Shoes, Easter Baskets and Food for the Children of Palomas in Chihuahua

By Victoria Tester

Please join in to support the 2012 Easter drive for the children of Palomas and rural Chihuahua, Mexico.

More than half of those estimated 2,500 people remaining in Palomas, Mexico's only neighboring bordertown with the state of New Mexico, we estimate to be children, who we know are in dire need.

We are now collecting new shoes for Palomas children from elementary to high school age, (all sizes welcome) and Easter baskets, plastic eggs and candy, to be assembled and distributed by humanitarian Esperanza Lozoya and volunteers for the annual Easter egg hunt and party at the Palomas Outreach building on Buenaventura street in Palomas, Chihuahua.

We operate on wings and prayers, and as always, with only the hope that you will come forward to make this work possible.  Financial donations welcomed. 

Please check out the thank you letters and drawings from the children we have included with this piece.

During the 2011 year, Esperanza Lozoya and Palomas volunteers, with the aid of those of you who came forward, distributed over 40,000 pounds of food to families inside Palomas.

500 children a day were also served a meal during the six-week Palomas Child Summer meal program, and 776 Palomas children received packets of school supplies, while 57 were aided with registration fees to attend school.

There were eight large monthly family food distributions. Remote areas of Chihuahua, where many have fled, were also served with school supply packets and food.

Over 350 Palomas families are registered with the Outreach. A free daily meal is served to seniors and the disabled, and the Outreach is committed to doing large monthly family food distributions.

Our largest source of food is orders of beans that come in through Diaz Farms in Deming, who takes orders of beans for the Outreach, to be picked up by Victoria Tester, 33 dollars for a 100- pound bag, at 575-546-7264.

Humanitarian worker Esperanza Lozoya works as always, on a month to month basis to ease the huge suffering caused by Mexico's crisis. We begin every month with little but hope. Please help us help the children celebrate this Easter with joy.

Humanitarian aid to the Mexico border

NM Non-Perishable Food Drop off Locations:

DEMING, at DIAZ FARMS.

SILVER CITY, at both FOOD BASKET grocery stores, the one in Silver City and the one in Bayard.

Financial Donations Welcomed!

For more information, contact
Victoria Tester, U.S. Coordinator for Palomas Outreach childrenofpalomas@yahoo.com   575-536-9726 

FAQ and answers
1. Can you accept used shoes?

We can only accept new shoes for this 2012 Easter drive, with one exception: shoes that are in very good condition, and in a shoe box.

We regret this, but it is due to the more stringent requirements we are facing with the Mexican authorities in getting any used textiles across.

2. What kind of shoe is best to donate? Shoes that will hold up on dirt roads and dusty streets. Velcro-closing ones are nice, too, to spare the family any later expense of shoe laces. Boys must have a pair of black casual shoes in order to attend school. But we and the children will be happy to recieve any and all new shoes!

2. Should the Easter basket be assembled?

Ideally, no, so that Palomas volunteers can assemble each basket as equitably as possible, and also use donated materials for the Easter egg hunt at the Outreach building. Ideally, we would like to recieve donations of baskets, plastic eggs, and candy. The Dollar Stores are wonderful resources for these things.