WHEN:      NEXT SATURDAY, JULY 5TH 8AM UNTIL NOON 
               (or until we run out of things...)
 
WHERE:     IN FRONT OF LILI'S CAFE
 
WHAT:      You can make something or encourage a friend to,                    look for old books or DVDs and contact me for pick                     up or delivery on this email address or by phone                         6748-0091
 
 
Please let me know if you can bake one or two items.  I am starting over a new list and hoping to have lots of goodies to sell. 
 
Additionally, I have some clothing (those of you may need shorts, tanks, T-shirts, etc. can come to my home and take a look beforehand) to sell.  Also we have found that books and DVDs sell really well too.
 
Suggestions that work well for baked items:
 
  • Breads of any kind (banana, herbed, white, whole wheat)
  • Oatmeal Cookies
  • Peanut Butter Cookies
  • Anything Lemon Flavored
  • ANYTHING WITH LIQUOR IN IT!!!!
  • Pies Pies and More Pies
  • Did someone say Pizza?  That might be a cool idea.
  • Anything that is savory vs. sweet
Thanks for your continued support.  I hope to see you all at Lili's next Saturday!
Your Friend,
Vickie

 

Meet my extended family

by Vickie Hubbard 

  I have found an extended family here in Bocas with the residents, workers and volunteers at Casa de Asilo, to my utmost joy.

  Through the efforts of many, some wonderful things are happening.

  Just visit the building. Mayra, Gloria, Olga, Mel, “China” – Gloria’s daughter, are often found hard at work in the kitchen, laundry, garden, cutting residents’ hair or fingernails, changing the sheets, or just laughing and having fun. By the way, the entire building is spotlessly clean. As it is quite a large building with 31 residents (sadly, we lost two in the past weeks), this is quite an amazing feat. Having been to many facilities like this in the U.S., I can’t get over the fact that there are no hospital-like institutional odors at all.

  Residents including regal Sra. Rafaela, “amorous” Sr. Crispin, Sr. Clarence, Sra. Lidia (who will celebrate her 101st birthday on August 7), and Sra. Maria (who group up in the San Blas Islands) are all ensconced in the reception room, visiting and watching TV or lounging in the newly designed dormitory-style sleeping quarters. Many are in wheelchairs, although some don’t really need them – such as Sr. Fitzman, who spends his time on the back lawn overlooking the water, whittling away on furniture he makes for a little spending money. I caught him yesterday “walking” up and down the street sitting in his chair and asked him if he could stand. He showed me he could but stated that it made him short of breath due to asthma and emphysema-related conditions.

  There are eight blind residents, many of who get around easily. Sr. Ellington walks incessantly around the perimeter of the building every morning for exercise, whistling all the way.

  All the residents are so much fun and full of life and just need a friendly smile, a word or two of encouragement and a hug or kiss.

  Tuesdays have become “soup days,” when residents and employees from the Bocas Yacht Club come and do magic in a pot for lunch. Recipes from gourmet chef Dana LeTourneau range from split pea, lentils with pork, and chicken soups are helping give the kitchen staff fresh ideas on how to make healthy meals using very few ingredients. It’s people like Dana, Kim Stratten (owner of Cabana Beach Condos), Sheryl and Scott Pender, and Ansa Gardner, of Bocas Yacht Club, who can brighten this home by bringing theirs to Casa de Asilo.

  Much goes on behind the scenes to make this happen. I have only been involved in assisting with these efforts for a short time, but local business owners including Carla Rankin (Bocas del Toro Hotel), Tito Thomas (Hotel Bahia), Toby Braxton (Servicios Toby), Claudio Talley (Hotel Angela), Giselle Soccaraz (Bongo’s Restaurant), Lili Munro (Lili’s Café), Luis Chow Kai (Chow Kai hardware store) and the owners of Bocas Yacht Club have been working hard to create lasting change at Casa de Asilo. Even members of my twice-weekly yoga class donate funds at the end of each class. Through the efforts of local concerts, bake sales, canned food and clothing drives, as well as our website, we are raising the only funding that is visibly seen by the staff and residents to feed, clothe, clean and comfort them.

  What I can not figure out is why all of these ex-pats seem to take an interest in the daily goings-on what the Panamanian government has seem to have forgotten. The funds for some of these things I mention here come solely from the fundraising that happens here in Bocas (Toby shops and delivers items from David with no charge). There are rumors that money is in the bank and funds are available monthly. Where is it? The governess says things are changing and that she is going to make it happen through amending systems that seem to bottleneck in Changuinola. When might this happen?

  Meanwhile, what do they eat and why is the freezer constantly almost empty? How do they get supplies to keep themselves and their residence clean? Who provides toothpaste, deodorant, and shaving cream? So far, we do. 

  Who will finally stand up to the government so that our efforts can go towards the little things that can make their lives a little sweeter? It’s not our place to do so. In the U.S., I can say for sure that we are not perfect in taking care of our elderly but we certainly don’t let them suffer nutritionally or let them worry about tomorrow when today may be the only day they have left.

  Meanwhile, I am enjoying living here in Bocas with my new extended family and for that I am truly grateful every day.