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 News from Around Banderas Bay | July 2007 
Red Cross Helps the Kids at Casa Hogar
 Ariel Duenas - PVNN
| | Cruz Roja Puerto Vallarta recently made a special delivery at the Casa Hogar Maximo Cornejo orphanage, bringing a large supply of food for the kids. | 
| | Ing. Uriel, volunteers Robin and Daniel, Casa Hogar Director, Ms. Rocio and the kids pause for a picture. | 
| | Ms. Aurora and the kids welcome Ing. Uriel to Casa Hogar Maximo Cornejo orphanage. | 
| | After unloading the supplies, the kids climb up on the ambulance to play Paramedics for a few minutes. | 
| | Red Cross Paramedic Jules and Tourist Program Manager, Mike T. Garrison. | 
| | Puerto Vallarta Cruz Roja General Director, Ing Uriel Almaraz. |
On Friday, June 29th, Chief Ing. Uriel Almaraz Castro of Cruz Roja Puerto Vallarta, together with volunteers Robin S. and Daniel A. of Global Volunteer Projects, made a special delivery at the Casa Hogar Maximo Cornejo orphanage, bringing a large supply of food for the kids.
They were greeted by a bunch of happy faces and a warm welcome from the children and Casa Hogar administrator, Rocio. Then, once the truck was ready, the kids lined up to start unloading the truck. They all wanted to help, so in a very impressive and organized way the truck was unloaded in a very few minutes.
The reason the had Chief decided to bring the donations himself this time was because he wanted to talk about some important matters with the staff, make sure the orphanage's medicine supply was adequate, and also to help transfer one of the boys at Casa Hogar to Guadalajara for medical care.
"This kid needs special attention," said Rocio, "he's been here for almost 12 years... now he's almost an adult and he has special needs due to his illness."
"I believe we can help with the transfer" Ing. Uriel said. As he was speaking to Aurora and Rocio, who run Casa Hogar, the kids where getting ready for the afternoon shift of school, while other volunteers were busy taking care of the babies.
After delivering the donation and taking the kids up on the ambulance to play paramedics for a few minutes, Ing. Uriel Almaraz and the volunteers said goodbye to the kids and the staff. "Ready to go, Ariel?" he asked. Then he jump up into the ambulance - only to realize that leaving the lights on for the kids had drained the battery.
So we jump started the ambulance and off they went. Out of the Cruz Roja Puerto Vallarta fleet of six ambulances only two work, but they too are in dire need of repairs and medical equipment.
These are the ambulances that carry the paramedics who save lives everyday with their own hands, who, with as little equipment as possible, help everybody in need, anyone who does not have a penny - or a peso in this case. They are the true heroes of our country.
Ing Uriel mentioned "Here at P.V.R.C. we are in the middle. In Europe the Red Cross only provides assistance for special events, in Palestina and Gaza the Red Cross is the Golden Red Cross, they take care of people wounded by bombs and rockets, but here we are in the middle..."
The P.V.R.C. took a big 360 degree turn at the beginning of this year. When Ing. Uriel Almaraz took over as the General Director in January, the Red Cross was under a much more bureaucratic management. But now, Almaraz is expanding the organization's horizons, working side-by-side with his crew to guide the local Red Cross towards providing better services to more people in need.
The P.V.R.C. now has an International and bilingual staff, like Lic. T.U.M. Michael T. Garrison Adams, a former policeman from the US who has participated in Red Cross programs across Mexico and other countries for many years. Adams is now working as a volunteer, coordinating the "Tourist Asistance Program" and instructing new volunteers.
Like the young volunteers from the United Kingdom, E.M.T. Mark Dean, Paramedic and member of the British Red Cross; Robin Simson, a student nurse who has been working at the Vallarta Red Cross for two months and Daniel Azamzadeh, who is also member of the British Red Cross; all of the volunteers from Global Volunteer Projects and students from the Medical University in Guadalajara have been helping the great staff here in Puerto Vallarta.
Then there are the heroes, like Paramedic Jianino, who was saved by the P.V.R.C. a few years ago and after recovering decided to join in; or Paramedic "Jules" a guy with a heart bigger than his chest who just wants to help the most needed ones!
All of them deserve our respect and gratitude, so please everybody, next time you see them coming in your rearview mirror - move to the right and stay there!
Ariel Duenas is the Wild Life Coordinator for WILD TRAVELLERS and Global Volunteer Projects and an active volunteer at several charitable and non-profit organizations in Puerto Vallarta and around Banderas Bay. To learn how you can help him make the world a better place, write to ariel@globalvolunteerprojects.org. |
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