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Coast Guard Cutter Aspen's Crew Volunteer for Pasitos de Luz
By: Bill SEMEYN - January 2006
 The favorite port for visits by the US Coast Guard and Military is Puerto Vallarta and for good reason. This boast is attributable to the local Navy League chapter made up of almost 100 members of all nationalities and background, not necessarily ex-Navy or ex-Coast Guard. All are enthusiastic to make our defenders of the high seas welcome. We greet the ships upon their arrival and deliver a list of establishments not limited to just restaurants who offer discounts to our Navy and Coast Guard personnel. We offer advice on how best to phone home and local activities of interest including where to shop and how to change money.
Many sailors are interested in absorbing some of the local color and this is best achieved by participating in COMREL's (Community related projects) which we the Navy League organize. These usually involve painting of buildings for needy facilities. Orphanages, shelters for old people, or abused women, children that are outside of the Government DIF programs and depend on donations to survive.
 This scenario makes painting appear well down on the list of priorities and that’s where the volunteers along with the NAVY LEAGUE step in. After the work the NAVY LEAGUE hosts the workers to a seafood delight replete with cervezas and tequila at La NORIA restaurant who help out by giving us a deal on the meal. A very needy and essential organization embracing handicap children called Pasitos de Luz had recently annexed an adjacent property and after changing the Tacoria into two playrooms they were in need of paint and some simple electrical wiring. ASPEN crew to the rescue (the coast guard motto is only a little distorted here) as out of 46 members of the crew seven volunteered to participate. Remember any ship has to have members stand watch even in port.
Pasitos de LUZ provides without any formal funding a facility to daycare about 25 to 30 at times severely handicapped children. They are located at Exiquio Corona 545 Col. Bobadilla. Puerto Vallarta, Jal. México C.P. 48295, Tel/ fax: (322) 299 3605. estancia@pasitosdeluz.org and its run by a young couple named Ceasar and Yolanda who have demonstrated a compassion for these heart wrenching children whose parents need to work and of course these children need round the clock care so enter Cesar and Yolanda and Pasitos de LUZ.
Check out their website at: http://www.pasitosdeluz.org/ and have your cheque book handy as there is a great need here.
 Coincidentally, the same day we painted their facility they were one of the three charities benefiting from the proceeds of the OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE who found a novel way of celebrating their fifth anniversary here in Puerto Vallarta. All of the proceeds from the $300. pesos entry fee and also the drink revenue was distributed to PASITOS de LUZ, CASA HOGAR (a local orphanage) and MAKE A WISH Foundation. Their share of the $315.+ thousand peso will go a long way to help them finish off their facility and we; (the Navy League) will find a way to get your new rooms wired.
Thanks once again to LTJG Allison Zumwalt, Ens Josh Zike CWO4 Gary Ewing, BMC Kim Gray, EMC Pete Clark, FNDavid Bass, FA Devon Hubbard of the ASPEN crew and especially two of the above that in addition to giving their time working, bought tickets to the OUTBACK benefit. Well done Coast GUARD Cutter ASPEN, OUTBACK and Puerto Vallarta NAVY LEAGUE.
Source: Ambito Puerto Vallarta Weekly Newspaper
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Compassion For Kids Supports Local Children
Provided by Ambito - January 2006
 Compassion4Kids were in Vallarta again at the end of November for their annual trip to link hands and hearts, this time bringing 39 volunteers from Indianapolis. As well as numerous activities with local charities and remote, poor schools in 12 Octubre and Brisas del Pacifico here in Vallarta itself, their rigorous itinerary included travelling to Quimixto, Pizota and the remote Portrero de la Palmita, 4 hours away in Nayarit, to support local children in kinder and primary schools. In Quimixto they laid cement paving and assembled basketball posts for the children, whilst organizing craft activities.
All the school kids in these areas received a new pair of shoes each, school supplies (pencil boxes, pens, erasers, coloured crayons etc.), a toy, and a hygiene kit including toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo, soap, flannel, comb; and like last year, all the children received fluoride treatments for their teeth. Compassion4Kids also will continue to support these schools and others in the future in partnership with Gente Por La Educación AC.
For further information on “adopting a school”, or if you are able to collect school supplies on our behalf, please contact Sarah Elengorn, the C4K Vallarta representative linked to Gente Por La Educacion AC on (322) 293 5927 or email her at sarah@compassion4kids.org Alternatively you can find more information about donating and mission trips on the C4K website: www.compassion4kids.org
Source: Ambito Puerto Vallarta Weekly Newspaper
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