New Partner Announcement!
[scroll down for Partner updates]
At Leaders2Give we believe strongly in community and the notion that “helping is helping.” That’s why a big part of who we are hinges on partnering with other charitable organizations and community groups whose work reflects our mission.
Crescent Moon Project, which is a Mexican nonprofit operating in Los Barriles, is one of those very organizations and we are very excited to announce that Crescent Moon will be helping to further Leaders2Give’s mission by partnering with us.
Crescent Moon Project provides free classes in the arts to children.
Through these expressive and creative experiences, they teach children about the challenges facing our communities and aim to teach, empower and inspire in them the ability to care for others and the environment, to be responsible, to work cooperatively and inclusively, and to celebrate the strength of diversity in their communities. Through this hands-on work, they aspire to create the next generation of compassionate and empathetic leaders.
Growing up in Los Barriles, Priscilla Duran, the program’s founder, often wished she had opportunities other than just school and the beach. It was her dream to provide free art classes for the children of Los Barriles. In February 2021, that dream became a reality when the Crescent Moon Project was launched, initially to help fill the void children had in their days being out of school for COVID 19. The project was so well received by the community that it continued to be supported and has grown into what it is today.
The children in Los Barriles need access to free extra-curricular activities such as art. Many families cannot afford to pay for classes. All of crescent moon's programs are sponsored by donations and are 100% free for all children. Creating art can help improve skills such as creative expression, imagination, collaboration, executive function, etc.“Culture generates social capital and strengthens a community's character. Art brings people together physically and culturally, through its capacity to tell a community's shared story, to inspire reflection, and form connections that transcend differences.” Knight Foundation
You will now find Crescent Moon Project’s monthly update below along with all our Partners’ updates. Scroll down to learn even more about Crescent Moon and all our wonderful Partners.
Please consider supporting this important program. You can click the button below to learn all the ways to donate. If donating via credit card or PayPal, be sure to choose “Crescent Moon Project - Art For Children” from the drop-down menu.
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PARTNER UPDATES
Líderes Para Dar / John Gullo Home for Children
Everyone had so much fun, and made such a great start at the first painting party at the John Gullo Home for Children, that we are holding a second painting party!
Help make the new children’s home in El Cardonal a welcoming refuge by joining us for a painting work-party at the John Gullo Home for Children from 11am - 4pm on Saturday, February 10th.
Lunch, refreshments, and supplies will be provided. We ask for a $100 donation for your consideration to help cover the costs of all the painting materials and food, but you can donate any amount and then come help us paint!
You must reserve your space by making a donation at leaders2give.org and writing ‘Painting Party' in the comments section. For any questions about the painting party please email info@leaders2give.org.
You’ll also get a complete tour of the facility which is so close to being completed!
Hope to see you there!
New Creation Kids (NCK) Children’s Home
New Creation Kids is an independently registered and operated Mexican nonprofit organization (Asociación Civil.) Up to 30 children are under legal guardianship of this home for vulnerable children at any given time. Their parents are unable or unfit to take care of them for a myriad of reasons (e.g. drug or alcohol addiction, violence, homelessness.)
Through our partnership, Leaders2Give helps to sustain their operations by raising awareness and providing funding to cover daily operations such as food, electricity, fuel, and education. Occasionally Leaders2Give takes on urgent capital improvement projects for the betterment of the children’s living conditions.
The children look forward to visitors to play with (especially when they bring pizza and ice cream!) and they are always appreciative of those who can lend a hand in helping them have the chance they deserve. A donation of $25 covers the cost to support one child for 10 days which includes shelter, food, and school expenses. It takes a (global) village!
The East Cape Health Center
The East Cape Dental Clinic is pleased to report that Dr. Bill Blatchford, a retired dentist from Oregon and part-time Los Barriles resident, has generously donated an intraoral camera along with a head CT, to the East Cape Health Center, making the local dental clinic one of the few facilities in the region offering this type of imaging. Dr. Blatchford, a dental coach and consultant, has been arranging for equipment no longer needed by his dentist clients to be donated to the East Cape Health Center for 15 years.
This highly sophisticated equipment will dramatically improve the quality of impressions and measurements necessary for patients needing a crown, a deep extraction, implants, or orthodontia. The camera, the size and shape of a pen, is connected to the dentist’s computer and captures images that can be viewed by both the dentist and the patient and even transmitted directly to an outside lab. The camera enables a dentist to capture images of hard-to-reach areas of the mouth which improves the accuracy of treatments and serves as an important educational tool.
In addition to its use in the dental clinic, the donated camera can also be used for medical diagnostic purposes. One such use is the ruling out of dangerous hematomas in suspected concussion cases. This potential use is invaluable to the Los Barriles community where people tend to play hard and as a result, occasionally suffer head injuries.
Not only did Dr. Blatchford donate this valuable equipment, he is also donating the remainder of his dental equipment – enough to support an additional operatory. It is people like Bill and other generous donors who enable locals and visitors alike to obtain first-rate care locally.
The East Cape Dental Clinic’s dentists include: Dr. Samir, a board-certified specialist in implants, crowns, and bridges who has received advanced training in deep extractions and veneers; Dr. Alonzo who assists Dr. Samir with the more difficult implant cases; and, Dr. Veronica, who is board-certified and trained in orthodontia. Dr. Veronica is currently training in Invisalign orthodontic treatments as an alternative to the metal bands many of us experienced as kids.
All the clinic’s dentists continually strive to improve the quality of services available to the clinic’s patients and to the local community through continuous education and advanced training. The equipment donated by Dr. Blatchford will further enable the clinic’s efforts to improve the health and well-being of the residents of Los Barriles and its surrounding communities.
Feeding The Hungry
No one deserves to go to bed hungry, and the mission of Feeding the Hungry (FTH) is to assist the poorest of the poor in our community by supplying them with food vouchers.
It seems to be a biproduct of this mission that a heartfelt happiness is experienced by the FTH Family Sponsors who know they have changed the lives of the least fortunate among us.
For around US $3.00 a day you could change the life of someone like Mirabel. Her husband abused her, and then abandoned her. She is struggling to survive and care for her two young children.
Occasionally, when her elder daughter is at school and a friend will look after her youngest, Mirabel can earn a little money cleaning houses in the morning.
It is not enough to live on. Your help could change her life. It would change the lives of her 2 children as well.
To be a FTH Family Sponsor, and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing you are making a lasting difference to a Los Barriles family, Contact Ben and Harriet Purkey purkeybh@gmail.com or Gordon and Joy Blackie gordonandjoy@gmail.com
SNAP - Spay, Neuter, and Prevention
As SNAP steps into 2024, they wanted to share some exciting goals and important changes happening at SNAP, Spay Neuter and Prevention - Los Barriles.
SNAP’s objective this year is to make an even greater impact on the welfare of animals in our community. They have set an ambitious goal of performing 1,700 spay and neuter surgeries in 2024. Achieving this target will mean fewer homeless animals and healthier, happier pets for their families.
To accomplish this goal, SNAP is diving into educational outreach for families and children. Awareness and education play a crucial role in preventing the overpopulation of animals. Stay tuned for more information about the development of an Educational Outreach Coordinator designed to promote responsible pet ownership.
SNAP shared an important change in their budget. Starting January 1, 2024, SNAP agreed to a modest increase in the pricing from 400 to 500 pesos for regular surgery after several years without any increases. This decision is twofold: to ensure that SNAP can continue to provide care locally for animals and to account for the increase in costs associated with supplies and services needed. Spay and neuter surgeries will remain “free” for dogs and cats owned by Mexican families. Rest assured that every dollar you invest in SNAP directly contributes to their mission of improving the lives of animals and their families in Los Barriles and the surrounding communities.
Crescent Moon Project - Art for Children
There’s been lots of wonderful things happening with the Crescent Moon Project (CMP)! Of course, they are also excited to be the newest Leaders2Give Partner. In addition to being part of a group of organizations dedicated to bettering the lives of East Cape children, this partnership allows CMP to offer US tax-exemption for donations.
Other big news is that, thanks to a generous donation from John Gullo, they have hired their first ever full-time teacher, Jasmin Meraz. Jasmin, a local teacher who also teaches at Los Barriles High School, has been working with their student artists since October. You may have seen some of the amazing high school artists' work at the Dia de los Muertos Festival.
Starting in February, they will expand their class offerings and hope to be able to enroll ALL children of Los Barriles wanting to create and learn about art. The CMP art program, including mixed media classes specifically designed for their youngest to older students, will soon be available most days of the week. It's quite exciting to watch the young artists in action!
The CMP Art Center, housed at Palmas de Cortez, is a special place of exploration and discovery through art. They are thankful for the donors who support them by funding the monthly rent for this studio. For another easy way to help, you can visit their Amazon Wish List.
For more information about what they are up to and how you can support free art experiences for children of Los Barriles, please follow them on social media!
To Donate to Leaders2Give and any of our Partners, visit our Donate page.