Project Mexico and evolv
A few months ago our friend Geoff Bray contacted me to see if evolv could donate any new, old or used climbing shoes to the outreach program he works with , Project Mexico. After talking with him for just a few minutes and hearing about the kick-ass woody he built them I knew that something as small as a donation of a few pair of shoes would be a gesture that went a LONG way with these boys! Here’s a post from Geoff about Project Mexico, the orphanage and the young boys who are now psyched to become future rock climbers!!
Project Mexico and Evolv Sports– giving teenage orphaned boys in Mexico a little bit of hope!
Francisco, a 10 year old boy living at an orphanage in Mexico, is very excited. For the first time in his life, he and his friends at the orphanage are FINALLY ready to go rock climbing at the local crag! Until now, the boys have been practicing in a ‘gym’, where 2x4s and the odd, plastic climbing hold above tarp-covered matresses is the norm. The drive is eventful, as the very rambunctious boys dive into the evolv shoes and chalk bags, trying them on and picking their favorite color. Eventually, the mayhem subsides and order is restored. However,no matter what we say to them, they are not taking off those brand new shoes! They proudly imitate Chris Sharma’s and Chris Lidners’ moves from the evolv posters and brag about how they’ll do the same once they reach the canyon.
The canyon floor is reached after much coaxing from the now-timid boys who, realizing the height of their climb, have become a little more reluctant. After a little ecouragement from their coach, Madi, the bravest boy, Diego, works up the courage to try it out. With the toprope set, the knots tied, and the route scouted out, the quivering first foot gets placed on the rock to cheers from his “compadres” (buddies). It is during these kinds of moments that I stop and think, “This boy has no one else in the entire world and he has suffered abuse beyond my comprehension. Despite that, here he is, momentarily forgetting all of that and climbing with shouts of encouragement behind him and enjoying the outdoors.” It is a true miracle that these boys are slowly making the transformation from being cynical, angry and hurt, to happy, loving, and smiling boys. A small piece of innocence is being regained.
Project Mexico is an Orthodox Christian outreach to the poor of Mexico. The program is threefold:
· First, we build homes for poor people in Tijuana, Mexico who live in squalid dirt floor shacks
· Second, we operate St. Innocent Orphanage – a home for abused and abandoned teenaged boys. It is the ONLY facility for teenaged boys in all of Tijuana (a city of more than 2 million people) and 1 of only 4 in the entire country of Mexico.
· And third, we give people the opportunity to be involved in works of mercy by building the homes and working at the orphanage.
In Tijuana, thousands of people live in shacks pieced together from bits of cardboard, tin, wood, and tarps. Their shacks don’t offer protection from the elements and so, when it rains, the dirt floor turns to mud. The children and elderly get cold and wet and have nowhere to go to get warm and dry. So they get pneumonia, and they die… from rain.
But the nearly 200 families who’ve received a Project Mexico home don’t have to worry about that. They now have a solid home with a concrete floor that provides protection from the elements. And in most cases, the home has affected their lives in other ways as well. Now that they have adequate shelter, many families are able to reunite after having been forced to send their children to live with relatives who had better housing. Not having construction expenses allows many families to put that money into providing a better education for their children.
In Tijuana, there are close to 50 orphanages for little children but not one that focuses on teenage boys. St. Innocent Orphanage takes the boys in before they are put out of the other orphanages and provides a very comprehensive program that gives them the tools they need to break the chains of poverty, addiction, and abuse that have been in their families for generations.
These are boys who are either truly orphaned or have been in a state of total abandonment for years. Many have endured horrendous abuse. These boys have missed the window of opportunity for adoption. No one wants them. That’s why St. Innocent Orphanage exists. We are their family.
The boys at St. Innocent Orphanage send an enormous “GRACIAS!!” to their amigos at evolv for your generosity. Because of you, the boys are able to experience the joy of climbing – and to be carefree and have fun and enjoy life – in a way that they have rarely known.
For more information on how to support and get involved with Project Mexico & St. Innocent Orphanage, please visit: http://www.projectmexico.org.
Thank You!
