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Amigos Gives ‘Donna Wilcox Hart’ Award to BACH
On March 30, 2011, Amigos formally remembered a wonderful woman who loved the people and
cultures of
San Cristóbal de las Casas and Chiapas, Donna Wilcox Hart. The occasion was the
presentation of the Donna Wilcox Hart award and memorial plaque to Banco de Alimentos do los Altos
de Chiapas (BACH). The grant to BACH was made possible by an anonymous donor who has supported
Amigos de San Cristóbal since it began in 2005. For each of the last two years the donor has
generously matched dollar for dollar, up to $3,000 per year, for the Donna Wilcox Hart fund.
Natalie Wilcox, daughter of Donna Wilcox Hart, presents the memorial
plaque to Renato Flores, President of
BACH,
and Susana Moran, Amigos Project Liaison
Prior to the presentation, family and friends of Donna, along with representatives of Amigos,
visited the BACH site to learn about its work to provide nutritious food
at a significantly reduced price for families in and surrounding San Cristóbal. In addition to
packaged and canned goods, families receive fresh vegetables and fruit. The Amigos grant is
supporting a new project of BACH called "Holistic Health." It is an education program that teaches
the beneficiaries about good nutrition; general cleaning, storage, and preparation of food, as well
as personal hygiene. The Amigos grant has enabled BACH to hire an experienced nutritionist to
develop and implement this project. The memory of Donna Wilcox Hart lives on in the hearts of those
who knew her and in the gift of good health.
[left] Carmen Rodriguez, Renato Flores, Susana Moran, Natalie Wilcox,
Dr. Don Hart
[right] Dr. Don Hart, Amigos President Diane Livingston, Natalie
Wilcox
Annual Meeting 2011
Amigos de San Cristóbal held its annual meeting on March 24, 2011. Outgoing President Diane Livingston opened the meeting by greeting Amigos members and representatives of the projects Amigos is giving grants to this year. With Administrative Coordinator Carmen Von Rotz translating, Diane discussed the status of membership, fund-raising, site visits and changes to the constitution.
• Membership: The goal for 2011 was to maintain our level of 120 members. For 2011, we have already met that goal.
• Fund-raising: Two successful fund-raising events have helped bolster Amigos' coffers. The flea market, held in December, brought in MX$15,551. The Susana Harp concert in February 2011 yielded a profit of MX$53,387.14. Proceeds from these events, as well as membership dues, are utilized for administrative expenses, ensuring that 100% of donations are used for project grants.
• Site visits: Each project is visited two or three times during the year: once during the application process, and once or twice during the year. This builds bonds between Amigos members and project staff, provides an opportunity to give assistance if needed, and ensures that the grants are being utilized appropriately.
• Constitutional change: A change was made to the constitution to allow Amigos to change its Asociación Civil (nonprofit) status to enable Mexican individuals and companies to make tax-free donations. State governmental authorities are currently processing the application and we anticipate gaining approval by mid‑year.
Projects: Projects Committee Chair Ann Conway introduced representatives from each of the projects Amigos is partnering with this year. She also gave a brief description of each project's mission and activities (see the Projects page for details). A PowerPoint presentation by Jack Nelson illustrated each of the projects.
Election of Board Members: Each year Amigos members elect a seven‑member Board of Directors. Under the bylaws, three must be Mexicans, three foreign nationals, and the seventh of either origin. Directors serve a one-year term that can be renewed.
David Orr, with Jack Nelson translating, discussed the election process and the slate of candidates.
The new board was elected unanimously, and includes the following members:
Alison Abbott — Alison was reelected to the Board and has served as Treasurer and Administrative Coordinator. Married to Enrique Arreguin Rodriguez, she made San Cristóbal her home nearly five years ago after a 35-year career as a primary school teacher in Chicago. Besides her work for Amigos, Alison has volunteered with other NGOs and is a certified English as a Second Language teacher.
Adriana Aguerreberre — Adriana is a Marketing and Fund Raising consultant for not-for-profit organizations and has credentials that more than qualify her. She built a career track record that included founding her own company in Puebla; Global Marketing and Communications Manager for Motorola Corporation in Chicago; International Marketing Director for E*TRADE Securities in London; and coordinating the international fund raising for U2's Bono to eradicate AIDS/HIV. Along the way she earned an MBA and a Master's Degree in Finance. Since moving to San Cristóbal two years ago she has led two projects for ECOSUR and managed a social development project for FORO, Forum for Sustainable Development.
Ann Conway — A native Californian and past resident of Colorado, Ann pursued three successful careers before moving to San Cristóbal one year ago. After earning a Master's Degree in Education she was an elementary school teacher for 11 years. She then joined Citigroup and worked in management training, marketing, human resources and employee relations. Her third career was with Peace Corps where, as a manager, she worked with volunteers in projects related to education, health, water/sanitation, small business development and youth development in ten different countries. Ann and her husband John will open their bed-and-breakfast, La Joya Hotel, later this year.
Hileana Garcia Lopez — Hileana has a degree in Communications from the University of the Americas in Puebla and was an American Field Service exchange student in the U.S. She co‑chaired the highly successful Susana Harp Benefit Concert in February, as well as the equally successful Flea Market fund raiser in December. Hileana and her husband, Rodrigo Alfonzo, a former Amigos board member, are the owners of Kitsch & Bagels and the parents of Sofía, age 2.
Diane Livingston — Diane is completing her term as President of Amigos, which has enjoyed a most productive year. Upon reelection to the Board she has volunteered to serve as Secretary and oversee the Amigos website and newsletter functions which she has been instrumental in guiding. Diane has spent considerable time in rural indigenous areas and is dedicated to improving the lives of Chiapenecos in need. Most noteworthy was her successful project building newly designed stoves, reducing firewood use by 50% and improving the respiratory health of Maya women and their families. Diane had a career as a forensic clinical psychologist and university professor before relocating to San Cristóbal from the San Francisco area six years ago.
Nicholas Miller — Nicholas is returning for a second year on the Amigos Board. Nicholas was instrumental in the success of December's Flea Market fund raiser and February's Susana Harp benefit concert. Nicholas has lived in San Cristóbal for five years after spending more than a decade in Mérida. An Art History major in college, he enjoyed a successful career selling Chinese art and antiques. In addition to his four year membership with and untiring work for Amigos, Nicholas is a regular volunteer at the Archivo Fotografico Indígena.
Alma Silva Gutierrez — Alma is the co-founder and president of Desarrollo Educativo Sueniños and is the first representative from an Amigos NGO partner to serve on the Board of Directors. Sueniños is the impressive after-school program for primary and secondary school children in poor neighborhoods, and focuses on helping young children develop self-confidence, creative expression, and problem-solving skills. A native of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Alma attended university in Austria, where she met her husband, Christian Szincz. Her primary interests and concerns have always been related to the social problems and the public education system in her native country. After moving back and living in other parts of Mexico, she and Christian settled in San Cristóbal where they saw unlimited opportunities to assist the development of young children from marginalized families. They are the proud parents of two children, ages 4 and 1½.
As the energy and enthusiasm of the Annual Meeting showed, Amigos remains as committed as ever to meeting the enormous needs of the disadvantaged people of Chiapas.
Susanna Harp Concert
February 19, 2011
It was a magical night when Susana Harp headlined Amigos' annual fund-raising concert on February 19, 2011. Ms. Harp, a brilliant singer from Oaxaca who has dedicated her life to the cause of the indigenous peoples of Mexico, performed before a full house at Casa Mazariegos and received a standing ovation for her stunning performance.
photos ©Janet Schwartz
Sueniños Sixth Anniversary Celebration—February 5, 2011
For four years, Amigos has supported Sueniños, a primary/secondary after-school and Saturday
program for children in disadvantaged communities.
Sueniños celebrated its sixth anniversary with activities such as mask making, gymnastics, and
drumming, culminating in
the world premiere of "El Laberinto," an original theatrical production held in the Plaza de la
Paz.
Amigos Open House—January 2011
Amigos' annual Open House was held at the home of Jack and Rocio Nelson on January 29, 2011. Over
fifty members attended to renew their membership, enjoy snacks and music, and listen to remarks
from President Diane Livingston.
First Annual Flea Market—December 2010
Amigos held its first annual flea market on December 19, 2010, in the plaza in front of the cathedral. Amigos members cleaned out their closets and offered a wealth of clothing, books, DVDs and CDs, knickknacks, and yummy treats. Local bargain hunters swarmed the tables all day long.
Total receipts for the day were nearly MX$16,000 (US$1,400), an amazing haul that came in peso by peso. A hearty pat on the back to the tianguis committee, Nicholas Miller, Hileana Garcia and Teresa Berlioz for organizing the flea market, and to the Amigos who staffed the busy tables.