covid-19 Family Aid

The sudden rise of Covid-19 cases left a devastating impact in the local villages. Our secluded area of the coast had been a safe haven from the global pandemic, but in early July 2021, people began getting sick. Only after several people died did the residents of the local villages realize the importance of taking precautions to protect themselves, their families, and their neighbors. They began wearing masks, keeping a safe distance, canceling family gatherings, and getting vaccinated. As a result, the curve is now leveling out, but the damage cannot be undone. Click here to read in more detail about how the situation unfolded in the local villages.

Our team initially identified ten families who were in need of immediate financial assistance because of outstanding debts or ongoing loss of income due to Covid. Thanks to the timely and generous support from our community of donors, we were able to fund the requests from these ten families as well as four additional families.

On our end, we are providing social supports for these families and individuals. In cases where grief counseling is needed, we are sending a psychologist. For adults who have lost their source of income, we are enrolling them in our Vocational Training Center to train them in a career field and help them to find employment. If children were impacted, we are offering educational assistance and make sure they are included in any extracurricular programming we are able to offer. We will maintain open communication with these families to remain responsive to their needs as they evolve and provide the resources that will expand their opportunities, putting them on the path to regaining emotional stability and financial security.

Corona family – Juan Gil Preciado
When Candelaria Corona was diagnosed with Covid, she, her husband Ismael, and their two children (ages 9 and 11) isolated themselves in their home so as not to risk infecting other members of their community. Before this, Candelaria worked selling fruits and vegetables in their village and Ismael worked in agricultural fire control, but neither has been able to work since Candelaria became ill. With no income and medical costs of 3,500 pesos as well as their everyday expenses, they have spent what little money that they had saved. They are in need of 6,000 pesos per month for their basic necessities.
Total amount requested: $1,975 USD ($175 as a one-time payment plus $300 monthly)

Cervantes Martínez family – Miguel Hidalgo Viejo
Evaristo Cervantes, a worker in the papaya fields, was the head of a very large household. He and his brother both fell ill and passed away from Covid just three days apart, leaving behind ten family members in their home – Evaristo’s wife Mariana and their five children, two of whom are single mothers with two children each (ages 3, 6, 9, and 11). Five of these family members also contracted Covid but fortunately have since recovered. The family spent 62,000 pesos on medical treatments and the two funerals; they were able to pay just over half of this using their savings, but they still owe 30,000 pesos and do not have the resources to repay this debt. The youngest son, Juan Manuel, age 20, dropped out of school in order to work to support his family, and the youngest daughter, Miriam Adriana, age 18, is planning to do the same. Even so, there are few jobs available in the current climate, and the family is in need of 7,000 pesos per month to cover their basic living expenses.
Total amount requested: $3,600 USD ($1,500 as a one-time payment plus $350 monthly)

Juárez García family – Agua Caliente Nueva
Guillermo Juárez – a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather – passed away from Covid in July, leaving behind his wife Yesenia and their three children. He was the sole provider for his family: two sons (11 and 13 years old) and daughter Noemi, a young single mother of a two-year-old boy, for whom she has no other financial support. The bills for Guillermo’s medical treatments and subsequent funeral costs amounted to 34,000 pesos, which they were able to pay by spending all of their savings and receiving contributions from family members. The family is requesting psychological counseling for their son Luis, who has fallen into a depression following his father’s death, as well as a monthly contribution of 8,000 pesos to cover their household expenses.
Total amount requested: $2,400 USD ($400 monthly)

Valdez family – Juan Gil Preciado
All nine members of this multigenerational family (six adults and three children, ages 1, 5, and 6 years old) were infected with Covid. The grandparents, Basilio and Socorro, had to be taken to the hospital in Colima twice for treatment, incurring medical costs of 60,000 pesos. Basilio did not recover and passed away in the hospital. The remaining members of the family have all recovered and are seeking the means to repay their debts and earn a living. Four of the adults are now working in the fields, three caring for cattle and one growing pineapples, between them earning barely enough for the family to survive. The oldest of the siblings is a carpenter but has been unable to find work because the members of his community are afraid he will spread Covid, even though he is no longer contagious. Their small amount of savings was just enough to provide food for the family during the time they were confined to the house, but they do not have the means to repay their debts.
Total amount requested: $3,000 USD (one-time payment)

Juan de Dios family – Chamela
Neftaly Juan de Dios, a construction worker, lives with his wife Delgadina, a stay-at-home mom, and their three young children (ages 2, 4, and 7). When the entire family fell ill to Covid, they lost their only source of income since Neftaly had to stop working. They are all on the road to recovery but Neftaly remains weak and unable to return to work, and they have spent the small amount of savings they had on medical expenses and food during these past few weeks. They feel fortunate to not be in debt, but they are in need of 7,000 pesos per month to survive.
Total amount requested: $2,100 USD ($350 monthly)

Gonzáles Zárate family – Agua Caliente Nueva
Rosa González and her mother Margarita had a small restaurant where they cooked and served dinner. They closed the restaurant when they both became ill with Covid and sadly, due to complications from diabetes, Margarita did not recover. Margarita was raising her 9-year-old granddaughter Yuneli, and Rosa has taken over this responsibility, now a single mother raising her niece. The medical and funeral costs amounted to 70,000 pesos, and Rosa is left with an outstanding debt of 30,000 pesos. She and her mother each used to earn 1,000 pesos a week in the restaurant, but she now has no source of income as she is unable to reopen due to the pandemic.
Total amount requested: $3,900 USD ($1,500 as a one-time payment plus $400 monthly)

Gómez Flores family – Emiliano Zapata
Martín Gómez Flores is a carpenter living with his parents and brother. He and his sister María del Carmen are the financial providers for their family, but they were both forced to stop working when they became infected with Covid, which then passed to their mother and father, both of whom have now lost their lives to the disease. They obtained a loan of 12,000 pesos from a family member in order to cover their medical expenses, which they do not have the resources to repay, as well as 6,500 pesos for funeral costs. Martín and María are unable to get back to work as they are still recovering from the aftermath of the illness, so they are requesting aid in the form of 7,000 pesos to cover six weeks of lost wages to be able to cover their day-to-day living costs.
Total amount requested: $1,275 USD (one-time payment)

Ballardo Martínez family – Chamela
Soledad Martínez and her husband Ramón Ballardo both fell ill to Covid and while she has since recovered, he passed away. She now lives alone and is now looking for work; one of her adult sons is able to provide her with enough money for her to eat, but she is left without any savings and with a debt of 13,000 pesos for her husband’s funeral costs. Her economic situation is further complicated by the fact that her other adult son relies upon her for support as he is disabled, and she also has diabetes and hypertension. She is in need of 8,000 pesos per month to cover their cost of living.
Total amount requested: $3,050 USD ($650 as a one-time payment plus $400 monthly)

Verduzco Méndez family – Francisco Villa
Edgar Adán Verduzco and his wife María Lucia Méndez ran the taco stand on the main street in Francisco Villa (la Taquería de Villa). Edgar passed away this past January, and in August, his wife fell ill to Covid and tragically also died. They left behind their son Oswaldo, age 24, and their niece Anahí, age 12, whom they had adopted as a baby and considered their daughter. Oswaldo, who works as a cook in a Careyes home, has assumed full responsibility for his home and his “sister” Anahí. The parents’ medical treatments and funeral expenses amounted to 55,000 pesos, and the children are now left without any savings as everything they had was used to cover these costs. Both Oswaldo and Anahí have requested therapy to help them deal with the loss of their parents and move forward together.
Total amount requested: $1,500 USD ($250 monthly)

Baños Yañez family – Emiliano Zapata
Laura Alicia Baños works as a seamstress from her home in Zapata. In August, Laura fell ill to Covid, as did the rest of her household – her elderly mother Olivia and her adolescent son José Manuel. They all became so sick that they did not know if they would recover, but after several rounds of treatments administered by a local doctor, they have all regained their health. These injections cost 1,900 pesos each, which they could not afford to pay, but as the doctor is a family friend, he provided the treatment on credit, leaving them with a debt of 16,000 pesos.
Total amount requested: $800 USD (one-time payment)

Hernández family – Chamela
Doña Martha, age 78, lives alone with her adult son, who is severely disabled from a brain injury. Due to her age and poor health (diabetes, hypertension, and poor circulation), she is unable to work. When she and her son fell ill to Covid, their neighbors helped them by bringing groceries, and Martha’s daughter traveled the 12 miles from Morelos to take them for medical care. They have now recovered physically but are in debt from the cost of the medical treatments and have no current source of income.
Total amount requested: $1,200 USD ($200 monthly)