Charity Works: Patronato Pro Niños. Stirling Dickinson’s Legacy Lives On

By Danita Brisson

What began with one man’s concern about the health and welfare of children in the campo has evolved into one of San Miguel’s most recognized and respected charities. In the early 70s, Stirling Dickinson delivered warm clothes, shoes and dental supplies to needy children in San Miguel’s outlying areas. Patronato Pro Niños now dispatches five fully equipped mobile units delivering health, dental and psychological care to kids in those same communities. Stirling’s frequent outings alone are now the daily rounds arranged by between 5 and 12 volunteers and 21 staff, including 3 doctors, 5 dentists, a psychologist and a social worker. It’s doubtful that even Stirling, visionary that he was, could have predicted the trail his VW bus would blaze.

Board Treasurer Sunnie Collins echoes Stirling’s motivation saying; “Everything our volunteers and staff do, all the time and effort, is to improve the lives of underserved children. Last year our medical staff saw 14,000 kids under the age of 18. Many were very sick, even requiring dialysis, but their families were uninsured. Our goals are the same as when we were founded 55 years ago. They’ve just grown (to meet the need).” When asked how the organization manages the increased demands for help, Sunnie identifies some community partners who have stepped up. “The UU Church and St. Paul’s have been very supportive. We have a number of regular contributors, and we’ve also started applying for grants,” she reports.

President Lyliana Newberry,  Lilo explains how their partnerships within the health care system also help to control costs. “(Our staff) doctors do complete checkups and provide medications and treatments as needed, but more importantly, they will identify if more serious conditions exist and provide follow up care at our clinic. If necessary, we will develop a comprehensive program that includes referrals (to specialists), physical therapy and surgery. Pro Niños will evaluate the recommended treatment and costs to determine how we can best support the family through our partnerships in the medical community that promise reduced rates, and through our financial support based on these assessments.” Families also benefit from workshops to help children identified as at risk, those who are bullied as well as those who are bullies. “We even have a workshop for parents discussing anger management, coping mechanisms and so on. I am very proud of this work and the feedback from teachers where they are seeing positive impacts.” Lilo admits.

The numbers associated with the delivery of these services are staggering. The five mobile units logged over 40,000 kilometers last year, visiting 500 communities, operating five days a week, delivering tens of thousands of consultations and treatments. Through responsible fiscal management, the monthly costs to operate each van and the clinic in their headquarters is just under $100,000 mxn. For more details, see the Annual Report found on their website.

Other fundraising initiatives include their “Heart to Heart” Charity Bazaar at Avenida Reforma 75C, Fracc. Ignacio Ramírez, where donated furniture, household goods, clothing and accessories are exchanged for cash donations. Sunnie organizes those events which operate from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the first Saturday of each month. “We’ve got nine rooms of merchandise, enough to completely outfit a couple of houses,” she enthuses. “But we could use some strong young people to help us move the furniture out under a canopy on sale day.”

In addition, Pro Niños’ 2 ½ hour guided Historical Walking Tours meet in El Jardín opposite La Parroquia Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9:45 a.m. This tour has been awarded TripAdvisor’s Certificate of Excellence, but as attendance fluctuates, so do the revenues. A local real estate agent has implemented a program of giving entitled “The Power of 1%” in support of the charity. And finally, their Royal Gala on November 6^th promises a memorable “Havana Nights” themed program of dining, dancing and donating.

Fifty-five years ago, one extraordinary man acknowledged the disadvantaged in our community and took personal action to address their needs. Since then, Patronato Pro Niños’ army of dedicated individuals, organizations, medical professionals and, as Sunnie declares “the best volunteers in San Miguel!”, have been inspired to follow in his tire tracks, delivering life altering and lifesaving care to the underserved children of the campo. Stirling would be so pleased.

For more information or to learn how you can help, visit their website at www.patronatoproninos.org or call +52 415 152 7796