The fall/winter campaign has so far raised $32,794 USD bringing us very close to our $36,000 goal to cover the expense of clinic operations for 2024. EDM residents contributed 37% or $12,800, of the total raised. The remainder came from outside the EDM community from those doctors, dentists, nurses, hygienists, and other good friends of Barrón who have consistently volunteered their services and contributed their money to support the Barrón clinic.
Muchas Gracias!
Construction of the new Barrón Medical/Dental Clinic and Community Center is well underway. La Viña leader, Fred Collum, and architect Miguel Torres are in charge of the project. Fred, with a little help from FOB and Rotary Clubs in the USA and Mazatlán, continues to work hard to raise the funds required to finish the project. Miguel is the project architect and manager. If construction fundraising goals are met, Barron will have a new Clinic and Community Center by summer 2024. Upon completion, FOB will donate and transfer all medical and dental equipment, supplies, pharmacy and furniture to La Viña and the new Clinic. With current FOB medical and dental staff, La Viña will take over the permanent operation and management of the Clinic and Community Center. FOB will assist with future fundraising efforts.
Thanks to our generous donors, we are halfway to our $36,000 USD annual fundraising goal. Funds raised so far will keep clinic doors open through May, 2024. An anonymous donor has offered to match any donation (up to $10,000 USD) made by 15 Jan 2024. Please consider doubling your giving power and help us capture this generous offer by donating today. Any amount will be greatly appreciated!
DONATE BY CHECK: Please make your check payable to FOB CANAM INC and mail it to: FOB CANAM INC 18 Oxford Ranch Road, Laramie, WY 82070
VIA ZELLE: Send your donation to Richard McGuire 307-760-1713
Thank you for your interest in the program. FOB CANAM INC is a 501(C)(3) registered charity in the US (EIN 81-4719413), therefore your donation is fully deductible against US federal income tax. Upon receipt of your donation you will be sent a formal tax receipt.
I hope this email finds you and yours happy and healthy in this Holiday Season. As with every year, I would like to update you on the efforts and accomplishments of Friends of Barrón, and to ask for your continued support and generosity as we enter our Annual Fund Raiser.
Your past support for the FOB Medical/Dental clinic has been a huge help. Would you consider a financial gift to the clinic? We have teamed up with La Viña, a local charity, and they are now in the midst of constructing the permanent Medical/Dental Clinic (completion scheduled for summer 2024). This is a vision that is finally coming to fruition after years of planning. The realization of this dream is at our fingertips and your ongoing support will get us past the finish line!
The clinic is humming a long like a well oiled machine, operations funded by FOB. Here is what your donation will support:
Doctor, nurse and dentist coverage to provide service to 150 patients a month (this is double last year’s patient load).
Provision of prescription drugs to the poorest citizens for free from our pharmacy. Due to increased use and compliance with vital drug therapies, pharmacy expenses are much higher.
Expansion of the dental clinic that provides a wide range of dental services to Barrón adults as well as fluoride treatment to the Kindergarten, elementary and secondary school children; over 400 Barrón kids!
Equipping the new permanent Medical/Dental Clinic building with supplies, staff and equipment to continue the operation of the FOB clinic in a durable location. This clinic is and will continue to be a fixture of the Barrón community.
As you can see, we have a lot of good to continue to do, and your donation this year will help make that happen. Our goal is to raise $36,000 USD, which will keep the clinic running in 2024.
Our Barrón-resident clinic administrator, Ana (aka Chula), put together a fantastic video, take a look!
VIA ZELLE: Send your donation to Richard McGuire 307-760-1713
Thank you for your interest in the program. FOB CANAM INC is a 501(C)(3) registered charity in the US (EIN 81-4719413), therefore your donation is fully deductible against US federal income tax. Upon receipt of your donation you will be sent a formal tax receipt.
The FOB Scholarship program is in its fifteenth year of operation and we are proud to announce the acceptance of five new university students. Scholarships for the 2023 – 2024 school year are $850 USD per student. This amount covers about one-third to one-half of annual expenses depending upon the university attended and the curriculum pursued. Most curricula are four years in length plus a one year internship. With these five new students, FOB currently has twenty-six students on university scholarship; twenty-three have sponsors.
If you would like to sponsor a student please contact Richard McGuire at richardmcg@aol.com.
The five listed below and three are still in need of sponsors:
Escarlet Dexire – age 19 – Escarlet is in her first year at the Polytechnical University of Sinaloa in Mazatlán studying computer engineering. Her interest is in industrial automation and robotic systems. Her career goals are to work for one of the many automobile manufacturing companies in Mexico after graduation. While in university, Escarlet works part-time as a waitress and cashier at local restaurants and is able to contribute $1000 pesos a month towards her education; her family contributes $2000 pesos per month.
Escarlet Sponsored by Bob and Kate Swindell
Dania Paulina – age 19 – Dania is enrolled in the University of Sinaloa in Mazatlán in her second year, pursuing a degree in law. She maintains a B+ average in university. In her spare time, Dania enjoys reading and excersize and is a member of a group charged with cleaning up their community and its beaches. She works part-time as a tutor to younger students and as a nanny. Between her and her family, they contribute $2400 pesos a month towards her education.
Dania Paulina Sponsored by Sheila Lynora
Dulce Princessa – age 18 – Dulce was a straight A student graduating from high school and was easily accepted into the Technological Institute of Mazatlán where she is in her first year of computer engineering, focusing on Information Systems. Dulce has worked at EDM as a maid and as a Las Delfines cashier. She plans to work part-time and contribute $500 persos per month to her education; her parents are able to contribute $1000 a month.
Dulce Sponsored by Lee and Debbie Slupianek
Bethzy Noemi – age 17 – Bethzy is enrolled in her first year at the University of Sinaloa at Mazatlán studying law, a five year program. Her carrer goal is to become a notario. During her tenure as a university student, she plans to help disdvanteged people in Barrón with free legal advice. She works weekends, usually as a nanny, and contributes $1600 pesos per month to her education. In her spare time she likes to read and listen to music.
Bethzy Sponsored by Ben Brahinsky
Luis Francisco – age 18 – Luis is in his first year at the University of Sinaloa studying fashion design. Luis is very artistic. In his spare time, he makes piñatas for the kids in Barrón. It is his strong desire to be the first in his family to earn a University degree. One of his goals after graduation is to come back to Barrón to give free courses in tailoring and marketing of home-made clothing products. He helps Bob and Kate Swindell on weekends with beach cleanup around Barrón and at the mouth of the Presidio River,
On Friday, a ten-year old dream came true. A large backhoe extended its boom and began preparing the empty lot on the corner of Sixth and Rio Streets in Barrón.
La Viña leader Fred Collum (far left with flag), officers of the three Mazatlán Rotary Clubs, the president of Barrón, FOBs Richard McGuire, La Viña’s Miguel “the Architect”, and the president of the ejido celebrate the start of construction.
The planned three story building will provide youth activities, instructional classrooms, and care for the homeless. But the most important aspect of the structure is that it will permanently house FOBs fully staffed medical and dental clinic.
Computer generated images of the completed clinic.
Upon completion, FOB will donate all the medical and dental equipment to the community of Barrón. With FOB’s help and continued financial support, La Viña will take over the management of the clinic.
Friends of Barrón would like to thank the many donors who have contributed to this worthy cause over the years.
FOB is proud to announce the acceptance of eight new highly qualified university students into its scholarship program. To continue in this program, each student needs a sponsor. Sponsorships are USD 700 per school year. Below you will find the profiles of each student. Hopefully, you will find some common interest in one or more of these fine people and agree to support them financially. Past and present sponsors will attest to the many personal and cross cultural benefits they enjoy from their relationships with their students and student families in Barrón.
BREAKING NEWS! Tania has been sponsored by John and Sandra Davis.
Tania – 21 years old
A first-generation Barrón High School graduate, Tania likes to read in her free time. She works as a waitress in a Stone Island restaurant to help pay for her education. She is in her first semester at the Teacher’s University of Sinaloa in Villa Union where she maintains an A average. Her after-school project in Barrón is to tutor kids who have dropped out of school or are failing. Her long-term goal is to create a recreation/daycare center in Barrón as a safe place to leave kids when parents go to work. Currently, Barrón has no such facility.
Merichel has been sponsored by an anonymous person
Merischel – 18 years old
Mery likes to play soccer and is an amateur photographer. She works as a waitress at Panamás in Mazatlán to supplement her expenses. Mery is in her second year at the Technical University of Durango in Mazatlán, studying to become a customs agent. Mery lives with her parents, who are helping with the cost of her education. Her dream is to help industrialize for export agricultural and fishery products produced in Barrón. She sees packing plants and processing facilities as essential to the future development of the farming industry in Barrón.
BREAKING NEWS!! Lance & Jeremy are going to support Juan Manuel
Juan Manuel – 18 years old
Juan Manuel loves to swim and play volleyball. He works on the weekends as a Stone Island waiter to contribute to his education. He is majoring in physical therapy and has completed two semesters at the Superior Technological Institute of Mazatlán, where he maintains a 9.72 GPA. His interest is in medical services, and he wants to provide low-cost in-home physical therapy care to Barron’s poorest residents.
BREAKING NEWS!! Jessica has been sponsored by Margaret Perez.
Jessica – 18 years old
Jessica is in her first year at the Teachers University of Sinaloa in Mazatlán, maintaining a 9.8 GPA. She has previously worked in a daycare center and plans on continuing to do so during her vacations from school. She has asked to use the space at our dental/medical clinic in Barrón on weekends when we are not open to help tutor poor-performing students.
Erika has been sponsored by Dave and Bonni Canary
Erika – 17 years old
Erika is in her first year at the Teaching College University in Concordia, Sinaloa, where she maintains a 9.0 GPA. Erika has to work at least eight hours a week to contribute to her education because her only source of funds is from her parents, who are day laborers in the agricultural industry in Barrón. Her mother became sick this year and can no longer contribute financially. Like the others, Erika plans to give back to her community by working with other student teachers in Barrón to tutor kids who are not doing well. She wants to form a homework club to work with disadvantaged kids.
BREAKING NEWS!! Both Marias have been sponsored by Sandy Vernon and Mike Winey
María del Sol – 18 years old
María is in her second year at the University of Sinaloa in Mazatlán, studying to become a psychologist in a five-year program. She graduated from Barrón High School and finished her first year at the university with a 9.75 average. Her only financial support comes from her father, who also supports her twin sister, María del Mar (also in the scholarship program).
María del Mar – 18 years old
Identical twin to María del Sol, María del Mar’s favorite pastimes are reading and listening to music. She is a recent graduate of Barrón High School and is in her second year at the University of Sinaloa at Mazatlán, studying to become a lawyer. She completed her last semester with a 9.75 GPA. Her great ambition is to provide pro bono legal services to poor people in her community, and eventually would like to enter politics as the mayor of Barrón (Comisaria de Barrón). In that position, she hopes to do some real good for her community.
BREAKING NEWS! NAYLETH HAS BEEN SPONSORED BY LEE SMITH
Nayleth – 20 years old
Nayleth is in her third year of university and has yet to find a sponsor. Nayleth attends Mazatlan’s school of fine arts studying to become a preschool teacher. She has a one-year-old child, and with her mother’s help babysitting, she can maintain a solid B average. Her ultimate goal after graduation is to open a new daycare center in Barrón to provide this vital service for the many working mothers.
If you would like to sponsor one of these fine students, please contact Richard McGuire (richardmcg@aol.com), Dale Lyster (dale.lyster@gmail.com), or just reply to this blog. Your student will be in frequent email contact with you to report their progress and to introduce you to their families if you wish to develop a closer relationship.
Arlete is a scholarship recipient studying Fisheries Biology. She recently participated in a field trip to the northern Sea of Cortez to study Totoaba, shrimp, abalone and oyster propagation. Totoaba are endangered by unregulated Chinese factory fishers who value the fish’s swim bladder for use in herbal medical treatments to boost fertility. Their illegal harvest has also endangered the small endemic porpoise called Vaquita. The vaquita become entangled in the nets the Chinese factory ships cast to catch Totoaba and they drown.
Arlete will be on the front lines of the battle to save these two species when she graduates next year. Her sponsors, Dick and Kris McGuire are also biologists and are thrilled to see their $700 a year in scholarship donations put to such good use.
Friends of Barròn encourages those who have a vocation to find a suitable candidate among the upcoming Class of 2023 whose ambitions they could mentor, to step up to the plate and sponsor a university career. Watch this space for more information about our new scholars.
Over the past fifteen years, FOB CANAM Inc has awarded eighty-seven annual university scholarships. Among those scholars, forty-one have graduated from a university, twenty-six remain enrolled, and twenty have left the program without a university degree for various reasons, including relocation, marriage, and a need to work for pay.
Of the forty-one graduates:
Sixteen are now Certified Teachers
Four are Engineers
Three are Social Workers
Four are Nurses
Three are in the Merchant Marine
Three hold Business degrees
One is a Medical Doctor
Two are Dentists
One is a Chef
One is a Psychologist
One is a Physical Therapist
One is a Lawyer
One is an Accountant
One is a Fisheries Biologist
Of those continuing their studies, we have more Teachers and other professionals in training. These young Barrón residents’ accomplishments are humbling, and we are indebted to those who have and continue to sponsor them. Thank you.
FOB CANAM INC {501(C)(3)} 