Casa San Juan Diego, Cabo San Lucas

An oasis for children, homeless families and those in need

This facility was built by the Children’s Foundation of Cabo San Lucas to provide resources to children and families of the homeless and severely impoverished. All the staff at this facility are local volunteers.  When I visited Casa San Juan Diego, I talked with a volunteer teacher and psychologist, both who work at the center four hours or more almost daily.  This center is overseen by the local Catholic priest but operates only on donations.  

The primary focus of Casa San Juan Diego is summarized below:

1.  100-200 children per day come here for a meal in the morning, to participate in activities and have a safe place to engage in sports and activities.  To use the facility the older children (age 9-17) must attend one class.  These classes vary from teaching basic values, social skills, education about drugs, abuse and violence, and English/Spanish language class.  The classes are held right after breakfast.  The children are always welcome to spend time at the facility during the day, if they aren’t attending school.  Many children also participate in sports and games at this facility after school.  Casa San Juan Diego is a safe place for children to be.  Most of these children live in severe poverty situations and some live on the streets. 

2.  At Casa San Juan Deigo there is a small space for homeless families to live for a limited amount of time, usually a few days to a week.  They must apply to the foundation to show their level of need.

3.  Anybody can come to Casa San Juan Diego to have breakfast, but an agreement is made that if they participate in receiving the meal, they must also attend a class to learn employment skills (carpentry, hairstyling, etc.).  Another requirement is they must give back to the organization by helping at the facility:  preparing meals and cleanup, cleaning the facility, taking care of the grounds, or babysitting small children while their parent(s) are attending a skills class. 

4.  The staff at Casa San Juan Diego try to help with offering connections to other needed resources.  Mental health counseling is also offered by one of the volunteers there.  

It amazes me how many resources are available to people who use this center, but how little it operates on.  Costco and Walmart contribute food once a week.  Charity and donations from other sources are minimal.  

The list of needs and projects to help with at Casa San Juan Diego is long. 

Supplies needed are:

    * Any kind of technology (computers, printer, calculators, television, DVD player).  
          These are used in the classrooms for the children

 * Art supplies of all kinds:  paper, copier paper, glue, paints, crayons, pencils,    

          markers, clay/play dough, scissors, construction paper, felt, etc.

 * Books for ages 9-17 years of age

 * Sports equipment (soccer balls, basketballs, softballs, bats, playground balls for   

          younger children)

 * Playground equipment for the older children.  The metal playground equipment  

          they currently have is falling apart and is actually dangerous). 

 * Playground equipment for the younger children.  They currently have cheap  

          plastic equipment that is falling apart and unusable. 

 * Toys for babies, toddlers and young children (including riding toys)

 * Cribs

 * Playpens/baby enclosures

 * Small chairs and tables for pre-school age children

 * Diapers, baby wipes, diaper ointment

 * Medicine, vitamins

 * Shampoo, hand soap

 * Head lice shampoo and lice combs

 * Toilet paper

 * Food of any kind, especially the basics (flour, cornmeal, cooking oil, canned   
          and boxed milk, sugar, rice, beans)

 * Milk and infant formula

 * Cleaning supplies:  soap (hand, laundry, dishwashing, general purpose), bleach,  

          disinfecting solution

 * Paint

 * Chicken and rabbit food

 * Shovels, rakes

 * Clothing and shoes for all ages, children to adult

 * Materials for the carpentry shop to make small items that can be sold to sustain       

         Casa San Juan Diego

 * Tools for carpentry class:  skill saw, jigsaw, drill, tools

Services and projects volunteers could participate in:

 * Teaching any kind of skills to adults

 * Teaching how to create a garden and compost

 * Fixing and expanding pens where over 70 rabbits and 80 chickens are housed 
           in one small pen for each, building nesting boxes for laying hens, figuring 
           out a way that manure can be used for the community garden that hopefully 
           someone can help establish

 * Teaching children any kind of skills

 * Maintenance repairs (electrical, plumbing)

 * Teaching children how to do a craft project

 * Teaching sports games

 * Teaching any kind of hairstyling skills, pedicure process, manicures, spa 
            services

 * Repairing and painting two large rooms where infants and toddlers are taken 
            care of while parents attend one of the skill classes.  The area is currently 
            dark, unattractive, with small tables or chairs.  Toys need to be discarded 
            and replaced, nothing bright and stimulating is on any of the walls

 * Any kind of interaction with the children, reading books, songs, music, playing   

            with toddlers and holding infants

 * Constructing and/or reconstructing the playground area

 * Counseling/trauma therapy (EMDR or EFT), help with work around abuse issues, 

            self-esteem, education about anger management, addictions

 * First aid/minor medical procedures and evaluations

If you would like to help by donating items, time or service, contact me or the director below.  

Contact information

Address:

Casa San Juan Diego

Prolonacion Leona Vicario, Col.

Meza Colorada

Parroquia

Av. Lopez Mateos/Prologarciòn

Morelos, Col. E Jidel

Director:  Prof. Augusto Marròn

augustocaloo@hotmail.com

Casa San Juan Diego phone:  624 12 45 978

Casasanjuandiego@hotmail.com

Staff: 

P. Arturo Garcia Fernandez, volunteer teacher

624 12 16 009

Evelia Martinez Solis

624 16 86 041

Hours:  8:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Activities until 5 p.m. for children (most children are there for the morning hours and return after 2 p.m.)

The volunteer kitchen crew cleaning up

Unsafe playground equipment

Small shop where participants learn carpentry skills

Are that could be used for an organic garden.

Infant and toddler room, barren and sparse.

The toys for young children to play with while parents are attending a skills class.  Most of it needs to be thrown away.

The same room as the toys (above), sparse and bleak.

Rabbit pen

Someone donated 76 chickens, this area needs help.