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Every year for Christmas we ask our children and grandchildren to give money/stuff to a charity in lieu of gifts to us. Some years they have donated to a midwife/early childhood group in Guatemala or sent clothing to an orphanage in Guatelmala City. This year we have asked them to put together some things for us to add to things we are taking to the needy children of Holbox in January. It would work for anywhere in the Yucatan that has been hit by a hurricane this year. I have given them the following guidelines/recommendations:
I would like to put together clothes and small toys for 6 children – 3 boys and 3 girls from toddler through age 10 or so. If you each supply things for one child, I will take care of the other 3.
What I have bought:
6 fleece throws for lining children’s hammocks during the winter months
6 Hot Wheels cars for three boys
3 boxes of colored pencils for three girls
Clothes for a 4 year old girl:
Velour running/track suit
Matching short sleeved embellished t-shirt
3 pairs of socks
6 underpants
1 necklace
Recommendations:
Buy a complete outfit for one child. If it’s for a school-age boy, make it dark pants and a white shirt (one long-sleeved and one short-sleeved), so they can use it as a school uniform. Also a Pacers or Colts t-shirt would be welcome. The school-age girls wear plaid skirts, so we can’t duplicate that; but they LOVE jeans and t-shirts for after school. Include underwear and socks.
Girls of all ages love jewelry, including pierced earrings and hair scrunchies and barrettes. Little ones also like stickers of all kinds and stuffed animals - Pooh themed ones are particularly popular. Please keep them small so they don’t take up a lot of luggage space.
Boys need baseballs. That way they don’t have to use coke bottles and rocks. Baseball is much more popular in the Yucatan than soccer. They also like baseball hats and yo-yos.
School supplies are always welcome – pencils, pens, colored pencils, crayons, washable markers, erasers, small pencil sharpeners, coloring books, etc.
Some personal items are appropriate, but we don’t have space for large quantities. A toothbrush and some toothpaste for each child would be good, and perhaps a bar of soap and small bottle of shampoo.
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