Playa Del Carmen and Tulum Mexico Real Estate | STARTING THE YEAR WITH THE MAGIC OF KINDNESS

STARTING THE YEAR WITH THE MAGIC OF KINDNESS

In many families, the Christmas holiday is the perfect time for gathering around a table full of food, overlooking a Christmas tree surrounded by gifts for all the children. The picture is sadly not the same for all families. The poorest are struggling to find their children's clothing and shoes throughout the year.

In Playa del Carmen, there are several organizations dedicated to helping these families. This year, the community of Cristo Rey, located a few kilometers West of Playa del Carmen, received some much-needed support. In this remote jungle community, there is no electricity for several pre-established hours during the day and night, but even with this constraint, the children of this community attend school every day. The teachers do their best to give them a solid education that will enable them to find a job in the future and to provide for their own families.

Christina Fiscal Calabrese, a teacher from the United States and a resident of Cristo Rey, teaches her students the importance of speaking English in order to be able to get a job in Quintana Roo, a state where international tourism dominates the labor market. Yesterday, Christina received us in her community to bring some support and holiday cheer to the most disadvantaged families. With the collaborative efforts of Kick4Kids and KKIS (Keeping Kids In School) as well as Crystal Flauaus, Allan Lockhart and Gayle Collins, instigator of this wonderful project this year, we were able to bring the children, shoes and bags filled with toys for every single one of them, all thanks to the generosity of the people who gave donations to both organizations.

Jose Adan, professor at the Cristo Rey School, generously offered his property for the day, to welcome the children to pick up their gifts and enjoy a gathering with other members of the community. Adan is deeply involved in the community, especially with children and families most in need. His land, where he lives with his family of five, will also be used in the near future as part of a new government project which will host the most disadvantaged families and provide each one of them with two meals a day.

After the gifts and shoes were distributed and everyone had enjoyed a slice of traditional "Rosca de Reyes", we had the chance to visit the school and several homes where Gayle and volunteers were able to distribute supplies to several families most in need.

The hard work of volunteers, the support of local organizations like the Seaside Rotary Club and generous donations from the public made all this possible, giving children a glimmer of hope in these difficult times.

If you would like to make a contribution and support the communities that surround you on the Riviera Maya, please contact Gayle Collins (KKiS): kkisproject@gmail.comor Michele Kinnon (Kicks4Kids, Rotary) michelekinnon@gmail.com for more information.