bodega header
entreamigos Newsletter September 2009
community meeting Dear Friends,
 

Is it really already September?

I am not going to pretend that the summer has flown by... the heat and humidity makes everything feel slower and heavier and a bit harder to get one foot in front of the other but it sure seems like yesterday that we gathered everyone together for the community forum to talk about their dreams for the new Bodega space.

It has been a summer of flying debris, aching backs and scorching days but the amazing construction team at entreAmigos is getting closer to the finish line.   In a few weeks the brand new roof will be on, the final plumbing will be in and we will have only electrical and paint...and details of course!

Please visit the construction page of our blog to view our website and keep up on the details. http://www.entreamigos.org.mx/projects/our-new-building/

Last week we held one of the first of four community work days planned to help put the finishing details on the new Centro Comunitario Educativo.   We had loads of help from members of the community and it reminded us about how much people are looking forward to the opportunities that the new space represents.  It also reminded us of the value of working together as many hands were able to do the jobs of many weeks in just one afternoon. 

We need your help to bring to life the new Centro Comunitario Educativo! Please see below for the many ways that you could participate (from close or abroad), as it is only among all of us that we will be able to bring this huge project and huge gift to San Pancho. 

If you made a pledge to the construction and have not yet sent it in, please do so as soon as you can.  If you weren't able to support the project before but would like to now... please do!!  We have much bigger dreams than money and will need every penny to get our doors open again in November.

We're doing it! 

take care.

nicole
www.entreamigos.org.mx

p.s.   here is a link to our donor page!  
http://entreamigos.org.mx/get-involved/make-a-donation/
Recent Happenings at EntreAmigos
working The construction....  and how you can help!
not to worry, its a mere 13,000sq feet!

This giant new space will provide a library, computer center, sports center, workshop space and much more to this community but we need everyone's support to bring the dream to life.

If you are in San Pancho now:  We have jobs in painting, cleaning, gardening, carpentry, electrical and in organizing and sorting materials. We need donations of food packs. We also need help selling T-shirts and raffle tickets to buy books for our new library space.

If you are planning to come to San Pancho this season:  We would love if you could gather up and find space in your bag for backpacks and school supplies, art supplies, computer headphones, flat panel computer monitors, used digital cameras and books in spanish.

If you are driving to San Pancho and passing through Northern or Southern California, please let us know as we have materials needing a ride!
almicia graduationScholarship kids!
 
We are so proud of our scholarship students this year... all 46 of them!  

These 46 kids were selected out of more than 100 applications to the program.  Scholarships were given based on criteria that included grades, participation and financial need.
 
Scholarship students receive a range of services depending on their individual needs.  We are looking for sponsors for every one of our scholarship kids this year!   Please consider sponsoring a child! 

More information about our scholarship program can be found on our website http://www.entreamigos.org.mx/projects/scholarships-outreach/

We will be sending out more information in an email next week, including an inspiring story about Almicia, the child shown in this photo.
front image local artists contribute to the design of the new Centro Comuntario Educativo.

What would San Pancho be like without its amazing, eclectic group of artists? 
 entreAmigos is constantly supported by these artists and their generosity in creativity and spirit and we wanted this energy to be reflected in our new space.
We held a design competition and asked local artists to submit proposals for key elements of the new bodega.  Every entry was amazing and many artists participated. 
 
Four local artists won the competition and will get to see their designs come to life in the new space.  Congratulations to this all mexican crew!

Front Design:  Marciano Corona
Sculpture: Jaime Sanchez Mohar
Iron Work: Marcela Ramirez Sanchez
Fountain: Rodrigo Ballestar
donors it is tough these days.
...entreamigos has established a social assistance program to help... but we need your help too!

When we recently asked for applications to our scholarship program we were overwhelmed with requests. The stories of economic hardship were difficult to hear and even more difficult to turn away. Ultimately more than 60 children were not selected for the scholarship program although all of them showed significant financial need.  We did provide food packs, some schools supplies and some uniforms to these kids but all of our resources were tapped and it wasn't enough.

We are accepting all canned and packaged food donations, school supplies, clothes and any other product appropriate for distribution.  Please also consider some small extra jobs around your house or your property (maybe even before you come back to town), as now is the most critical time in every tourist economy... but most heavily this year.

We would like to thank Miguel Angel Reyes Loubet and his wife Mirriam of Ambient Solutions, for their spontaneous and very generous contribution of 20 food packs for needy families.  They are a Vallarta family that were touched by the need they saw in San Pancho.  Miguel contacted me and said, "My wife and I had said that when we were able to get our business going that we wanted to give back...  and now, and every year we plan to."  
Founders Tree Thank YOU!   to everyone who has contributed to this amazing project.

Please consider supporting entreAmigos.

Remember the donor tree?   This commemorative mango tree will be painted in the new entreAmigos in appreciation of our donors and collaborators. It's not too late to have a place on the tree!

Pledges will be recognized in the following increments:
Trunk Donors - $25,000usd
Mango Donors - $5000usd
Branch Donors - $2500usd
Leaf Donors - $1000usd
Roots Donors - $500usd

Donations of every amount  are greatly appreciated and will be recognized on our website and literature.

To make a donation please send a check, payable to entreamigos to:

entreamigos
P.O. Box 3231
Lake Arrowhead, CA 92352

or using your credit card or bank account please visit www.paypal.com and enter entreamigos.sanpancho@gmail.com as the receiver address.

If you are in San Pancho.  Nicole's house is currently being used as office and donation drop off center.

entreamigos is a 501(C)3 non profit.  Your donations are tax deductible in the United States.
 
In This Issue
The construction
Scholarship kids!
Local Artists
Families need help
Thank you!
To make a Donation:

Donate

Donate
  construction. construction. construction.
 
a photo journey of our construction.

Thank you Jll Mitchell and Kim Heseltine for the photographs!
 
debris
We promise that 100% of our construction debris will be recyled on-site!

 building the structure
Two full time steel workers make up part of our construction team.
 
bottle bricks 
Recycled Glass and Glass Bottle wall construction play a big part in our design plan.
 
lights

Lighting made out of egg cartons... why not?

smiling design day

The kids helped out on design day!

more kids

Many of their drawings will help us create the signage for the new bodega.... and our new T-shirts!

bathroom plastic

Have you ever seen a bathroom made out of plastic?  ...and other "junk"... wait until you see ours!

open roof

The new Bodega will have 15 meters of sky lights.... but they won't look like this!

the new stage

The new stage was filled to the brim with construction debris!

old gates

Remember these gates?  They were the old entry to the computer room and now form the new entry to the sports area.

green pipes

The famous "green" pipes!

community work day

Community Work Day!


We love our community and we are working hard!

hope to see you at our next community work day on September 26th!
To make a Donation:

Donate

Donate
Contact  Information
For questions and suggestions regarding entreAmigos in san pancho please contact:
 
Nicole Swedlow   or in san pancho at 311 258 4377. 
 
entreamigos is located on the main street of San Pancho in a large warehouse building about 2 blocks from the highway.
 
Looking forward to seeing you soon!