The Los Cabos Children's Foundation (LCCF) would like to express its heartfelt empathy and support for all of those affected in Baja California Sur by the terrible forces of Hurricane Odile. We are aware that the destruction is unprecedented and the level of human suffering great. We are all connected as one whole and we feel the pain of each other.

Disaster relief is a very, very complicated process with people's lives and well-being in the balance. Before a comprehensive plan of action for LCCF to follow could be realized, we needed to come up to speed on the process of relief coordination itself to guarantee a successful end result. LCCF has years of experience working and funding our medical programs and the local 'Spirit of Service' nonprofits that are vested and veterans in their work in the Los Cabos community. In addition, LCCF has close working relationships with the BCS government, the Minister of Health and medical delivery systems across the state. It was our goal to bring our resources and experience to this immense project in an intelligent and effective way that would not only address the immediate critical needs of phase 1, but carry on into phase 2, the rebuilding of BCS. What we found was that the single most difficult task in a disaster such as this is the logistics required to ensure supplies actually make it to the people.

To this end, LCCF has been working night and day with multiple organizations to offer a solution and to build a credible coalition that can manage the complicated logistics involved with moving in-kind donations from the USA to Mexico and to the people. This team in the USA is now up and running and consists of:

* YachtAid Global - Mark Drewelow, Founder, Executive Director

* Sarahuaro Community - Allison Dake, U.S. Executive Director

* Monica Page Logistics - Monica Page, Founder, Executive Director 

* Los Cabos Children's Foundation - Greg Edwards, Executive Director 

This 'A' team is already hard at work soliciting in-kind donations, working with disaster relief organizations, arranging transportation of donations to a warehouse for palletizing and paperwork generation, subsequent transportation to staging warehouses at designated airports and management of the intricacies of air and truck transportation to Cabo and then the guarantee that these supplies get to the families and children we serve. In addition to this core of coordinators is our rapidly growing list of partners and sponsors such as LIFT (transportation assistance for first responders); PROJECT C.U.R.E. (donated medical supplies and equipment); MATTER (shelf stable food, medical supplies and equipment) to name just a few.

The pipeline is now built and basic critical supplies are beginning to flow. The veteran organizations that LCCF has been assisting for years through its 'Spirit of Service' program are all familiar names; Sarahuaro, Amigos de Los Ninos, Red Autismo, LigaMac, Mobilize Mankind and have come back online and are poised to assist, assessing needs and ensuring these critical supplies reach their intended end. LCCF is in contact with Dr. Ortiz and the Ministry of Health on a daily basis to expedite the needed permissions and forms required to move these supplies across the border.

It is not without cost however. As mentioned in the previous posting from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico

The Los Cabos Children's Foundation has opened a special fund specifically for humanitarian relief for Hurricane Odile victims. Funds donated to LCCF for this emergency purpose will be used to assist in funding the movement of critical in-kind donations from the USA to Mexico AND to assist the nonprofit organizations in our 'Spirit of Service' program in their efforts to distribute the needed supplies to the children and families with the highest needs.

For those of you who are moved to assist in this relief effort, please find the method you would like to use from the list below and make your secure donation today! We are moving fast and your immediate help in this emergency is deeply appreciated by one and all.

In closing dear friends and supporters of LCCF and Baja Sur, I want to assure you that any funds generously donated to this disaster relief project through LCCF will be guided and used in the most effective way possible to deliver relief to the children and families that we and our partner veteran organizations have served for years. You can count on it!

Greg Edwards

Executive Director

Los Cabos Children's Foundation