The second notice had a much better response with a number of new people contacting us about how to give. Keep in mind that when the pandemic hit here in Mexico, many Americans, and Canadians left immediately! So, we set up a PayPal account that has been working very well for locals, as well as people who
have gone “home”.
With the generous donations we have been able to increase our number of families to whom we distribute the food vouchers. We hope that this will be a short period of time for this urgent need, but no one knows.
If you would like to donate the PayPal link is: https://www.paypal.me/bhpurkey
One real life situation recently happened that I will share with you. Our Mexican friend who distributes the food vouchers always carries a few vouchers with him. He was driving down the street and saw a young Mexican lady pushing a baby
stroller with a very young baby in the stroller. He had seen her before and knew she was a local lady who cut hair for a living, and thus, out of work. He stopped and asked her where was she going? She stated that she was going to her sister’s house to get milk for her baby. He gave her a food voucher and told her to get a few things from the grocery store to help supply
food for her and her family. (She will probably be receiving more vouchers if the need is there.)
So, between fund raising for the Feeding the Hungry program, and repainting the entire outside of our house, we have been staying very busy during this time that we are practicing our home sheltering. (We hired 2 painters to paint the entire west side and the tall portions of the east side (seen here-->) of our casa. We are doing the rest!!) No boredom in the Purkey household! When we took on the fashion show, who would have thought that it would lead to trying to help feed the community?
Thanks for listening. We are praying for a rapid end to this disease, and enough funds to help feed the hungry in our community in the interim.
Your friends in Baja,
Ben & Harriet
PS. Harriet has created an April 2020 picture album!
This is a RARE letter, written by Ben, and it is from the heart. We have been very busy in this time of "sheltering" here in Mexico. We haven't just been doing daily walks, eating more home-cooked food, gardening, wood-working projects, or painting the house. We've also been concerned about the local Mexican people who are now out of work and hungry. Please read on...
 |
| Ben built a drill rack out of some old Eucalyptus wood he had...turned out to be gorgeous wood! |
do and we volunteered to carry it forward.
To put on the fashion show, we need to start about 2 months early getting people lined up to help with the various functions, and getting all the posters and handouts printed. We then start canvasing the business community asking for donations
which are usually items that can be sold in a silent auction or raffled off. Between those functions and the $20.00 USD that we charge to get into the fashion show we usually bring in $5,000 - $7,000 USD. That money usually lasts 5 – 7 months.
With that money we buy food vouchers at the local grocery store that are handed out by a local Mexican and his wife, Chuy and Lydia, who have lived here in the area all their lives and know the local Mexican community very well. He is hired by our local church to purchase some very basic food, like beans, rice, cooking oil, flour, etc., which get delivered to about 25 Mexican families each week. He also hands out our food vouchers to the neediest of that group. With the vouchers they can buy the items that they need the most like fruit, vegetables, diapers, medicine, and so on; no cigarettes or alcohol. Each voucher is worth about $11.00 USD.
What we never imagined in our wildest dreams was that in 2020 there would be a worldwide pandemic that would affect us here in Mexico. Our fashion show was about the first large function in this area that was canceled. It was originally scheduled for March 20th .
By March 20th our community was in the throes of social distancing. The governments were starting to regulate people’s activities and businesses. To the Mexicans, Easter is the biggest vacation of the entire year! The government declared all beaches were closed. To us living here is Los Barriles/Buena Vista that was a good thing as Mexicans from all over Mexico come here to camp and party for 1 - 2 weeks.
 |
| Beaches are closed in all of Baja, and much of the mainland. That's a LOT of beach. |
So, there are no visitors in the area because not only are beaches closed, but also many businesses. Restaurants, hotels, time shares, rental units, schools, massage centers, sports clubs, public gatherings or events, and recently they stopped
ALL contractor work! Many people are now out of work. Many families now have no income since they cannot work and there is no money to feed the families. Unemployment compensation is an unheard of concept in Mexico.
Well, where does that put the organization named “Feeding the Hungry”? We were the only organization doing that kind of work in the area along with the local Christian Church. Our big problem was that our fashion show had been canceled,
so the income to us from that event was practically non-existent.
Two things happened at that time. We put out a local plea for money donations even though the fashion show was canceled, and others in the community started the Los Barriles Food Bank. As I write this the food bank is organizing and planning to distribute their food and money. Our Mexican friend who distributes our food vouchers is coordinating his efforts with them so there will hopefully be no families receiving support from both organizations.
From our first request for the donation of money to help us buy the food vouchers, some people did make donations. One family in particular has been a great assistance and a wonderful moral support. Recently we sent out a second reminder that we still needed donations because all we were seeing was “support the local food bank”, which was fine, but we were there also to help and forgotten by many. Actually, many people were confused about the two organizations.
The second notice had a much better response with a number of new people contacting us about how to give. Keep in mind that when the pandemic hit here in Mexico, many Americans, and Canadians left immediately! So, we set up a PayPal account that has been working very well for locals, as well as people who
have gone “home”.
With the generous donations we have been able to increase our number of families to whom we distribute the food vouchers. We hope that this will be a short period of time for this urgent need, but no one knows.
If you would like to donate the PayPal link is: https://www.paypal.me/bhpurkey
One real life situation recently happened that I will share with you. Our Mexican friend who distributes the food vouchers always carries a few vouchers with him. He was driving down the street and saw a young Mexican lady pushing a baby
stroller with a very young baby in the stroller. He had seen her before and knew she was a local lady who cut hair for a living, and thus, out of work. He stopped and asked her where was she going? She stated that she was going to her sister’s house to get milk for her baby. He gave her a food voucher and told her to get a few things from the grocery store to help supply
 |
| We hired 2 painters to paint the tall parts of our casa. |
So, between fund raising for the Feeding the Hungry program, and repainting the entire outside of our house, we have been staying very busy during this time that we are practicing our home sheltering. (We hired 2 painters to paint the entire west side and the tall portions of the east side (seen here-->) of our casa. We are doing the rest!!) No boredom in the Purkey household! When we took on the fashion show, who would have thought that it would lead to trying to help feed the community?
Thanks for listening. We are praying for a rapid end to this disease, and enough funds to help feed the hungry in our community in the interim.
Your friends in Baja,
Ben & Harriet
PS. Harriet has created an April 2020 picture album!
