| | |  Vallarta Living | July 2008 
Poverty in Mexico Prompts Woman to Start Non-Profit Group
 The Canadian Press
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When Christena Callaghan went to Mexico in 2006, she had no idea how it would change her life.
The trip to Puerto Vallarta opened her eyes to the poverty in the city, and has led her to create a non-profit organization called Angels for Mexico to help them in any way she can.
The Charlottetown native, who now lives in Calgary with her family, said after her first trip, she emailed a friend from the country to see what she could do.
What followed was a response about how numerous Mexicans were freezing to death in the mountainous regions due to lack of proper clothing.
“I thought, `How can you freeze to death, it’s Mexico?’ ”
With the help of many generous friends, she shipped 52 cases of clothing to the country, which sparked the interest of local fire and ambulance crews in Mexico.
“They said, `Can we meet her?’ ” she said. “They were so happy someone cared.”
From speaking to them, Callaghan learned their situation was no better.
There was only one fire suit for 44 firefighters, forcing them to battle blazes in T-shirts. They served a population of 300,000 with one truck, as the other two were broken down.
“It’s a disaster waiting to happen,” she said, adding only one ambulance served the area.
After hearing their stories, Callaghan founded the non-profit organization and went on the hunt for fire gear.
With help from the Calgary Fire Department and a local trucking company, the organization sent seven skids of equipment to Puerto Vallarta.
The donation was featured in a two-page spread in a local newspaper, which she brought back to the Calgary firefighters.
Callaghan said firefighters interested in helping to train their Mexican counterparts can contact her through the organization’s website — www.angelsformexico.com. |
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