2009 Trip

Update

This is an updated picture of the progress of the medical team dorm in Rio Dulce that several Manitobans had the opportunity to assist in building in the last three months. As you can see, the first floor is almost structurally complete.

They will be in need of new kitchen utensils (everything needed for a kitchen) as well as linens etc for the washrooms and bedrooms. If you feel you can contribute to this, we will be accepting donations of goods at our warehouse in Niverville.

Coffee update - We now have our full shipment of beans and have started selling them, mostly through word of mouth. The Niverville MCC has agreed to sell the coffee in their store and beans can also be purchased at A Touch Of Glass at 290 Main Street in Niverville.

Just a reminder, this coffee was purchased as an economic relief initiative. Our purchase has allowed the families in the Pinalito/Rio Dulce region who grow this coffee to provide food for their families for six months. The coffee is fair trade, organic, medium roast coffee that is hand picked and sun dried in Pinalito.

The trip

Update!

Hi Everyone:
Two groups have just returned from Rio Dulce. It was a great experience seeing firsthand what the needs are of the people living there. We are still in need of donations, so please remember us when you start your spring cleaning! Just as an added note, we do not require clothing donations as the people in this region dress in a traditional manner. However, we do require children's shoes as these are considered a luxury.

COFFEE UPDATE: The coffee is enroute as we speak and should be here by the weekend. We do have limited quantities available now for $15/lb, so if you're interested, please contact me at riodulceproject@gmail.com and we can arrange pickup. This is organically grown, fair trade coffee that is allowing the people in this region to earn a living and provide for their families.

Mmmmm....

Who loves organically grown Guatemalan coffee beans?
coming soon...

The List

Here is a detailed list of items we are collecting. If you're not sure if something is suitable, just drop a comment and we can let you know whether or not we can take it.

We have also received an email that there is an economic crisis affecting the people in the region we are sending the container to. Malnourishment is setting in and has already taken one life. As a result, they are urgently requesting that we add food to our list of items.

So here it is:

Tools:
Picks/shovels/hoes/axes/knife sharpeners/files
Skill saws/miter saws/planers/hand saws
Wheelbarrows
Generators
Drills/drill bits/screwdrivers/hammers
Spot welding kits/welding tools & supplies
Masonry tools
Mechanic's tools
Off road dirt bikes or motorcycles (disassembled)
Plumbing & Electrical supplies
Hygienic/Medical:
Toothpaste/toothbrushes
Soap/Shampoo
Combs/Brushes
Bandages/First aid kits
Hand Sanitizer/Polysporin/Bactine spray
School Supplies:
Notebooks/Paper/Construction paper
Pens/Pencils/Pencil sharpeners/Erasers
Crayons/Pencil crayons
Spanish & English primary readers
Laptops
Scissors/Glue sticks
Manual typewriters/ribbons
Back packs
Rulers/Compasses/Solar calculators
Household/Sporting Goods:
Plastic sealable storage containers
Ziploc bags
Towels/Sheets/Facecloths
Fabric/Sewing notions/Sewing machines (manual)
Baby clothes/Baby & children shoes
Toys/Rollerblades/Roller skates/Skateboards
Basketballs/Soccer balls/Misc rubber & bouncy balls
Bicycles/air pumps
Food (big bags of dried goods):
Rice
Beans/Lentils
Corn
Infant formula/Infant cereal
Powdered milk

Thank you!

A big thank you to everyone who came out to support our kickoff barbecue lunch on Friday. We were able to raise $1060.00 for the cause!

We would like to thank Bigway (Tom & Bonnie) for their help and Wiens Furniture (Al & Paul) for the use of the green space.

We would also like to thank CHVN for doing a live on location interview with us. As a result, we received a donation of much needed fire protection suits (100 of them) for the volunteer fire department in Pinalito, Guatemala from a listener in Winnipeg.

On Sunday we had the opportunity to present in three churches in town (United, Elim, & Maranatha) and would like to thank them for graciously welcoming us into their congregations. We hope we will be able to present in the remaining churches in town in the next month.

And finally, we want to thank everyone who volunteered to help out whenever they can. Without you, this project could not get off the ground. Thank you Niverville!

Look for donation boxes coming soon to businesses around town.