El Mundo para Puerto Morelos

This page contains the communications from Catriona Brown, the
organizer and communications director for the charitable foundation
established to help improve the conditions of our community. This is
an established non-profit organizations with 100% of all funds and
supplies going directly to the needs of our community.
For additional information, photos, a list of needed items and
information on how you can contribute to the Charity please visit
El Mundo Para Puerto Morelos

December 2007 Update
Fun at the bazaar was had by all. We had many donations from all over the town and
some wonderful linens from Liza at Playa Secreto as well as all sorts of household
odds and ends. The sales of the t-shirts went well as did Frank's Chilli and hot dogs.
There was much socialising and many happy children. Mike ably assisted Frank in
kitchen duties. Our wonderful banner was designed by Marguerite, outlined by Silvia,
painted by Sonvya and erected by Tony and cut down and stolen the night before the
bazaar, how odd. For photos of the bazaar click here.
From Colorado: recently Ms Crade's First grade Class at Summit Elementary, Divide,
Colorado, took up a collection and donated school supplies to the Primary school
here in the Puerto. Xmas Party: Last Saturday was also the party in the colonia to hand
out presents, El Mundo para Puerto Morelos donated 22 boxes of food and Emilio
delivered for us.

The 2nd Annual Benefit Night had 22 fabulous auction prizes and 4 door prizes.
People's generosity on the evening was incredibly moving for all of us and definitely
put us all in the Xmas spirit. We raised just over 60,000 pesos exactly achieving our
goal of paying for the construction of the lunchroom and kitchen at the kindergarten
in the Colonia. The gentleman who bought the Ultrajewels bracelet graciously
returned it to the charity to auction again, thank you.I urge you to support the
businesses of our sponsors without whom there would have been no evening! Or
drop in and thank them if you have time, it will make a difference. John Gray and
Bush, Paco and Karl (from 14 in Cancun) , GM Hector Lopez of Hotel El Cid Marina,
Jennifer Hamer of Ultrafemme, Karen Scott of Gringo Furniture, Marilyn O'Connor of
Arrecife Developments, Liza Piorkowski and Hola Asia, Scott Olsen of Carribean
Shores Realty, Crescent of Aquanauts, Amber Pierce of Mayan Riviera Real Estate,
Mike McDonald of Playasol, Sandy and Arthur Matas, Enrique of Almost Heaven,
Damien at Pelicanos, Graciela at Bodo's, Cancun Rehab Centre, Martina of Martina's
Oasis and Mauro and Ginny Jaramillo of Thyself be Healed (returns Jan 30th) . Thanks
also to the wonderful volunteers who worked so hard to achieve this event: Tom,
Janet, Sonvya, Tony, Kirsten, Rachel, Marguerite and Sylvia.
And there's more: Amber and Josh of Mayan Riviera Real Estate have another
absolutely gorgeous bottle of tequila (you can just see it behind the Corona) sitting in
their office (on the square) , drop in and pick up a raffle ticket it will be drawn this
weekend. You could take home something very special!

(November 20th, 2007)
Things have really geared up for upcoming events for El Mundo Para Puerto
Morelos.
Here's the latest.
EMPPM polo-style shirts with logo are now available. These are high quality
shirts with our logo embroidered in full color. Available in men's and women's
styles and various sizes.

Contact Frank or Cat to get yours.

We often get asked where does the money raised by our Charity, EMPPM, go. Below
is a list of accomplishment for our 1st year of operation.

EMPPM ACHIEVEMENTS October 2006- October 2007

Installation of new, functioning water system in primary school

Rebuilding and renovation of the Laboratory in the High School

Distribution of computers to area schools - ongoing

Donations of medical supplies and emergency equipment to local
clinics and doctors - ongoing

Replacement of all emergency response equipment and supplies for the
Puerto Morelos First Response vehicle (after robbery)

Installation of windows and computer in community library

Organization of a blanket drive for the elderly in winter

Hosting an asthma clinic for local doctors

Hosting a cervical cancer clinic for local doctors

Distribution of training manuals for firefighters. Supplying
furniture, uniforms, helmets and boots to local firemen

Completion of a survey to assess the health and education needs
of the community as a whole

Hosting rescue and first aid training seminar for Local and Cancun
firemen - ongoing

Supporting school holiday music and recreation school for children in
the colonia

Repairing, painting and rebuilding local kindergartens and other
schools - ongoing

Supply of school learning and sports materials - kinder, primary and
secondary schools - ongoing

Supply of emergency beds and food for Hurricane Dean relief in Puerto
Morelos

Organisation and Supply of three truckloads of relief supplies for
the Mahahual community after Hurricane Dean

Co-ordination of donations by visitors

Financial assistance to families with medical crisis

Starting construction on lunch room and kitchen for village
kindergarten

Total cash raised in one year USD 22,000 plus donated goods to the value
of approximately USD 20,000.

For those of you that supported us with your donations of money, donated items, and
time, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Dec 8th Bazaar

Bazaar news - all going strong for the bazaar December 8th but we need your
donations to sell - clothes, furniture, books and odds and ends. Barefoot and cooking
-baked goods needed too for the bazaar, cookies, cakes, jams, preserves, pickles, all
very popular at the bazaar. Please look around to see what you can contribute, all
that old junk lying around, come on time to clean up. Goods can be dropped at Cat's
House if they need indoor storage (Av Ninos Heroes 780) or at Frank's (Blue Dolphin
House Rojo Gomez) if they can be stored outdoors or we can come and pick up from
your house or hotel. We need volunteers on the day too and any local artists who
want to sell their wares need to talk to Patti ppearson@emppm.com

Dec 18 2nd Annual Benefit Dinner and Silent Auction

2nd Annual Benefit Dinner at John Gray's Kitchen, this year dedicated to raising funds
to pay for building the much needed kitchen and lunch room (El Comedor) at the
kinder, the kiddies get a meal each day provided by the school at the moment being
cooked in the principal's little office and eaten at desks. It will also provide them with
an indoor play and party room. There will be amazing items for auction at the dinner
and a great door prize - the seats are very limited, will let you know next week the
time, cost and phone number. It was great fun last year and will be again.

(Mar 6, 2007)
Newsletter regarding the April 7th Bazaar
ART BAZAAR!

EL MUNDO PARA PUERTO MORELOS (a registered civil society) is hosting a
Bazaar on Saturday April 7th to benefit the Fire Service of PM. They
are in extreme need of uniforms, equipment and training. The recent
tragedy at Plaza Las Americas could have been avoided.

We are inviting local artists to join us at the bazaar on the 7th to
display and sell their work. We are asking for a donation of a minimum
25% of your sales that day be given to EMPPM.

Please call us as soon as you can to book a space for yourself, we are
excited about creating this opportunity for local artists doubling as a
community benefit.

The bazaar is planned to be held in the Park and as it is Easter
Saturday should be very popular!
Contact info for interested artist is pearsonmexico@yahoo.com
044 998 205 7550
Look forward to hearing from you

(Feb 15, 2007)
EASTER CHARITY BAZAAR SATURDAY APRIL 7
. Check back for the latest updates soon.
Dues to the huge success of the food, bar, art and junk bazaar held
recently we''ll do it again we had so much fun. This time a lot of
artists will be joining in and exhibiting new work. Please bring back
the books you've read and those people who were too scared to clear out
their bodegas (I know who you are!) this time you have plenty of
notice. The Feb 3rd Bazaar was a great success. We were able to raise over
$10,000 pesos for the Charity. Thanks to everyone who donated, bought, and
contributed their time and effort to make it a great event.
We are going to dedicate this to the helping the Fire Service with
training, equipment and clothing. Please start thinking about what you
can really do without.
For photos from Feb 3rd Bazaar click here.

(Jan 30, 2007)
GARAGE SALE FOR THE CHARITY

SATURDAY FEB 3, 2007 10:00am

It's New Year - time for out with the old and in with the new. Please
look around and see what you can bring to the garage sale. That old
chair, kitchen things, blankets, handcrafts, pots, lamps, clothes
(clean) , those things you've been saving for just in case or you never
know when it might be useful.

Maybe you want to make something special for the sale - cakes, cookies,
preserves, dolls, handicrafts....?

You can turn all these into benefits for the schools and emergency
services instead of just gathering rust in your bodega!

The location has changed to Frank Ream's place on Rojo Gomez as there are
quite a few things that will be happening. Franks place has blue painted
concrete walls at the front with dolphins, couple of doors north of Cabanas
Morelos and Casa Mermaid, opposite Jim Boyd's place and the new
construction next to Kimberley's. His address is M12 L4 and is printed on the
gate. Or just look for the large banner over his gate.

We are still looking for your items for the bazaar, just give us a call
when you have gone through your house and
bodega and we''ll come and pick up all your goodies. If you want to
deliver
can you drop things at Frank's place now
and all those baking up a storm can you come over the day before?

There will be some food surprises ( surprise for me too), and Mauro
will be
doing 15 min massages so we'll see you
there.

(Dec 21, 2006)
Hello Again,

We are pleased to announce that El Mundo para Puerto Morelos is making
a difference now, almost every day we receive donations and deliver
goods to the schools and community and also do battle with the endless
paperwork. It is starting to feel like our charity is now being of
useful service to the community. Rain and bureaucracy have slowed some
of our projects but we look forward to great achievements in the New
Year. Poco para poco we say here, little by little, we will get there
with your help.

Most recently we received a good injection of funds from Minneapolis,
the fabulous Kathy Kosnoff, Kathy Vaughan and Lynda Rutherford with
the support of their families and friends hosted a fund raiser in
Minneapolis. Called the First Give Something back to Puerto Morelos
Party they had 44 items in their silent auction generously donated by
their friends and others in Puerto Morelos and starred the music of
Cooker John. Some of their pics are below, they did have a tropical
dress theme for the party but it was below zero so I think they are
excused for rugging up. We all thank you and wish we had been there
too. Stay tuned for more events in that party town that is Minneapolis!

At this time, many of us celebrate the year and the joy around us, for
me it is made more poignant to be so far from my family and oldest
friends. Indeed it is this distance that makes me appreciate how much I
care for them and how much I carry them in my heart every day. I hope
those of you lucky enough to be surrounded by your loved ones take a
moment to see how fortunate this time is for you and really enjoy this
moment in your lives.

Even harder is forever being without someone you care for. With great
sadness I have to tell you it is time to say goodbye to our friend
Jorge, better known as Jorge Saxophone to those who have spent time
here in Puerto Morelos. His charming smile and genuine warm hug were
only out shone by his beautiful saxophone music with which he
entertained us at Puerto Morelos restaurants and our parties. After
four days in a coma from a brain injury his liver, kidney and heart
finally gave out last night and he died peacefully holding hands with
his wife and nephew. His wife and three children, one with cerebral
palsy, will be assisted by the community and by this charity which is
supported by you. Thank you from them.

As powerful as the reaction to our charity, El Mundo para Puerto
Morelos, has been, what we saw last night in the General Hospital in
Cancun made us think that there is another mountain above the one we
can already see. In all the countries I have been in the world I have
not seen the like, so many people, so many overworked staff, a
struggling mountain of humanity. I was holding a woman in early labour
who had been standing for most of the day next to the entrance to
obstetrics, there were 5 pairs of worn flip flops in front of her at
the doorway marking the other women who had gone through. The health
care is heavily subsidised here, the cost for 4 days of intensive care
was 6000 pesos ($600) even that is being halved with the assistance of
our Mayor Manolo. The people here in Mexico are supported by their
government , the will and legislature is there, it is just an enormous
task.

In the early hours of this morning our project of assisting this
community seemed overwhelming but the dawn brought a bright blue day,
with pelicans diving for breakfast and sunlight glimmering on the
Caribbean and so we look forward to a bright New Year.

We see the last today of the old Casita del Mar, the bright new version
will be completed in late 2008. Walmart has bought land on the highway
near the traffic lights and new roads are being laid in Puerto Morelos
as we speak and so our town grows into its future. Thanks to all those
who were vocal on the roads issue and on the bathrooms in the park we
will hear results on these soon.

Thank you for all the support we have received this year, we hope you
have a very happy festive season and get lots of presents to bring to
Puerto Morelos! (wish list attached again for your info)

best wishes from all of us at El Mundo para Puerto Morelos

warm regards

Catriona Brown
Administrator
EL Mundo para Puerto Morelos S.C.

Donations can be left at Mamas Bakery or Dive Puerto Morelos. Cheques
may be made out to Commonwealth Housing Corp and in the memo line write
FBO: El Mundo para Puerto Morelos and send to their on the ground
co-ordinator c/o Kay McMillan, 4115 Honeycomb Rock Circle, Austin,
Texas 78731-2015 and they will be transferred to Puerto Morelos and you
will receive official acknowledgement.

(Dec. 11, 2006)
December 2nd marked the 1st Annual Give Something back to Puerto
Morelos party in Minneapolis at Kathy Kosnoff's house. Kathy is a long
time PM fan and summer resident and has announced a most successful
night raising over 2500USD to benefit El Mundo para Puerto Morelos
with live music and a lot of fun. Kathy Vaughan gets big kudos for
organizing the 44 different Silent auction items, donating a lot of
Guatemalan goods, being at the ready as people walked in the door with
donations not previously mentioned (like Deano w/8 Xmas trees in the
back of his truck, etc). Her husband Ben Ystennes for non-stop fresh
and delicious guacamole throughout the evening. Zoe (Norris) for
incredible work in the kitchen. Lyonel Norris for hauling and
schlepping furniture to make room and for putting up with Kathy. Boyd
(Uncle Hugo's) arranged for Cooker John to come play his great
blues/folk live—thanks to John as well. Anne Henry & Jerry Peterson
for generous donations of goods, $ and manning the front desk and
getting receipts right! We are all looking forward to being in PM and
doing it all again next year

(Oct 9, 2006) I have had several meetings with the Principals of the Technical
school (on the beach next to Hacienda Morelos) and the primary school (next to
the zocalo in the Colonia) both of which are severely in need, about setting up a
special charity for the schools.

The high school has 270 students in the 3 middle grades and was 90%
destroyed by Hurricanes Wilma and Emily. The government has reinstated
most of their educational materials and they and Mandarin Oriental have rebuilt
most of the buildings but there are many things still needed. Something you
may not know is that school has 46 boys who live there in crude dormitories
Mon-Fri because their parents can't afford to feed them and pay for their bus to
school. In fact many children at the school have come from other areas where
they have been rejected by other schools.

The primary school has 405 students between 0700--1200 and another 350
students in the afternoon with whole other set of teachers. So 2 schools use
the same building, they have 10 classrooms so they have 40 students in each
class. They have made a modest request which is listed below. But the most
urgent need is for a water system, their cisterna was never fixed after the
hurricane so I will look amongst my friends for the funds to build them a new
one. I cannot even describe the condition of the toilets - they only have water
once a day, so the toilets only get flushed once a day for each school sitting.

El Mundo para Puerto Morelos

Donations can be left at
Mamas Bakery or Dive Puerto
Morelos. Cheques
may be made out to
Commonwealth Housing Corp
and in the memo line write
FBO: El Mundo para Puerto
Morelos. Send to their
on-the-ground
co-ordinator c/o Kay
McMillan, 4115 Honeycomb
Rock Circle, Austin,
Texas 78731-2015 The funds
will be transferred to Puerto
Morelos and you
will receive an official
acknowledgement.