In 2005 our client, Organics Unlimited, started a program which we called GROW (Giving Resource and Opportunities to Workers).  Since that time, I have made several trips to Southern Mexico, and have fallen in love with one of the programs that is the largest recipient of funding from GROW, Project Amigo.  Through the program, hundreds of members of the banana growing communities are helped every year, and many of them are children who receive an opportunity to learn that would not otherwise be open to them. Shown here are some students who are in one of the GROW sponsored homework clubs, and little Cesar, who was born to a migrant familiy and has severe birth defects.  

In November, I am making another trip to Colima for a Literacy Week.  We will be working with children of field workers, many in migrant camps.  And this year represents a particular challenge because of the devastating tropical storms that went through the area less than a month ago. Project Amigo gave many of the clothes that had been donated that would normally go to the children of the migrant workers to flood victims who lost everything.  So this is my request for help. 

We have received a list of needs for things we can bring with us and donate to help these poor children. Here are some suggestions, and if you would like to help, any donations can be sent or delivered to Oster and Associates for transportation to Mexico.

Needs for Project Amigo

• New and gently-used clothing to refill stores and have clothing available for our children and communities, all sizes. 
• School supplies such as pencils, crayons, crepe paper, craft paper, trash bags, musical instruments, balloons, contact paper, paint brushes, glue, stickers, watercolors, glue sticks, glue guns, modeling clay, colored pencils.
• Warm jackets for the children to use at the school.  They described the jackets that are water resistant on the outside and fleeced lined. The students are ages 4-7.
• A financial donation to purchase tennis shoes for the migrant children
• Our older students have need of USB memory (jump drives), and our Cybers have need of good laptop computers.

-Bev