June, 2016 Update: Food Kitchen and More
Mothers’ Day Celebration
We had a wonderful Mother’s day celebration with a fantastic breakfast made by one of our male volunteers. Also several of our women made some pastries. Another volunteer brought roses and every woman received a rose.
Everyone of these folks are very appreciative that we remember them on special occasions.
New Name: PLACE OF HOPE
May was a very challenging month in finding a permanent location to serve our poor elderly.
The previous update showed a building that we planned for our kitchen. However, after inspections it was found to have much moisture and mold that could lead to breathing problems.
One of our Indigenous friends with a university degree has been doing projects in various Indigenous communities. He found a wonderful building within four blocks of our present location and very convenient for the people we serve. The Indigenous community of San Jose owns the property and it is within walking distance to downtown Cotacachi.
This building was formerly a pre-school and will be converted to our food kitchen and dining room. It will be completed for occupancy by the end of June. The property has bathrooms, showers, a hand washing area and a storage room. Starting on Monday, June 6 the Maestro will do some changes in these areas. The kitchen will be renovated and equipped to be very functional to meet our needs. We have a contact for good used restaurant equipment.
Minga on Saturday, June 11th
We are having a Minga on Saturday, June 11. The community of San Jose will send volunteers to clean the interior of buildings and all the exterior land. There is a large parcel of land behind the buildings that could be used for gardening and outdoor recreation. We are planning on 40 volunteers to arrive from the village at 8:00am. We will serve them sweet bread and drinks; that is customary for the occasion.
We will move from our present location by the end of June. The new Pastor has plans for the temporary space that we were privileged to use for over a year.
This new space will be permanent. After breakfast, the elderly can stay and do crafts, which they enjoy. They are knitting and crocheting items that can be sold and they receive the income. Several want to make beaded jewelry that is customary for their culture to earn extra income.
The estimate for the necessary work to update the bathrooms, showers and hand washing area is around $1.600. This includes reconnection of water and electric services and a califone ($300) for hot water in the kitchen.
The existing kitchen will need to be modified. We need a double commercial sink, as we serve from 45 to 60 people each morning. The califone requires a propane tank at $60 and refills of gas are $3 per bottle. We have large banquet tables but need 60 plastic chairs costing around $10 each, but we hope to find a better price.
The used commercial 4-burner Ecuadorian stove is $90. We have a large refrigerator but it requires fixing that will cost $285. We need commercial pots and pans, additional plastic dishes, drinking cups, eating utensils, kitchen towels, cleaning supplies and the list goes on. Because we were using many items that belong to our previous location, we now need to invest in these kitchen items.
All Donations Go Directly to the Project
Our new location is very exciting news and our future cost to the community is for the water and electric that we use. As you are aware, Ecuador Project Hope is very thankful for your support in the past and we appreciate your continued support for the future. There are no administrative fees and all donations go to the project.
If you live in Cotacachi, we are always in need of people assist in serving our poor elderly.
If anyone is coming from the US in the near future, perhaps you would bring some small miscellaneous items for the kitchen.
Please email me at mickyenright@gmail.com
As Always,
Micky Enright
Founder of Ecuador Project Hope
Ecuador Project Hope
Ecuador Project Hope is operated under the guidelines of Global Help Foundation a non-profit located in Naples, FloridaIf you would like to designate your donation to a particular item please indicate. No donation is too small and deeply appreciated. Tax receipts are available.