IFC September pg. 2

TREASURERS REPORT
Allan Badner
Tel:  222-1563
email:  allanbadner@hotmail.com

The summer is on the wane so can Puerto Vallarta be far off?  As your Treasurer and Vice-President I have had a busy time on the email and phone between Toronto and Puerto Vallarta in order to deal with my routine duties as treasurer and the many problems and decisions that require my attention.  We are indeed in the golden age of communication with email and audio computer to computer.  Valeska, Yvonne and I are literally in daily communication on IFC matters.

Our year end on May 31, 2004 finished with the IFC in very good financial shape.  Our revenues for the year exceeded our budget and we were able to fulfill all our obligations and then some.

Our total revenue for the last year was $1,249,000 pesos with a net $1,013,000 pesos from Home Tours; Donations of $76,550 pesos; Net Cookbook sales of $64,750 pesos and Membership dues of $65,000 pesos. There are other miscellaneous revenues such a bank interest and Bazaar.

Our total Administration cost was $244,000 pesos with significant costs for such items as Clubhouse Rent $72,000 pesos; Administrative wages etc. of $60,000 pesos and Hacienda Taxes of $26,000 pesos.  We also purchased a new computer at a cost of $16,000 pesos.  We still have rental space available for the Clubhouse which would reduce our rental cost.

Last year we paid out $1,117,348 pesos for our charitable programs: $214,000 pesos on our Community Aid programs; $314,291 pesos on the Education program which also includes Becas and the Library stipend; and $589,000 pesos on the Medical Program which includes Cleft Palate, Cruz Roja, Patrocinio and the Regional Hospital . We spent about $112,000 pesos more than we took in which is covered by our surplus from the previous year.

A good source of revenue this year is being generated by our sales of the Phone Cards - $300 pesos for 300 minutes for anywhere in the USA and Canada and also in Mexico. They work great, so be sure to buy one.  We have met all our program obligations so far this year and are on budget.

Yvonne and Al Ward have been busy facilitating the purchasing (a special deal) of an Anesthesiology machine for the Naval Hospital in return for our use of their facilities for our Cleft Palate Program.  There are also a number of other medical devices in the process of being acquired for local needs.  They have incorporated a charitable US Foundation called The CAFIN Foundation to obtain donations and grants from US Charitable Foundations. The Foundation will issue US Tax receipts for personal donations.  They will tell you all about this elsewhere in this newsletter. On behalf of all the members of the IFC I thank Yvonne and Al for their dedication and hard work.

The start of our Home Tours is announced elsewhere in this newsletter.  We have signed a bus contract to supply us with properly licensed and safe buses (TTF) and no longer will we use the old clunkers.

The new season is almost upon us, and I look forward to the IFC reaching and surpassing it’s previous goals and once again making a difference to the well being of those in and around Puerto Vallarta who need a little help.

MEDICAL SERVICES
Patricia Mendez
Joanne Quickstad
Tel:  01-329-298-1767
Email:  casatranquila@prodigy.net.mx

We are happy to welcome some new volunteers to our Cleft Palate Program and with new people come new ideas and fortunately more hands to carry the work.

Nicolas Gandia, manager of Los Pibes Restaurant, has joined us…and what a powerhouse of energy he is!  Nicolas comes to us with some experience in the field, having worked with The Smile Train in Central and South America.  He was with us through thick and thin for the August program and in working with us had many ideas for helping the patients and their families.  His contribution is most welcome…he will be a big help.  If you are in Los Pibes for one of their great steak dinners, tell him how much you appreciate him and his efforts. 

Michelle Boudreau, of Chapala, wrote to the club last November saying that she would like to participate in the program as a speech pathologist.  I explained that it would be a bit of a problem getting our patients to her in Chapala so she came to Vallarta and saw exactly what she wanted to do.  She returned for the Feb. and May programs and thought that it would be advantageous to see the patients on a monthly basis while still maintaining her practice in Chapala.   Working with the kids at 3 month intervals just wasn’t enough so she started coming every month.  As it turns out….Michelle has fallen in love with Vallarta as well as our patients.  She has decided to move here and will be scheduling appointments with the kids at least twice a week using the clubhouse in the beginning until she finds herself office space.  At present she is working with 30 patients between the ages of 1½ yrs and 15 yrs of age.   I can’t tell you how happy this makes me….and how much it will mean to the patients.   The improvement was noticed by Dr. Ricardo Rivera during the routine post surgical exam when the doctor asked Pedrito his name.  Pedro said his name…and his mother reminded him to talk slower and more distinctly….and Pedro said his name again.  Dr. Rivera asked his mother if the child was getting speech therapy and she said yes, from Sra. Michelle.  Dr Rivera said that his speech was very good.  I have to tell you, as coordinators, we beamed. 

Thanks to many donations from some very caring people out there we have a nice collection of children’s books in Spanish.  One of our goals for the November program will be to have Story Time during the Wednesday, Nov 3^rd consultations.  We are looking for a “story lady” to read aloud to the little ones and a “librarian” to supervise the bigger kids who want to check out books to read. 

A big thank you goes out to the kind person who brought us boxes of toothbrushes last year.  Dra. Cecilia Hernandez in Bucerias designed a dental hygiene presentation using Susan Davalos’ Barney puppet and put the show on the road.  She and her assistant Miriam went to 4 primary schools and 5 kindergartens.  During April and May they attended each class in all 9 schools doing oral exams for a total of 1,718 children, giving a lesson in proper brushing and oral hygiene using Barney, and gave a toothbrush to each child so they could practice the brushing technique.   On August 11, Joann and I went with Dra. Cecilia and Miriam to present the completed program to Sra. Martha Robles de Paniagua, Presidenta de DIF in the Municipio de Bahia de Banderas.   Sra. Martha will be acknowledging the IFC for their participation and assistance to the children of Bucerias in her Annual Informe on August 21.  This was a huge undertaking and certainly Dra. Cecilia deserves a big round of applause.  If anyone gives us another shipment of toothbrushes we can do it again.  In designing and executing this presentation Dra. Cecilia involved the directors and teachers of the schools, the delegado of Bucerias, and DIF to channel the children with more severe problems to free assistance available to them in the community.  Dra. Cecilia also donates her services to our cleft palate patients who are in need of dental care.   

Please remember that we need lightweight foldable strollers that are heavy duty with big wheels.  I have seen these advertised as jogging strollers…also for taking the kid attached to the bicycle.  The big wheels can take the cobblestone streets and rough dirt trails and will fold for getting on the bus.  There are some moms of cerebral palsy kids that really need this particular kind of help.  Also, books…we love ‘em…..keep ‘em coming.