Help Keep Chacala Strong

Help Keep Chacala Strong

From Amigos de Chacaleños

The closure of businesses and services due to the COVID-19 pandemic has created an enormous economic loss for Chacala. Help Chacala stay strong through these tough times by supporting local families.

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Update #2

over 3 years ago

Hello, friends.

We’re writing today with another update on our project, which has been highly successful in fulfilling its mission thus far.

At present, businesses in Chacala have begun to reopen. Restaurants and hotels are operating (at reduced capacity), construction work has resumed, and fisherman have returned to the water. The beach remains closed, which significantly limits the number of tourists Chacala is receiving, but in general there is more employment opportunity now than there was when we began this program.

Unfortunately, COVID case numbers and hospitalizations are on the rise throughout Nayarit and all of Mexico. Some states are considering reinstating lockdowns, which could presumably happen here in Nayarit as well.

We have just distributed the final round of food and supplies to families. A portion of funds are being retained in an emergency account to address any pressing needs that materialize such as medical expenses, families struggling to pay utility bills, etc.

To date, your donations have gone a long way toward providing much-needed assistance to Chacala residents during these challenging times. We served approximately 100 families on a bi-weekly basis. In total, 775 food and supply boxes were distributed throughout the months of April, May, June, and July.

To break the numbers down even further, this equates to 800 kg (1,764 pounds) each of beans, tomatoes, onions, sugar, and rice; 2,325 cans of tuna, 3100 rolls of toilet paper; and 23,250 eggs! Some of the other items included in the distributions were detergent, toothpaste, cooking oil, salt, and pasta.

We have extended the Fundly deadline to July 31st. This gives you a bit more time to make another donation if you would like to do so. We will continue to analyze the situation and may need to ask for more support in the near future.

We have received many messages of gratitude from those who are receiving food and supplies from the program. It is our hope that Chacala soon begins to return to some semblance of normal. In the meantime, we will keep everyone updated. Thanks so much for your generosity and good thoughts during this time. Be well and stay healthy!

More Info

(texto en español abajo)

Hello friends,

We hope you and your family are safe and well. Here in beautiful Chacala, we are beginning to feel the economic effects of the pandemic. Fortunately, local governments and residents are taking the threat seriously. The beach is now off-limits, most businesses and all hotels are closed, and a roadblock has been set up to limit non-residents and tourists from entering town. 

We are hopeful that these measures will help to protect the health of our most vulnerable neighbors in this uncertain time. However, the result is a substantial loss of both income and employment, which most greatly impacts those who already live on an extremely tight budget. With a local economy dependent on tourism, the closure of all related businesses and services during Semana Santa and Semana Pascua creates an enormous economic loss. These national holidays usually bring upwards of 3,000 visitors and several million pesos worth of economic activity to Chacala.

This abrupt and immediate loss, coupled with the lack of certainty as to when businesses will resume operations or how tourism will be affected in the near future, has brought local community members together to help address Chacala’s most pressing needs. For that purpose, this fund has been established to begin the immediate distribution of food and other necessary support to Chacaleños. 

We are asking for your cooperation in this effort. We are soliciting donations that will be used to put food on tables. We will be working with local grocers - our intention being to keep as much of the project and its benefits here in Chacala. In this first phase, all money received will be used to purchase the groceries that will fill the boxes.

We will be starting with 60 food boxes biweekly, at a cost of 500 pesos (about $21 USD) per box. Each box will support one family for two weeks.  Boxes will consist of staples such as rice, beans, tortillas, vegetables, as well as hygiene and cleaning products. We expect the need for boxes to increase as the situation continues to unfold and evolve, and we would like to remain in a position to offer relief for at least the next several months. 

In future phases of this project, we may need to look at offering direct financial assistance to help pay for important expenses such as propane for cooking, costs associated with hospitalization, and other necessities beyond food.

A generous donation on your part would go a long way toward assisting us in establishing this effort. Unfortunately, we assume that this will be an ongoing project that will require sustained dedication. Thus, we will likely continue to ask for your support throughout the coming months. Local community members and their families are also generously donating to this effort, and have already pledged 40,000 pesos to kick start the project. We estimate that we will need to raise an additional 450,000 pesos (about $20,000 USD) to support this effort for the next 4-6 months.

We truly appreciate any support that you are able to offer at this time.

Chacala is an incredible community. Together, and with your help, we will make it through this challenging time.

Saludos,

Amigos de Chacaleños  

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Hola amigos,

Esperamos que todos se encuentren bien al igual que sus familias. En nuestro bello Chacala, comenzamos a sentir el efecto económico de la pandemia. Afortunadamente, el gobierno local y los habitantes están tomando esta amenaza con seriedad. La playa y los hoteles están cerrados, así como la mayoría de los negocios. Se instaló un filtro de seguridad en la entrada del pueblo para limitar el ingreso de personas que no viven aquí, al igual que a turistas.

Tenemos la esperanza de que estas medidas ayudarán a proteger la salud de nuestros vecinos más vulnerables en estos tiempos inciertos. Sin embargo, el resultado también se traduce en una pérdida sustancial, tanto de ingresos como de empleos, lo cual está impactando enormemente a aquellos que viven con un presupuesto al día. La economía de Chacala depende del turismo, y el cierre de todos sus negocios y servicios durante Semana Santa y Semana de Pascua, ha creado una tremenda pérdida económica. Estas fechas generalmente atraen alrededor de 3,000 visitantes, el equivalente a varios millones de pesos para Chacala y sus familias.

Esta pérdida inmediata e inesperada, junto con la incertidumbre de cuándo se podrán reanudar las actividades para los negocios y sin conocer cómo afectará esto al turismo en el futuro próximo, ha unido a miembros de la comunidad de Chacala para ayudar a sus vecinos y familiares más vulnerables económicamente. Se creó un fondo para este propósito y con ello iniciar con la distribución inmediata de comida y subsanar otras necesidades de los Chacaleños.

Estamos pidiendo de su cooperación en este esfuerzo. Solicitamos donaciones que serán utilizadas para poner comida sobre las mesas de las familias más necesitadas. Trabajaremos con proveedores locales; nuestra intención es mantener la mayoría de los beneficios dentro de Chacala. En esta primera fase, todo el dinero recaudado será utilizado para comprar comida y crear despensas.

Iniciaremos con 60 despensas cada quincena y el costo por cada una será de $500 pesos. Cada despensa dará sustento a una familia por dos semanas. Las despensas consistirán de productos básicos, tales como: arroz, frijoles, tortilla, verduras, al igual que productos higiénicos y de limpieza. Estimamos que conforme continúe evolucionando la situación, el requerimiento de estas despensas aumentará. Por lo tanto, nos gustaría permanecer en una posición de apoyo por lo menos durante algunos meses.

En las fases futuras de este proyecto, quizá tengamos que ofrecer asistencia económica directa para pagos importantes, tales como: gas para cocinar, costos de hospitalización, y otras necesidades, más allá de la comida.

Una generosa donación de su parte nos ayudaría mucho para contribuir y apoyar este esfuerzo, asumimos que este proyecto se extenderá y requerirá dedicación para sostenerlo, por lo tanto lo más probable es que volvamos a pedir de su apoyo durante los siguientes meses. Algunos miembros de la comunidad local y sus familias también están haciendo una generosa donación de $40,000 pesos para dar inicio a este proyecto. Estimamos que necesitaremos recaudar $450,000 pesos adicionales (aproximadamente $20,000 USD) para apoyar este esfuerzo durante los próximos 4 a 6 meses. 

Agradecemos sinceramente cualquier apoyo que puedas contribuir en este momento.

Hay dos formas de donar: por nuestra pagina Fundly www.fundly.com/amigos-de-chacalenos o, aqui en Chacala, una donación en efectivo es apreciado y se la podrá entregar a Karla Lawler. 

Chacala es una comunidad increíble. 

Juntos, y con su ayuda, lograremos salir de este periodo desafiante.

Saludos,

Amigos de Chacaleños  

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Amigos de Chacaleños posted a new update:
over 3 years ago

Update #3

Hello, friends.

We’re writing today with another update on our project, which has been highly successful in fulfilling its mission thus far.

At present, businesses in Chacala have begun to reopen. Restaurants and hotels are operating (at reduced capacity), construction work has resumed, and fisherman have returned to the water. The beach remains closed, which significantly limits the number of tourists Chacala is receiving, but in general there is more employment opportunity now than there was when we began this program.

Unfortunately, COVID case numbers and hospitalizations are on the rise throughout Nayarit and all of Mexico. Some states are considering reinstating lockdowns, which could presumably happen here in Nayarit as well.

We have just distributed the final round of food and supplies to families. A portion of funds are being retained in an emergency account to address any pressing needs that materialize such as medical expenses, families struggling to pay utility bills, etc.

To date, your donations have gone a long way toward providing much-needed assistance to Chacala residents during these challenging times. We served approximately 100 families on a bi-weekly basis. In total, 775 food and supply boxes were distributed throughout the months of April, May, June, and July.

To break the numbers down even further, this equates to 800 kg (1,764 pounds) each of beans, tomatoes, onions, sugar, and rice; 2,325 cans of tuna, 3100 rolls of toilet paper; and 23,250 eggs! Some of the other items included in the distributions were detergent, toothpaste, cooking oil, salt, and pasta.

We have extended the Fundly deadline to July 31st. This gives you a bit more time to make another donation if you would like to do so. We will continue to analyze the situation and may need to ask for more support in the near future.

We have received many messages of gratitude from those who are receiving food and supplies from the program. It is our hope that Chacala soon begins to return to some semblance of normal. In the meantime, we will keep everyone updated. Thanks so much for your generosity and good thoughts during this time. Be well and stay healthy!

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Amigos de Chacaleños posted a new update:
almost 4 years ago

Update #2

Hello friends,

We just wanted to reach out and say how grateful and inspired we are by all of your generosity, and give you an update on the project.

So far, thanks to your support, we’ve been able to distribute boxes loaded with food and other essential items to nearly 100 local families in need every two weeks since this project began in mid-March.

With our current rate of food and supplies distribution, and with the amount of funding raised so far, we are in a good position to continue providing direct support to families through the end of July. In addition, your generosity has allowed us to set aside some of the funds for unforeseen needs such as medical costs, cooking fuel, water, electricity, and other expenses for families without work as we continue to deal with the effects of the pandemic.

The state of Nayarit has issued a plan for a gradual reopening, but as of right now, Chacala is still locked down, businesses are still largely closed, and children have not yet returned to school. Through all this, Chacaleños have continued to put the health and wellbeing of their community above their own economic gain and are voluntarily limiting non-resident access to the town, working to beautify common spaces, and managing all aspects of this food drive. Chacala will hopefully continue to persevere through this crisis and be ready to welcome you back with open arms when the pandemic has eased.

Please know that the families of Chacala receiving assistance have expressed deep gratitude to their friends from around the US, Canada, and Mexico that have supported this project. We hope that you and your family are experiencing the same level of care you are helping to provide.

Be safe and take care!

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