Please read the below email and click on the Project Mercy "frequently asked questions" link in preparation for our club's Mexico house build project on Saturday, April 15th. This project is everything Rotary and our club is about. Thank you for being a part of it. Whether you go or not, this is something we all helped make possible through our dedication to the club.

 

Click this link and read the "FAQs" which cover what to bring, border crossing info, expectations, the need for Mexican insurance, etc: http://www.projectmercy.net/faq/

 

1. You DO NOT see your name on the list below and have already RSVP'd

2. You are planning to go but need a ride from the meet-up point in the US to our project in Mexico

 

Game plan:  Remember that you will need to have your US Passport or a SENTRI card to be able to re-enter the United States

 

No later than 7:00am - Arrive at McDonalds parking lot near the Otay Mesa border crossing and keep your eye out for fellow Rotarians.

7:00am-7:30am - Accountability and departure

Morning until about 4:00pm - House build

About 4:00pm - Depart for US border crossing

At last week's meeting, we were delighted to recognize RB Sunrise Rotary club past president Karen Mortimer.  Jeanne MacLaren, our Rotary Foundation chair, presented Karen with a pin for a Paul Harris Fellowship plus 6 achievement.   

 

Congratulations and thanks to Karen for being a dedicated supporter of the Rotary Foundation.  It is the ongoing member support that allows The Rotary Foundation to do all of the humanitarian projects so effectively on an ongoing basis. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RB Sunrise House Build  April 2016

Instead of the scheduled club assembly, we instead heard an update from Paula Claussen about how the Project Mercy organization is helping build a neighborhood in Mexico.  Paula is the president of Project Mercy.  RB Sunrise Rotary has partnered with Project Mercy in several house building projects in the last several years.  Our next project is scheduled for Saturday, April 15.

 

Paula told us about how they acquire the materials for the houses they build.  All of the materials are purchase in Mexico.  This is to avoid problems getting donations across the border.  For our upcoming project, food can be donated, but clothing donations are not recommended because they can trigger a problem upon entering Mexico. 

 

We also learned that Project Mercy not only builds houses, they also are now doing fundraising for building a school in the neighborhood.  The Mexican government does not initiate the building of a new school in these poor neighborhoods.  Instead, the government waits to have a school built and then be supported by the community.  Project Mercy is in the process of fundraising to build the initial buildings for a new school in the neighborhood where they are currently building houses.  Once the school is built, the Mexican government will assess the support of the residents and the add the teachers and also additional buildings for the school.  Project Mercy's involvement in this process is to provide the initial buildings with running water and electricity so that the school can start to operate.