April 16, 2020;  6:10pm

Present: Carmen Diaz, Fernando Santos,  Maxie Gluckman, Janet Mikelson, Marian Pavlovich Sargeant, Adriana Alarcon, Claudia Torres, Maureen Duncan, Felipe Razo, 

Per Maxie, Maureen, and Adriana the current COVID-19 environment in Honduras, Guatemala, and Ecuador is dire. Already as it is, people are living in poverty, and now with the pandemic, people are dying of starvation, while trying their best to contain the virus. Many of these communities need help. We are all aware that every country in the world is facing the same issues, but the people living in extreme poverty are being impacted to a greater scale.  

RECSDG President Carmen, along with other members proposed the idea of an immediate relief grant focused on the communities in Ecuador, Honduras and Guatemala that our members have ties with. Carmen, Maxie and Maureen will all work together to ask District Governor Martha Knight and RI Foundation for help. 

Closer to San Diego, neighboring city Tijuana, is also severely impacted. Per Fernando, Hospital General de Tijuana and the other major medical facility (ISSTE) are overwhelmed. Not enough resources, people are being turned away and staff is exhausted. 

Carmen, with the help of an external donor, has secured reusable plastic thermos that will be donated on behalf of our club to the Hospital General de Tijuana.

Claudia mentioned that the majority of people cannot afford a mask. Maxie knows of a group of deported Hondurans in Tijuana that are making cloth masks for sale ($1 a piece). Several members have decided to donate their personal funds to secure several masks that will be distributed to people in need in Tijuana. Fernando and Claudia will identify which cohort of people are most in need of these masks and distribute them.

Moving forward, we will be connecting on zoom twice a month instead of once a month. Stay tuned for our next meeting, date will be announced through whatsapp. 

As soon as Maxie, Maureen and Carmen have information regarding an emergency grant they will report to the general club.