City of Joy Presentation

Building a better home for everyone

1

2

4

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

16

17

Message

About us

The City of Joy

Bread & Blanket Shelter

Home for Women

Home for the Elderly

Cafarnaum Hospice

Training Center

John Paul II Multipurpose Center

Community Medical Service

Community Legal Service

Community Participation

Directory

Map of the City of Joy

C o n t e n t s

1

Message

In a place such as Quintana Roo, how is it possible that in our day and age, there are still people dying of hunger? That there are still those who are illiterate, who lack basic medical treatment, or who have no roof over their head?

The panorama of poverty is vaster than ever if, to the old expressions of poverty, we add the new ones. Today, many places which, like ours, are not lacking in resources, are exposed to the treachery of drugs, generate neglect of the elderly and abound in social marginalization and discrimination.

Love will save us. But what love? Love for others without doing anything for them is self-deceit. Love for others by improvisation is mediocrity. Love for others without spirituality is a pretend love, lacking in heart. Love for others without professionalism can be egoism masked as love.

My heart is filled with happiness to know that there is an organization such as the City of Joy Foundation whose professional model to boost the capacity of social development initiatives are a concrete manifestation of their deep love for others.

There is still a long way to go, but we are progressing at a good pace along the right path. Let your love build great works, so that it becomes more than just a simple feeling

Monsignor Pedro Pablo Elizondo Cárdenas, L.C.Bishop of the Prelature of Cancún - Chetumal

Honorary President and Rector of the City of Joy

Our history

The state of Quintana Roo, home to internationally renowned tourist destinations Cancun and the Riviera, has experienced a steep rise in population growth over recent decades. Unfortunately, the development of its most valuable resource – its people – has not advanced at a par with its economic development, a situation which has generated a wide range of social needs.

The City of Joy Foundation was created to respond to these needs. Founded in 2000, it aims to address the most pressing social needs and encourage the spread of love and dignity as essential human values.

Our fi rst project, the City of Joy, is located on a plot of land measuring 3.5 hectares located 15 minutes from the center of Cancun. This location was selected for its proximity to the urban periphery, thus allowing individuals and families from the poor communities to reach the City of Joy with ease.

As a charitable institution, the Foundation is governed by a Board of Governors and depends entirely on donations to sustain its activities. Many of our supporters are local families or businesses, fi rst hand witnesses of the poverty and marginalization in our area. We also organize sporting and cultural events to raise funds and solicits grants from institutional donors in order to support our daily work of making Quintana Roo a better place for everybody.

Social contextQuintana Roo is a dream for those who visit it on holiday. With its white sand beaches and turquoise waters, world class tourism infrastructure and traditional Mexican hospitality, it is no wonder it is Mexico’s leading tourism destination.

Yet, just a few kilometers from the comfort of the hotel zone, life is an uphill struggle for many Mexicans who have migrated here in search of their own Cancun dream. Living in poverty in semi rural conditions, facing a shortage of basic public services, thousands of individuals and families struggle to make ends meet, to keep their family together and to live a dignifi ed life.

This is the other side of Quintana Roo and although it is not a direct consequence of the success of the tourism industry here, maybe it is the price that has been paid. 2

About us

w w w . c i u d a d a l e g r i a . o r g

Ab

ou

t

us

Mission

Construct spaces, generate synergies and strengthen actions in support of institutions which, with love and joy, promote the development and dignity of marginalized individuals and families, thus addressing the most pressing social needs of rapidly growing cities.

Vision

An innovative, dynamic, efficient and trustworthy charitable organization, inspired by Christian love for others.

Principles

• Love for life and respect for universal human rights

We believe not just in the right to life, but in the right to a life full of meaning and purpose in which opportunities are available to all and individuals are empowered to make the most of them.

• Ethical behavior

All of those who work and contribute to the City of Joy Foundation act according to basic ethical norms, recognizing that both the people we help and those who support us, are worthy of our full respect, to be reflected in professional and moral work and moral practices.

• Transparency

In response to the trust that the public, and particularly our donors, place in our actions, we ensure that they are able to access information about our work, actively keeping them up to date with our activities, use of funding and responding promptly to all requests about our activities.

• Professionalism and Continuous Improvement

We are a team of highly committed individuals, committed to the Foundation’s mission and willing to share the best of ourselves to help others. We work to identify areas of opportunity, implementing work plans which favor the growth of the organization in a way which best responds to the social needs of Quintana Roo.

3w w w . c i u d a d a l e g r i a . o r g

The City of Joy has been designed as an integrated response to local social needs, based on the following considerations:

• The rapid population growth of the state and the large variety of social issues it generates, which make it necessary to establish a project which is capable of serving many different types of beneficiaries.

•The importance of offering specialized services for each type of issue or group, thus making it appropriate to decentralize services into different modules and invite organizations with proven experience to operate such modules.

• The lack of urban infrastructure available in the State (given its relative youth) which makes it essential to initiate work by building the facilities needed for the project.

On the basis of this overall model, the City of Joy has grown into an innovative complex of different Homes and Programs run by a variety of experienced organizations which share our mission.

Homes: The Homes are centers which offer specialized services to a specific group of vulnerable or at risk people. The Foundation provides the building free of charge so that the organization can fulfill the purpose for which the Home was created. As autonomous entities, each organization is responsible for the services and activities they offer within the Home, as well as the resources they need to sustain their operations.

Programs: The Programs are thematic services operated directly by the Foundation for the benefit of all the organizations which work in the City of Joy, as well as for the community in general.

Long term investmentThe construction phase of the City of Joy will be complete in a few years time, depending on the rhythm of the fundraising process. However, the overall project is permanent; we will continue to help the organizations with which we work so that they may fulfill their potential. In this way, the City of Joy represents a permanent investment which will contribute significantly to the social development of Quintana Roo.

w w w . c i u d a d a l e g r i a . o r g 4

The City of Joy

Th

e

Ci

ty

o

f

Jo

y

The Foundation plays the role of “promoter” and “facilitator” in the City of Joy, given that our main objective is to ensure that the City of Joy project remains an effective means of achieving our mission. Our responsibilities can be divided into three main categories:

1. Construct spaces As well as building the Homes and buildings, we provide maintenance, tend the gardens and coordinate security personnel on the main gate.

2. Generate synergies The programs, shared spaces and other collaborative activities exist to optimize the work of the organizations and to generate mutual benefi ts. • Programs Community Medical ServiceCommunity Legal Service Community Psychology Service

• Shared spaces: John Paul II Multipurpose Center, Sports Area, green areas

3. Strengthen actionsThe collaborative process of accompanying the organizations so that they may grow and expand their positive impact. • Study of social or community needs• Consultancy, advice, training and administrative support• Orientation and referral of volunteers

Guiding principles

The City of Joy project is based on the concept that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. In its essence, it is a collaborative project and there are three guiding principles which allow the project to function smoothly on a daily basis:

Synergy: The ongoing and open interaction and communication between the Foundation, Homes and Programs which allows us to generate new ideas and responses in order to better use the available resources and fulfi ll our potential.

Subsidiarity: Implies that the Foundation, Homes and Programs should take decisions at the level as close to the benefi ciary as possible. Any action taken at a higher level must be justifi ed by the wider scale of the benefi ts it will generate.

Solidarity:Recognises that the Foundation, Homes and Programs share a common goal and that what affects one, will affect the others, either positively or negatively. As such, we should work together and demonstrate openly our cohesion and connection to the unique spirit of the City of Joy. 5

Operated by

Since: 2002

• Charitable organizations • Poor families

Services:

• Collect/receive, store and distribute all types of in kind donations • Food packages program• Charity bazaars

Results:

• More than 120 tons of food and drinks distributed to Homes each year • 20,000 families benefit from food packages and charity bazaars

“My hut caught fi re and burned down, my husband was out of work and my son had a drug problem. I was left with nothing.

In the Bread & Blanket Shelter they helped me with clothes, towels, sheets, and some tiles and a huge canvas for my roof, then a gas tank and food and candles because there is no electricity in my street. They even helped me with medicines and doctors.

Now I am a volunteer to help other people who like me need a helping hand and a happy family”

Mrs. Sanchez, Valle Verde community

The Bread & Blanket Shelter is reception and distribution center for all types of inkind donations, including food, clothes, household goods, furniture and much more.

The donations are fi rstly distributed to the different Homes within the City of Joy to contribute to their ongoing operations. Further donations are used to help more than 20,000 needy families from nearby communities.

The Bread & Blanket Shelter is one of the key synergies which exist in the City of Joy, as its large capacity and degree of specialization allows it to capture signifi cant volume of in kind donations and ensure they are shared effectively according to the unique needs of its benefi ciaries.

6w w w . c i u d a d a l e g r i a . o r g

Th

e

Ci

ty

o

f

Jo

y

Operated by:

Since: 2003

Benefi ciaries:• Single mothers, young pregnant women who have been victims of violence. • Babies and young children of beneficiaries.

Services:

• Accommodation, food, clothes• Medical and psychological care • Moral guidance• Education• Vocational training and job bank• Nursery• Family reintegration

Results: Up to 80 young women and their children participate in the residential program each year

The Home for Women works to rescue, rehabilitate and reintegrate young single mothers who have been victims of violence or abandonment. It is unique in Quintana Roo in terms of the quality and range of the services provided.

The philosophy of the Home is to encourage the overall development of the young women so that they may become competent mothers and citizens, capable of living independently and providing a better future for themselves and their children. For this reason, the Home offers a wide range of integrated activities which support the moral and psychological development of the women as well as helping them further their education and gain useful vocational training and access to employment.

7

“I’m 16 years old and I arrived at the Home for Women when I was six months pregnant.

My time there helped me to refl ect on my life and most importantly I learnt to love myself as a person and to value what I have, I learnt to value what we have as women.

During my time there I learnt to love my baby, even though he wasn’t what I wanted, what anyone wanted.

Today, my baby is four months old and I love him more than life itself. I live for him, work for him, in the hope that one day I can offer him the life I would have liked to have.”

Karen María Apolinar Salado


Operated by: El Oasis del Anciano Desamparado, A.C.

Since: 2004

Benefi ciaries:• Elderly adults living in poverty, who have been abandoned or whose families cannot take care of them

Services:

• Accommodation, food, clothing• Medical and psychological care • Recreational and cultural activities• Spiritual guidance

Results: Between 40 and 60 elderly adults are residential benefi ciaries each year.

Despite the fact that Quintana Roo is the “youngest” state in Mexico, it has the fastest growing number of elderly people.

The mission of the Home for the Elderly is to offer complete care to elderly adults who fi nd themselves in different situations of need.

As the only old people’s home in our area, the services provided by the Home are essential to many people who, because of their poverty, lack of income, or disability, are unable to look after themselves.

The care model operated by the Home is designed to cover the basic needs of the benefi ciaries, understanding those as both physical and emotional. The Home offers a safe and loving atmosphere and emphasis is placed on maximizing the benefi ciaries’ quality of life during this stage.

8

“I won’t get tired of saying thank you to the Lord for fi nding, at this stage in my life, this home, a place as beautiful as the Home for the Elderly.

The sincere affection of the people who take care of us is truly wonderful, especially for the elderly people who can’t take care of themselves; in this stage we are effectively children, we need to use nappies, wheelchairs …

If only there were more homes like this, for old people who suffer from lack of love and care.”

Luis Franco Álvarez, 82 years old


Th

e

Ci

ty

o

f

Jo

y

Operated by:

Since: 2005

Benefi ciaries: • Children, women and men with AIDS or other terminal illnesses

Services:

• Accommodation, food, clothing• Basic medical care and psychological support • Support to pursue medical treatment in public hospitals • Cultural and recreational activities• Spiritual guidance• Occupational therapy• Family reintegration • Funeral services

Results: Cares for more than 200 people each year

Cafarnaum Hospice offers care for those suffering from terminal illnesses, especially AIDS. The program is aimed especially at those people who do not have the resources to pay for medical treatment in other institutions, recognizing that they also suffer marginalization and rejection from society and even from their families on account of the disease. It is the only palliative care program in Quintana Roo.

As well as caring directly for patients living in the Home, the staff visit sick people in their homes and work hard to increase levels of awareness about health issues and HIV—AIDS in particular.

9

“Since I found out I had HIV I’ve tried to take my life a number of times because everyone turned their back on me: my family abandoned me, I had no friend, no money, everyone rejected me.

In Cafarnaum Hospice, I started to feel loved and learned to value life and I learnt that in spite of my disease I have a mission to fulfi ll, to share my experience and talk to young people, communicate to them that they have to want to live, not just survive, to give and receive love and understanding, to respect their bodies and those of others because they are sacred. I’m happy to have realized all this before I die.”

Joel Pot, 32 years old


Operated by:Grupos Anónimos de 4° y 5° Paso del Caribe A.C.

Since: 2006

Benefi ciaries:• Men and women suffering from alcoholism, drug addiction, depression and other emotional illnesses

Services:• Monthly retreat• Group sessions from Monday to Friday• Individual sessions

Results: More than 200 people take part each year

The Training Center is used during the day for a range of education and training events, such as workshops, talks or adult literacy classes. In the evenings, it is used by the Carribean section of Fourth and Fifth Steps group whose method of working with alcoholics, addicts, those who are depressed or who have experienced trauma, is based on the 12 steps and aims to generate emotional stability.

The self-help group is open to all those who wish to change their way of living and the process starts by carrying out a moral inventory of their life and admitting past mistakes or character fl aws. The goal is to reconstruct their life patterns, reestablishing personal relationships by repairing damage, deepening the capacity for spiritual refl ection and breaking past egotism by replacing it with selfl ess help for others.


“I arrived in Cancun three months ago, fl eeing from my mum who hit me constantly.

Some friends told me about the Fourth and Fifth Steps experience and I wanted to go because I was feeling very alone, and very angry and bitter because of how she hit me and because she never spent time with me, she was always working. I never wanted to see her again.

Today, after getting to know myself and accept myself, I’m beginning to change. I never imagined I could feel this good and I’m even more surprised to fi nd I can understand and forgive my mum. I know I’m only beginning, but it makes me happy to know that I want to see my mum, to know that I love her after all.”

Jessica, 16 years old

Th

e

Ci

ty

o

f

Jo

y

Operated by:

Since: 2007

Benefi ciaries: • Prisoners and their families

Services:

• Visits to jail (three times a week)• Moral and spiritual guidance• Prisoner release program in collaboration with Community Legal Service

Results: More than 300 prisoners participate in programs

An example of the synergies generated within the City of Joy, the Multipurpose Center is a space shared by all the organizations that can be used for education or training purposes or for recreational or cultural events. In addition, it is designed to act as a hurricane shelter for poor people from the local communities should the need arise.

The Annex to the building is used by Acción Liberadora whose work involves the rehabilitation of prisoners who are serving a sentence in the municipal jail. The organization offers moral, social and educational guidance and training to a growing number of prisoners each week.


Operated by:

Since: 2006

Benefi ciaries: • Organizations in the City of Joy• Needy individuals and families

Services:

• Medical consult • Pharmacy • Referral to other health institutions with preferential rates• Education, advice and training • Coordination of health volunteers

Results: More than 2,400 patients each year.

The Community Medical Service supports the organizations in the City of Joy in area of medical care.

It also provides direct services to the local community by offering consults in family medicine with the most common problems being respiratory infections, parasites and diarrhea, illnesses which are easily linked back to the lack of hygiene and poor living conditions of the benefi ciaries. For this reason the team not only treat illnesses, but are a vital source of information and advice for patients and have a key role to play in educating the population regarding basic health measures.

As an example of synergy within the City of Joy the Medical Service also coordinates a diverse group of health volunteers, such as nurses, psychologists, optometrists and dentists, who offer their services for the benefi t of all the Homes.


“Since I became a widow, and at my age, I have had a lot of illnesses and my knees hurt a lot. But I thank God for the Medical Service, because I can see the doctor and get the medicines I need to feel better.

My daughter is happy too because they gave her some glasses. She hasn’t been able to read well for years, but to get glasses was too expensive and so her head hurt a lot. Now she sees much better.”

María Isabel Poot Puc, 84 years old

Th

e

Ci

ty

o

f

Jo

y

Operated by:

Since: 2006

Benefi ciaries:• Organizations in the City of Joy • Needy individuals and families, especially women

Services:

• Legal advice • Case work• Referral to other institutions or services • Family reintegration• Education and awareness raising

Results: More than 200 clients each year.

The Community Legal Service guides and strengthens the legal support system in the organizations that work in the City of Joy so that they may protect the integrity of their organization and their benefi ciaries. It also offers advice and support for external benefi ciaries.

The organizations benefi t from the Service as they receive reliable, professional, legal advice from someone who understands their needs and goals. They also receive help with more complicated cases which require coordinating communication with several different government bodies.

Most of the benefi ciaries from the local communities have never had the chance to talk to a lawyer. As well as being able to participate in educational initiatives, such as workshops focusing on basic human rights, they benefi t greatly from the free legal advice in order to be able to protect themselves, their family or their belongings.


“It sounds strange, but I have never known when my birthday is, or where I was born. It wasn’t really important…I could always work and earn enough to get by. But when I got sick and they told me I had HIV, the only way I could get my medicines was through the public health system and I didn’t have the papers to be able to register with them.

The lawyers from the Legal Service helped me search and contacted the authorities in Nayarit so that they could get my birth certifi cate and other ID papers. Now I’m going to be able to look after myself better and as long as I am

14

Operating since: 2008

Benefi ciaries:• Community, charitable or other groups which promote personal growth • Schools and universities

Services: Facilities for overnight events for up to 60 people; daytime events for up to 100 people.

In order to contribute to the ability of our community to effectively deal with social problems we should not only provide direct help for those in need, but also encourage the active participation of the whole population in order to address those problems.

The Personal Development Center offers a high-quality, residential events facility for those groups who carry out retreats or training events with individuals and families in order to promote human development and moral or philanthropic values.

The Center also has another goal: to raise awareness about the social problems which exist in our community and the ways in which, by working together, we can address them. The City of Joy is the perfect place for this type of activity as it offers the groups a wide range of opportunities and ways to get involved the project, be it through a simple talk, a collaborative event or even better, through volunteer work.

In this way, the Center will contribute to development on both personal and community level and will help inspire new generations of community leaders so that the challenges of social development may be tackled by more and more people every day.


15

Co

mm

un

it

y

Pa

rt

ic

ip

at

io

n

Social change is based not only on the commitment of charitable institutions, but on the active participation of many different actors in our community, including individuals, families, schools, businesses, civil society organizations and government.

For the Foundation, the support we receive from different social actors is not only a means of attaining our mission, but an end in itself; in the long term, team work is the only way to achieve a stronger community and to create more opportunities for human development.

For this reason, we strive to forge long-lasting links with the community and we are grateful for the resources and skills they entrust to us so that together we can work on education, health and development projects which in the end, benefi t us all.

Volunteers and internsAll our Homes, Programs and offi ces are open to volunteers and students who wish to share their time, knowledge and skills to help our benefi ciaries and gain useful experience.

BusinessesOur ongoing growth has been achieved thanks to generous support from the business sector whose social responsibility projects facilitate monetary or in-kind donations and support for our special events.

Fundraising EventsEach year we organize diverse fundraising events such as the Golf Tournament, or “Flotín” race. As well as contributing funds for the operation of our projects, the events offer our local community fun, educational, cultural or sporting events to enjoy with all the family.

Community Part icipation

“My family was really proud of me when I told them how I had helped the elderly people, serving dinner and spending time with them.

Thanks to the people that I shared with there, my outlook on life has changed and I appreciate more now what I have.

I really hope I can keep helping in this way and become more involved.”

Janeth Salazar Gaytán, 17 years old

Board of GovernorsHonorary President and Rector of the City of Joy: Monsignor Pedro Pablo Elizondo Cárdenas L.C.President: Juan Ignacio Athié Lambarri Vicepresident: Fernando García Zalvidea Treasurer: Héctor Ignacio Herrera Herrera Fernando Rodríguez Martínez, L.C. Antonio Enyedy Perkovac Ana Catalina Garza de Treviño Teresa de la Peña Sánchez de Linss Ana Cecilia Quevedo Fernández Alejandro de Hoyos Rodrigo de Villasante PAIPID, A.C.

CoordinationDirector: Anita GallagherConstruction Coordinator: Ernesto de la Cruz Tovar Development Coordinator: Oscar Hans Serrano MalpicaFundraising Coordinator: Josué Ezequiel Cocom Mukul Administrator: Laura Albertina Escobedo PizañaExecutive Assistant: Martha Flores Pérez

Community Medical ServiceCoordinator: Dr. Emmanuel Arroyo Nurse: Emmanuel Isidoro Jiménez

Community Legal ServiceCoordinator: Carolina Reyes Turriza

16

Directory

Fundación Ciudad de la Alegría, A.C.(City of Joy Foundation)Tel. +52 (998) 898 62 23 / 25 / 30 Fax. +52 (998) 898 62 24 [email protected] www.ciudadalegria.org


Bread & Blanket ShelterCáritas de Quintana Roo, A.C. Tel. +52 (998) 898 [email protected]

Home for Women Instituto Tumbén Xchupal, A.C. Tel. +52 (998) 898 [email protected]

Home for the ElderlyOasis de los Ancianos Desamparados, A.C.Tel. +52 (998) 898 6229 [email protected]

City of Joy Foundat ion

Cafarnaum Hospice PAIPID, A.C.Tel. +52 (998) 898 6231 [email protected]@prodigy.net.mx

John Paul II Multipurpose CenterAcción Liberadora, A.C.Tel. +52 (998) 209 32 11

Training CenterGrupos Anónimos 4° y 5° Paso del Caribe, [email protected]


P u b l i s h e d b y : C i t y o f J o y F o u n d a t i o nF e b r u a r y 2 0 0 8

City of Joy Presentation

Documents

Transcript of City of Joy Presentation