BajaNomad - Mulege relief donations thru Rotary Club

Mulege relief donations thru Rotary Club

Posada-BushPilot - 9-10-2009 at 12:55 PM

I'm opening this new thread that will address current conditions in Mulege and surrounding area and beg for donations and give options for how you might help through the Rotary club in Mulege.

Last night I got an email from one of our members which will give you some insight into the conditions at ground zero. I'm quoting off of his email but leaving out names so as not to embarras anyone:

"I have just come from Mulege. I cannot stress strongly enough the need for any money we have to get to Mulege at once. Our Rotary members are overwhelmed. I met ______to give him the plane load of tarps and school supplies. He is driving a borrowed vehicle because both his and son's vehicles are broken down.. He as two ft of mud in his house, his roof is gone and he has no money. I gave him all the cash I had so he could buy gas and food. He did not ask for money, he asked for me to tell the USA about their desperate condition. The streets are still covered with mud, wood and sheetmetal, there is only spotty electricity where generators happen to be located, there is no water, the Aqua 2000 is closed and they are hauling water for the Mx Gov. RO units. No tire shops are in operation and every board has a nail in it. If you get a flat.....you're dead. I spent two hours trying to help fix a flat on a Mexican's car but finally gave him a ride to town. Jack (BBP) program will be a big help but Mulege is still going to have need. Red cross boxes just keep you alive a couple of more days, they do not fix cars, replace roofs, buy new school clothes or go towards just washing clothes. All theses things take cash and they need the cash NOW. end quote.

After reading this I decided that I needed to hook up with Mike Fleming this morning before he left, and I gave him all the cash I had to take down.

I will be posting updated bank information a little later today.

How you can help Mulege

Posada-BushPilot - 9-10-2009 at 04:55 PM

A day or so ago I posted bank account infomation for folks to use to donate thru the Rotary Club. Based on my and others experience it does not appear that wire transfers are really a viable option. Too much of a hassle and too expensive. SO, Here are two ways you can donate:

1. Send a check to me at this address:

Randy Kephart
2110 Havenhill Dr
Benicia, Calif. 94510
Make the check payable to: Francisco Javier Rosas Baeza

He is on Rotary's bank account at Bancomer in Mulege. Most of us know him as Quito.
I will hand deliver the checks when I go down at the end of the month. PLEASE DO NOT MAIL AFTER 9-18 because I won't be at this address after the 22nd. If you want an acknowledgment letter for tax purposes please write down your email address and I will send you one in a pdf file via email.

2. Use Mike Fleming's paypal account. Here is how you do that:

go to paypal.com

login as usual

click on "send money"

to avoid problems with spelling you can copy and past or just type in TO: mike@fleming.cc

fill in your donation amount, click "personal" and choose "gift" and click continue.

on the next screen scroll down & write in the note space: Forward this donation to Mulege Rotary" then click send and you have donated.

Some caveats:
First, misspelling will mess things up so cut and paste is the way to go.
Second: PayPal may hold large donation amounts for a day or two to "verify funds" or have other similar process with your account, usually they explain that on screen or in an email. No big deal.

Third: in step 5 above, clicking PERSONAL and choosing gift eliminates the 3% paypal fee so 100% of your donation is received.

Thanks for supporting Rotary and the fine citizens of Mulege.

Any questions....fire away. Use this forum or my email: randykephart@yahoo.com

Thats wierd

Posada-BushPilot - 9-10-2009 at 07:16 PM

I just called Mike to verify and he said its mike@fleming.cc not com.
He is already in San Diego which is amazing because he got a late start.

arrowhead - 9-10-2009 at 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by toneart
Cutting and pasting in Mike Fleming's PayPal account won't work as it has appeared here in the last couple of days:"mike@fleming.cc"

The end got nipped off! It should read: mike@fleming.com

That will work.

I know because it wouldn't recognize it when I cut and pasted.

mike@fleming.com did work for me.

I just did a WhoIs search.

"fleming.CC" is registered to Mike Fleming in Auburn, CA.

"fleming.COM" is registrered to some company in the Bahamas.

ecomujeres - 9-10-2009 at 07:50 PM

Randy, I'll update the donation info for rotary on my webpage of links to spread word and keep it all in one place. I'm also keeping track of your updates and people can link to them there as well.

http://www.lasecomujeres.org/Jimena_links.html

Thanks for the update.

Debra

Gadget - 9-10-2009 at 09:05 PM

I'm paypaling what I can. Sure wish I could be down there to help physically. I have way more energy than $$$.

ecomujeres - 9-10-2009 at 09:34 PM

I hear you Gadget, regarding having more energy than money.

As you can see, I channel my energy during a crisis into "organize mode".

Maybe you can get your family, friends, co-workers, Baja buddies and such to mobilize your own little fund raising activity or fund drive to help support the BPP, Rotary and Scholarship funds

Each of us has a lot to offer. We just have to figure out what it is!

Debra

[Edited on 9-11-2009 by ecomujeres]

toneart - 9-10-2009 at 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by arrowhead

Quote:

I just did a WhoIs search.

"fleming.CC" is registered to Mike Fleming in Auburn, CA.

"fleming.COM" is registrered to some company in the Bahamas.

OK...
I just went back into my PayPal account and was able to cancel my erroneously directed donation. (It was still there, unclaimed).

Then I re sent it to the correct address: mike@fleming.cc This time it accepted it. Sorry for any confusion I may have caused.

Russ in Punta Chivato

Posada-BushPilot - 9-11-2009 at 07:53 AM

Hey Russ, if you are tuned in here......wanted to give you a heads up......one of your neighbors is flying down with a load of supplies ETA around 1pm local.

Quito is sending a couple of guys from Mulege FD over to unload and truck the stuff back to Mulege.

Is the road doable?

thanks

WOW - Things are really happenin now!

Posada-BushPilot - 9-11-2009 at 10:55 AM

Just this morning I have commitments for over $5000 usd! Our fund is growing by the hour thanks to the generosity of Nomads and Rotary clubs in the USA and Canada.

This afternoon a King Air is arriving in Punta Chivato stuffed full of donations. Quito is sending a crew to unload and truck the stuff back to Mulege.

There is a man, his name is Paul from Bend area Rotary
(Oregon) who is driving down next week with 200 tarps. This same man went to his meeting this morning, passed the hat and collected over $3400!

Thank you ecomujeres/Debra for staying on top of your links with updates.. Great job.

Thanks Toneart and Gadget for you donations.

We also got a nice donation from our friends In Las Brailles Rotary.....Thank you Marilyn.

So things are really cookin now.......yaahoooo!

Bancomer

Posada-BushPilot - 9-12-2009 at 09:36 AM

Some of you have questioned whether Bancomer will accept checks drawn on a US Bank. So we spoke to Diego at Bancomer in Mulege and he said he will accept them as long as they are made out to FRANCISCO JAVIER ROSAS BAEZA. Most of us know him as Quito, last years prez of Rotary and assistant fire chief.

One of our member returned yesterday from a flight to Mulege. The description of conditions in town he gave me are pretty grim with the decay of organic matter and animal corpes causing an almost overwhelming odor. Yikes. And not a flushable toilet to be had unless you go down to the river with a bucket and fill the tank.

Our relief fund is growing quite nicely thanks to you generous Nomads and the Rotary clubs in the US and Canada. If you are sitting on the fence about whether to donate, let me assure you that the needs of the fine folks of Mulege for just basic subsistence type stuff will be an issue for some time to come.

So open your hearts and wallets for a great cause.

Thanks,
Randy

Rotary fundraiser update

Posada-BushPilot - 9-13-2009 at 09:30 PM

The response to our fundraiseing effort has been nothing short of amazing. We have folks, Yes NOMADS who KNOW they have lost their winter homes that are sending in contributions because they still love Mulege and its people. We also have folks who know they face major expenses in damage repair, who are donating. I could go on for pages here with examples of how folks are responding. Just truly amazing.
And this is just the Rotary club. I know of a number of other orgs and groups who have their own organized efforts going on to help. Baja bush, Noora, just to name two, have major efforts going on involving probably hundreds of people, collecting supplies of every discription, and dealing with the challenging logistics of getting supplies to those that need it.

Thank you Nomads.

Oh, and by the way, feel free to weigh in hear with what you know. This thread is still open and ready for your input> :yes:

Information on the drop-off point in Kent, WA

akmaxx - 9-14-2009 at 03:11 PM

http://www.lasecomujeres.org/jimena_files/jimena_bppdrops.ht...

I went to this site but couldn't find any details of the name of the person collecting donations in the hangar.

I think I have several thousand pounds of supplies from the Seattle area (including lots of pet meds / food / winter clothes etc) and would like to start dropping it off.

Please list his name here so I can coordinate,

Thanks to all the folks on the ground.

Maxx.

Mr Maxx

Posada-BushPilot - 9-14-2009 at 04:53 PM

Sorry, I didn't see a drop off point in Washington on the Bush Pilots list.
I sent Siri an email asking for instructions.
Stay tuned for further instructions. :yes:

Kent, WA Donations

Siri - 9-14-2009 at 05:32 PM

OK, just spoke with the Kent, WA drop-off for Baja Bush Pilots. They are flying a load down this Thursday (plane is almost full, only about 3'x3'x3' of space). However, they've agreed to accept additional donations at their hangar. If these items are not able to be flown down (because of fuel expense), we will work to find a way to transport them overland (hoping the off-road racing community might be able to help here). Here is the info, please contact her directly:

Angela Garcia
206-617-3611
Kent, WA

By the way, Maxx, if you have thousands of pounds in Seattle, maybe best to keep them there (you become Seattle donation center). The problem is that the pilots can only fly for so long and especially heavy and remote things will have to move overland, go through customs and get properly distributed--not sure who will take on that task. Maybe the off-road racing groups, like NORRA and Baja.Net which are collecting donations will help, I will ask! For now, collect away...

[Edited on 9-15-2009 by Siri]

Thank you

akmaxx - 9-14-2009 at 09:09 PM

I passed the number on to my friends who want to help and have lots of contacts in the Vet. industry. They want to help and just needed a place to deliver pet food/supplies.

Thank you Posada and Siri.

Gadget - 9-14-2009 at 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ecomujeres
I hear you Gadget, regarding having more energy than money.

As you can see, I channel my energy during a crisis into "organize mode".

Maybe you can get your family, friends, co-workers, Baja buddies and such to mobilize your own little fund raising activity or fund drive to help support the BPP, Rotary and Scholarship funds

Each of us has a lot to offer. We just have to figure out what it is!

Debra

[Edited on 9-11-2009 by ecomujeres]

Copy that, already done. Spammed out BPP link to over 100 on my e-mail addy list. Good folk all, they will be helping as un-sung. :saint:

Same folks piled my front courtyard full for H John.

EngineerMike - 9-14-2009 at 10:08 PM

Check my update from Mulege of this evening here on Nomad>Baja News>Jimena, too lengthy to repost here.

Time for a nap.

A report from Mulege

Posada-BushPilot - 9-16-2009 at 10:16 AM

I got the following email from my friend Bobby Powers who is in Mulege with her husband helping with the Bush Pilots relief efforts:

"Hi Guys,"

" This is the first time I have had internet. We are here and very busy. It is sad, depressing and almost overwhelming. Also, hot, tiring and dirty. We have had no water or power at our house. Even our inverter is acting up so not even a fan at night. We figure we have it good compared to the local people. They have lost everything! The lucky ones still have one or two walls left. I have worked from before daylight to after dark with collecting and distributing food and clothes. The people are so thankful when they receive ANYTHING. There are many that can't make it to the spot we are giving things away. We hope to be able to drive to them with something. The helicopters worked all day for 4 days. They took doctors, medicine and food to the unreachable. I was able to go on one run and it was amazing. They brought back 12 sick and delivered 600 boxes of supplies.

It is so hearbreaking to see. Imagine having everything in your house washed away. Beds, stove, refridgerator, clothes, walls, roof and the only thing left is deep mud. Yesterday on my way back from a delivery to town I saw a very old lady walking the highway looking for pop and beer cans. It broke my heart. I turned around and went back to give her some money. She thanked me and told me she was getting cans for food. She also lost everything but what she was wearing. I took her picture and could do nothing else but cry as I drove away. Well, I know this is not much to report. I will share a lot more when I get home. I need to get to town and get busy again. The Bush Pilots will return on Thursday. Until then, I am it. We hear that there is another storm headed our way. I was going to stay until Monday but will leave Friday if the storm does come our way.
I will try and update if I can.
Love and Miss you all
Bobby and Dave"

If this doesn't get to you I don't know what will. Wow.

EngineerMike - 9-16-2009 at 06:14 PM

Folks- Donations thru Mulege Student Scholarship Program are above $8,000 thanks to generous Nomads, and lots of you. I distributed the first $1,500 worth in Mulege a couple days ago (my head is still spinning).

We, the Scholarship, will finish out distribution w/the additional info I gathered; see the Jimena thread under Baja News for more.

Now I believe is time to switch to funding the largest possible money pool we can assist in accommodating thru Rotary. Posada-Bush Pilot, Randy Kephart, is the current President, and has a goal of $50,000. We have talked in very preliminary terms about how this money could/should be used. I have suggested long term roof repairs for elderly who have a hard time paying for and organizing that type of work, but that is only a suggestion to get the dialogue going, and I hope to see lots of further suggestions and discussion. If we could raise ten times the goal, it could be put to use and still not fix everything and everybody that can't fix their own situation. This will be a fund that will identify and serve serious needs, well considered as to efficiency and outcome, and well organized as Rotary is famous for.

In-kind donations are being assembled and being delivered thru several conduits. These address patching short term needs like food, clothing, bed linens, first aid supplies etc., and the Scholarship as well as others who are mobilized will fulfill the charter Nomads and other contributors have ordained. For long term needs:

Now is the Time, and Rotary is the Spearpoint!!!

I will be sending further PayPal donations to Rotary from this point forward unless instructed otherwise. Please take this situation to your church, civic group, poker pals, local Rotary Club, AA meeting, pagan worship center, Sierra Club, Boy Scouts, scooter club, c-cktail lounge, etc. and help Rotary make a heavy duty, long term repair in Mulege. We had a local Lutheran Church group (not the whole congregation mind you, just the Bible study group) call a meeting and pass the hat; the evening before I pulled out to head down for Trip#1 they handed me an envelope with $1,700 cash from that hat, and no more instruction than: "Put it where you believe it will make a difference." If they can do that, we can overstuff Rotary's box and exceed their goal. The more we raise, the more can be fixed for people who do not have the resources to fix it themselves.
Now is the Time, and Rotary is the Spearpoint.

Mike Fleming

Posada-BushPilot - 9-17-2009 at 05:25 PM

On behalf of the Rotary Club of Mulege I'd like you, and all Nomads to know that we are grateful for your support. Your success at fundraising speaks volumns about you.

As this is written the 2nd wave of Bush Pilots is arriving in Mulege. For some insight on what the situation is like right now please see the post just before Mike's, on this thread.

If you have not yet donated to Mulege's relief, please consider it, no matter the amount, whatever you can comfortably afford.

Thanks

DENNIS - 9-17-2009 at 05:33 PM

Have the BBP assisted other areas? Is this still all about Mulege?
Is there any accounting of where assistance from the US went?
Is BBP reporting the destination of their efforts?
I can't keep up with all these reports and I wonder. That's all. I'm just asking.

I would like to see feedback of the wide effort.

Dennis

Posada-BushPilot - 9-17-2009 at 06:45 PM

Very good questions, Thanks.

I'm going to let Siri address the issues concerning BBP. If you read the post on this thread two posts up, there is some discussion of helping folks outside of town. They are focusing alot of attention to the Rancheros, and for good reason.

As far as accounting goes, I can only speak for the Mulege Rotary. As this years President, I feel personal responsibility for the relief money donated and I/we WILL account for every peso we disburse. I fully understand that our reputation as a club is very important to any future fundraising we may do.

Thanks again for your interest.

KAT54 - 9-18-2009 at 05:13 AM

Where would I donate in November?
Will there be a place to take my donations by then?
What would be the best things to bring in November?

EngineerMike - 9-18-2009 at 08:46 AM

Dennis- BBP's first wave of effort was overall needs assessment. With aircraft they could boldly go where no wheeled vehicles could go. They had Cruz Roja along to map out damages and problems, and fix on a plan.

Once road traffic was possible, the road-accessible areas were fairly quickly served with emergency conduits, and by then BBP/Cruz Roja was identifying isolated and desperate people east of the highway, north of Mulege, and south of somewhere more or less near Santa Rosalia. BBP excluded Mulege and Santa Rosalia from their direct efforts per se (tho basing now out of Serenidad in Mulege) because their airlift capability was needed in the ranchos cut off from wheeled vehicle access. I.e. they matched the capability to the need. I haven't seen the latest med-evac numbers, food/supply drops, etc., number of missions and so on (had other fish to fry).

So to reiterate, BBP's efforts are not about Mulege at all, but about the areas their aircraft can uniquely serve best. Had the highway access shaped up differently of course, BBP would have likely altered their focus accordingly.

Cruz Roja, however, was everywhere in the vicinity.

As to accounting, I've posted elsewhere here on Nomad as far as the Scholarship's efforts have evolved so far, and all donors will be receiving our report on how the total sum collected gets used. (BTW Dennis, do I recall seeing your PayPal contribution on our list?) If you are worried about BBP's collections, don't sweat that too heavy. The pilots will wind up donating at least 95 cents of every air time & fuel dollar, as they always do.

Rotary projects are always very well documented, and I'm sure the Mulege Rotary (where all further money donations should go IMO) will both announce the details of their work here, and produce a full report showing money in, money out and accomplishments completed. Rotary is where the real long term rubber meets the road for this relief. They will get things done beyond food & emergency supplies (course if your roof is gone and you have no money that's an emergency by most definitions; I hate having to wear SPF30 in my living room). So for those who have not contributed, and those who want to see their funds go to help fix long term needs, make your contribution to Mulege Rotary per instructions above.

Siri - 9-18-2009 at 03:28 PM

Randy and Mike,

Thanks for your replies to Dennis--sorry I was offline flying back to Loreto yesterday.

Dennis,

I just wanted to add something, about where the BBP effort is directed. I can tell you that BBP became aware that Lopez Mateos was in great need (beyond the quick trip Cruz Roja made there), so BBP is now trying to to divert some planes directly to Constitucion (most still don't want to land at the strip at Lopez Mateos). Yesterday a plane went directly to Constitucion and unload to a Lopez rep, and we just had another plane do the same today.

It's a big project with lots of different loads coming in to keep track of. I wasn't on the ground last weekend, but know that Claudia and Jack were, and were making sure distribution was done as fairly and efficiently as possible (based on the information they have from various sources, including Cruz Roja, and through people they know and trust). I hope they will have an estimated tally of how many planes-full came in and where they went, but I'm not sure it exists yet.

If you have further questions about a summary of what's happened and/or financial collections, please contact the BBP office at 480-730-3250--I'm sure Claudia can answer your questions in detail.

Also, the National Off Road Racing Association has stepped up with donations and also helping to move overland things BBP couldn't do by plane. I just saw a post on the BBP message bd that NORRA had picked up a few thousand water bottles from the BBP drop site at Gillespie field in San Diego to start overland transport. Big thanks to these guys for getting involved and carrying the project forward...

I hope this helps, and thanks for everyone's support! Siri

capt. mike - 9-19-2009 at 08:48 AM

2 flying sams planes are going to Constitucion fully loaded tomorrow for Lopez victims. Alicia is meeting them there. they're doing a one day drop and return.