In the December issue of our Newsletter, you will remember the moving story called "A Day of Thanksgiving " where one of our very own Focus clients, , donated four brand-new computers to the Lake Chapala Society. The Lake Chapala Society offers free computer lessons to Mexican Nationals and limits the amount of classes to the number of computers they have. (Read the full story here...)
When Jerry learned they only had six computers, he solicited the help of Focus to arrange to buy four new computers and donate them to the Lake Chapala Society for their computer program. (A local computer store - New World Technology, very generously offered to build the four computers at cost.)
If that isn't enough, after receiving a wonderful Thank You from the Lake Chapala Society (read below), Jerry has committed to donate an additional two laptops now and another two in the fall of 2008. We felt compelled to share this new development with you.
Can you believe the generosity of this man? Just imagine how many children and adults in the Mexican community will benefit from the opportunity to create new skills to give themselves greater job opportunities which will result in a better lifestyle for them and their families. Hats off to you Jerry!
Read the Thank You Letter to Jerry from the Lake Chapala Society and his reply offering to donate the additional laptops.
FROM: Mary Alice Sargent, Director
Wilkes Education Center
Dear Jerry,
This is a too long delayed, thank you, thank you, thank you for the four computers you donated to the Wilkes Education Center. Your generosity is overwhelming and very much appreciated by the students and teachers in the computer program.
Even though it has taken some time (this is Mexico, remember) the computers are installed, hooked up and ready to go to everyone's delight. The students are thrilled.
Your idea of adding to our supply until we reach fifty is a wonderful dream. We really are limited by space and there is not a building program in the near future, however, if future donations could be laptops, the computer program could have many more students without added space. We have a wireless system so they could be carried from classroom to classroom.
Back to the main objective of this email, our heartfelt thanks to you, Jerry, from the Wilkes Education Center and the Lake Chapala Society.
My personal thanks to you and may you have a wonderful New Year.
FROM: Jerry Pounds
"Dear Mary Alice, No thanks are needed except I owe thanks to Bill and Marie from Focus for their help. In the future, laptops it will be. Maybe when I get to Mexico we can start a building program. In the meantime, if you will work with Bill and Marie at Focus, I will donate 2 laptops now and two more in the fall. We will get to 50 computers one way or another.
Let's try to make it a good year for everyone. I hope you have a very good year and I will wait to hear from you and my friends at Focus on how you want to handle getting the laptops. Jerry "
Very generous of heart and spirit, Jerry added in another email,
If anyone gets credit for the computers it should be Bill McConnaughey [Focus on Mexico IT Consultant]. Without him, it would not have happened and I would like for the world to know that without Bill's help and yours [Marie], this would not be possible.
We cannot say enough about the generosity of the participants who have come on our Focus programs. They definitely warm our hearts and make us realize the special kind of people who come on a Focus program.
We're going to be profiling a few here and there in our newsletter every once in awhile, because would like you to meet them too…the writers, the artists, the charitable, the world travelers, the truly adventurous. It seems all of our participants have a story to tell, and we'd like to share them with you.
Thank you again, Jerry, for starting off our year with big smiles and hugs all around.