Tzedakah (could be rendered as “charity”, but linguistically and culturally it is better translated as “doing the just thing”) has always been a major pillar of Judaism. As such, Shalom SMA’s Board of Directors has determined that 10% of our treasury ought to be designated specifically for this holy purpose on a yearly basis.

Our community has sponsored several wonderful projects in the past, including the provision of speech evaluation and prolonged therapy for 2 orphan girls at the Casa Hogar Don Bosco, as well as donations of food and even fumigation services there.

• For the past several years we have also partnered with the local DIF (municipal 'Social Services') to help local indigent residents pay for needed medical treatments and medications that are not covered by the Seguro Popular program (kind of like Medicaid).

• The first Wednesday of every month is our turn to help serve food to over 120 local elderly and indigent San Miguelenses through the So Others May Eat (S.O.M.E.) program. Volunteers from our organization gather in the courtyard of the Parroquia at 12:30 to set up and then plate and serve meals. Our thanks to Doris Tolpen, z"l, for getting us involved in this wonderful mitzvah.

• SSMA/CHESMA, AC is also proud to announce a new community service initiative, the "Guardian Angels Program", whose mission it is to make daily contact with people living alone in SMA to assure their well-being. Subscribers will also be given special refrigerator magnets to store vital medical information (in a bilingual format) to help the EMT's and  medical personnel in the event of an emergency.

We urge you to personally become involved in these programs and/or donate specifically to these worthy endeavors. 

Our “Mexigap” Tzedakah Project

Background: The Mexican government provides low-cost or free essential services to its people through the Seguro Popular program. However, this program often doesn't cover more complicated and expensive problems, as well as many post-hospital expenses such as certain medications and other necessary supplies.

Purpose: Our proposed “Mexigap” project was specifically developed to help pay these sorely-needed medical expenses for the most indigent residents of San Miguel de Allende.

How: We work with the existing social service programs who deal with these problems on a daily basis—the social workers at the Hospital General, DIF, and the local Health Centers. They will identify the necessary services and will have already screened the patients for financial need; cases generated there are forwarded to our Tzedakah Committee/Mexigap Sub-committee for timely review. If deemed appropriate, we help pay part of these expenses (DIF and the patient/their family pay their share). We will not prescribe or distribute medications or medical supplies.

Exclusions: We specifically do not want to duplicate other charities’ work or pay for medications or supplies that are available under the current medical system. For example, indigent children’s medical needs can often be met through the well-funded Patronato Pro Niños charity, and the local, state and federal DIF programs are specifically designed to help those in need. We therefore need to liaison with these other charities/programs in order to prevent overlapping of existing services.

Summary: In the past, the Jewish community has been generous in donating to existing charities. The "Mexigap" program is an attempt to establish our own initiative giving tzedakah (albeit though the existing social services network). It is also a way for us to work with the local government's efforts to help the people of SMA and gain some standing in the larger Mexican community.

SSMA/CHESMA, AC wishes to acknowledge and thank Marcos Raúl Díaz Domínguez, the chairman of the Mexigap Subcommittee, for all his work in making this program work!

SO OTHERS MAY EAT
is a charitable organization founded by Joe and Antoinette Lim in February 1989 . Each Wednesday for the past 23 years, something very unique and empowering takes place in the sunny courtyard behind the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel. Long tables covered with red-and-white-checkered tablecloths are set up under laurel trees. The tables are numbered according to age 65-95; the elders will be served first. Before the food is served, their thin old voices are lifted in a song of gratitude. Prayers precede a meal of warm tea or fresh juice ladled from white plastic buckets, bowls of chicken broth thick with vegetables and soy meat and a plate filled with warm tortillas, refried beans, rice, a little piece of chicken, bread, a scattering of raw onions and tomatoes and a dollop of Mexican mole sauce. Most of the old folks have traveled miles on foot from outside of town on canes and wooden walking sticks and arrived parched and hungry. This is the highlight of their week. As they enter, bent over with their walking sticks, clutching shawls, crossing themselves, they thank all the volunteers with smiles.  

excerpted from SOME's website,www.soothersmayeatmexico.org

Volunteers

set tables, serve food, and generally act as hosts to the guests.

Shalom San Miguel de Allende

Is committed to providing ten volunteers for the first Wednesay of every month.
Our community is small, and many of us are elderly ourselves, so please help, newsletter readers.
Enlisting ten volunteers is a challenge.

Call the JC3 185-9191
to volunteer. Volunteers meet the first Wednesday of every month at 12:30 PM. Walk to the left of La Parroquia church, past the parochial offices, and through the tunnel in front of you.  Plan to work until about 2-2:15 PM or so.
Show concern for our elderly Mexican neighbors in need by joining us.