Okanagan Group Hard at Work in Mexico
Monday, Feb 22nd. First day on our Hero Holiday.
With excitement, our team left our San Diego hotel and boarded the Hero Holiday coach bus for Vicente Guerrero, Mexico. The border going into Mexico went quite smooth – get off the bus, pick up your suitcase, and walk across the border. But push the button first to see if you were randomly picked for a search. The only person who got a red light was me! I was LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute)ly delighted to discover that I had not grabbed my suitcase, it was Blair’s. No problem. A fairly quick stop in Ensenada for a bite to eat and purchases for our house. Then continued the great trip down the Baja and surprised to see it is verdant green! The peninsula had been inundated with rain in January, which ruined the bean crop near Guayabitos on the mainland and some of the strawberry crop in the Baja. The rain also wiped out a few bridges along the highway south. One passage way we forded and the other was being “filled in” with dirt (ingenuity). The rain also caused most of the villages to become mud bogs, so getting in and out was an adventure (Alan, we needed your dune buggy!). The water just sits on the top layer of the compacted soil so it is not going away soon.Tuesday, February 23rd.
With our Hero Holiday hosts, Andrew and Dawn, we took a 40 minute bus ride out to our building site. Our team has grown to 14 people: Nora from Princeton, Lance from Kelowna, Randy, Art and Marcia from Summerland, Elisa from Kamloops and Blair from Kaleden/Penticton as well as 6 participants in the SOL (School of Leadership) and their fearless leader Brett. Our new extended Mexican family quite excited to see us, Grandfather age 81, Grandmother 70, madre Anastasia (mom), her sister Fortunada, Anastasia’s son Carlos, 12, son Jiovanni, 11; daughter Alexandra, 9; and son Sevastian, 4. Our first day on the work site was productive. We completed: 4 roof panels (and painted); 3 ½ walls; a partially dug hole for the bano (outhouse for you gringos); fascia painted (by grandfather, little girls, and Nora); some long boards that I have no idea what they are for (also painted). But most of this done by our crew and the SOL class. Roberto has been hired by us to dig the hole as no-one in the family is physically able to do this hard task. I am unclear on the amount this will cost (perhaps $60. USD), but it is great to have Roberto there for translating, particularly medical problems, as Sandiego and Andrew had to leave for a medical crisis elsewhere. Grandfather has been told by a doctor that he needs hearing aids. I think we have arranged to get him to a clinic tomorrow to see about this, as well as change his catheter. Hopefully we can have Alexandra’s cleft palette receive some attention . Grandmother, Sabrina is a wonderful gardener. When I showed a little interest in her garden she took me around and showed me each plant – and named it! I surprised her when I gave her the Spanish name for cilantro. “Cilantro” I said. Same, same! Several peach trees decorated her garden which she started by seed. She offered me a few of her bedding plants but I pantomimed that I could not get them back to Canada. I wish I had brought some of my heritage seeds. We were taken to a Taco stand for supper.Wednesday, February 24thWork completed: Four walls and the roof went up today, bano built, a free standing shower house that looks exactly like the bano on the outside but more like a sauna on the inside (slatted floor, 4 walls, no bench). The rule for showers is a BYOW “bring your own bottle of water” policy. The Bano hole is down about 6 feet. Supper at John’s Place: Roasted chicken, salads. Yummy!
Wednesday was very different for me. At our request, Andrew loaded Santiago, me, Modesto (grandfather), Anastasia (mother) and Alexandra (9 year old daughter) into the van and headed to the clinic in the Orphanage in Vicente Guerrero for medical help for Modesto and Alexandra. Both were seen quickly by Ellie, a very helpful nurse. Modesto’s needs attended to quickly and also a referral to a hearing doctor in Ensenada and for Alexandra, a booking for cleft palette reconstruction May 7 also in Ensenada. At this point, all travel is arranged!!! Santiago received a date and time for Modesto at the hearing doctor – so we all leave early tomorrow for his 11:00am appointment. Meanwhile, back at the ranch… Two purple “outhouse” looking structures are looking very spiffy!~ A participant on the Okanagan Group’s Hero Holiday
In the past few weeks Mexico has experienced tropical rain storms that have resulted in mass flooding and serious damage. The common site here a couple of weeks ago was flooded roads and collapsed bridges on the main highway, houses swept away in the rush or ‘new’ rivers, and several flooded schools and some makeshift school buildings were even blown away / flattened completely.
We have been in Mexico for less then a week and have been helping at a few schools that were constructed in the middle of a river bed. On Saturday we worked along side the Mexican military digging out fences, and cleaning out two one room schools. 
We mopped the floors, cleaned the walls and cleaned toys. Unfortunately, due to all the water damage we had to throw away alot of the lesson plans and the kids’ work books as well as their school supplies.It is incredible to see how the weather can cause so much damage, so quick.School of Leadership Students – Spring 2010
Last week, the School of Leadership students who are touring Canada in our high school assemblies, had a break in their touring schedule. So, what better way to spend their downtime then volunteering at a local charity, the Good Shepherd. Good Shepherd assists thousands of people every year with emergency programs that provide the basic necessities of life such as food, shelter, and rehabilitative programs that offer guidance, give hope, and restore dignity. They serve troubled youth, abused women and children, the dying, the mentally and physically challenged, the hungry and the homeless. Their ultimate goal is to support people through crisis and assist them in reestablishing healthy and productive lives in the community. (
working in the facilities kitchen where they prepare meals for all their volunteers (and it was yummy!), and serve a hot meal to anyone in the community who needs it. We were told that they can serve between 275 – 500 meals a day. Now, keep that number in mind when you think of how many potatoes are needed in one week to feed that many people because we peeled it! It was not really that bad because it was a great time for us to talk and have peeling contests (Cory was the fastest, but Kayla was close behind). After we finished, in record timing, we were in the kitchen cleaning carrots and wrapping sandwiches.That afternoon we worked in the Good Shepherds “Christmas Store Program”. The Christmas Store, now in its 17th year, is a valued Good Shepherd program. For 14 days the Food Bank at the Good 
Shepherd’s Warehouse is transformed into the Christmas Store, where more than 2,000 vulnerable families can collect a Christmas Hamper containing special Christmas groceries, winter hats and mitts, and toys for the children. Us girls (Bri, Kayla, and I) joins some lovely elderly ladies in pre packing some grocery bags. We had quite the assembly line going and were singing while we packed. The boys (Cory, Brandon, Chad, and JP) help each of the customers pack all their goodies and bring it out to their taxi or rides. They were the happiest “bag boys” I have ever seen.Our second day at the Good Shepherd was spent upstairs in the warehouse organizing toys, gum, and clothes. We were really impressed with the donations that the Good Shepherd received. Companies really showed their generosity to the people of Hamilton who need help. We finished the day off with working at the Christmas store again. At the end of the each of our days we walked home with smiles that could not be stolen. Each of us felt the necessity and joy of helping others and loved every moment of being able to help.Here are some things that the SOLs had to say about their experience. All with huge smiles on our faces, the energy of the other volunteers and the clients, made our days go by fast. Not only did me meet a lot of awesome people, we all grew and learned new things about ourselves. I’m hoping if i ever have any more time off to go back and visit and help where we are needed! ~ Kayla I met a lot of really nice clients of the Good Shepherd who were some of the most grateful people I’ve met so far here in the HAMMER. All though these people have been down on there luck and have to resort to a shelter. It was so amazing to see how gracious people can be and how lending a helping hand can make someones Christmas an enjoyable one. Helping out at Good Shepherd has actually helped me remember that this Christmas there is more happiness in giving than in receiving. ~ Cory
If you are wondering if you should volunteer some where this holiday season, then believe me, you will love it! It is a simple way to make a difference in the lives of others and to bring back into focus the true meaning of Christmas. GIVING!Hope you have a Safe and Happy Christmas and New Years!Nettie BrownSchool of Leadership and Hero Holiday Administrator
We’ve got a great offer for you this Christmas season!ONE: A Face Behind the Numbers, Vaden Earle’s best-selling book on social justice issues, is available for a limited time for only $15!It’s a great Christmas gift, with all proceeds going to LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute) and Hero Holiday’s charitable projects, (
Hello! 2009 is coming to a close, and for us here at LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute), it has been an incredible year of growth, change and warm memories. Through the course of our year we have spoken to hundreds of thousands of Canadian youth through our Think Day presentations and have had over 450 participants join us on our Hero Holiday trips around the world. Cory was one of the students that joined us in Mexico on Hero Holiday this year, and his story reminds me of why we do what we do.When he was 13, Cory’s dad was killed in a tragic accident. Lost and hurting, Cory began to drift and alienate himself from his family and friends, falling into the abyss of alcohol and drug abuse. When he was 16, in desperation Cory’s mom talked him into joining LiveDifferent (formerly Absolute) on a Hero Holiday to Mexico for his spring break. He reluctantly agreed, not yet fully understanding what was about to happen.
We built a house for a single mother who has 2 children, a 12 year old girl and a 13 year old boy, and we were told that just this August, Misiel, the 13 year old boy was riding his bike with his father when a drunk driver hit him. His foot was crushed in the accident which later got infected and the doctors needed to amputate most of his leg. His leg is no longer infected and he now has a wheelchair. I was very sad when I heard this story but felt better to know that we were going to help and try to make his every day life a little easier. Misiel is a boy who has lots of energy and just loves music. It made me really sad to see him watching all his friends play, because you could see in his eyes that he wanted to run and play with them.
When we started building this home we could tell there was a lot of love for this family from the community, we always had lots of kids who wanted to play football (soccer) with us and some kids just wanted to help us work. The girls especially loved the paint because it was pink and purple and they would put it on their nails to make it look like nail polish. We also had help from our friends, Mundo and Danny. Mundo is our translator for our English class and Danny is a friend. Together they dug a hole for the bano, they worked really well together and learned a lot from each other. Mundo told us that when he was in the hole digging, he would tell Danny some of his life stories, and when Danny was in the hole digging it was his turn to tell stories. The kids were so happy and playful; they were a constant reminder to us why were there helping out. I really connected with a little girl named Maria, she lived close to the house build. Her father made donuts and pizza so he could make some extra money for his family, but mostly to support his other daughter who has a disability. My team and I made sure to buy donuts from him everyday to help them out. Maria was always happy and excited to see me, she made me realize that it’s the little things that matter in life.While we were building the house we started thinking of ways that would make it easier for Misiel to get around in his wheelchair. So we built them a shower and also bigger bano so he could easily get his wheelchair in and out. Brett, my leader, also thought of putting bars around his room to make it easier for him to start walking again. When we gave the keys to the house to this amazing family, everyone said some inspiring words and welcomed them to their new home. The mother and daughter had lots of tears, but they thankfully were 
tears of joy. My mom and her friend decided to buy big bags of rice and beans for them as well, and also at the end of the week we went around and gave little bags of rice and beans to families in the community. So far, this has been my favorite house build. I love that I got to build it with my mom and my new School of Leadership family.~ Melissa, a School of Leadership student living in Mexico and painter extraordinaire.
