Rotary Partnership

Early in 2010 Michael Wells, a dentist from Tooele, Ut, contacted us at Families Helping Families and asked us if we would be interested in taking a small group of high school and Jr. high school students from the Tooele Rotary interact club to Mexico to build a house. Michael’s sister and her family had worked on the Christmas houses the year before. After some discussion, June of 2010 was picked for the first FHF/Rotary interactors trip. Plans were made and all the arrangements were in place. Two days before departure Michael was hospitalized with a serious infection in his hip. Michael and his wife, Karlene, were unable go, but somehow this small group of interactors along with some members of the Jared Parker family and a group of Lauren Parkers friends were able to build a little two bedroom house for Franciso Michiua and his three beautiful children. It was an unusual and memorable experience for all. This small trip started a most wonderful partnership with FHF and Utah Rotary Intenational.

The interactors returned home so excited and energized that, the next year under the direction of a healthy Michael Wells, we were joined by interactors from all over the state of Utah. In 2011, with the help of many volunteers, 65 interactors and 25 leaders raised the money for and built a beautiful 3 bedroom house for the Morales family. Brad Barber, of Brigham City, Utah, assisted in renting a bus for the transportation of the young people to and from Puerto Peñasco Mexico. His Spanish was especially helpful in getting all the volunteers across the boarder.

Having learned much from the two previous years, the 2012 FHF/ Rotary interactors trip was a spectacular effort with a remarkable out come. The 200 youth volunteers, 4 buses, and 50 leaders, combined their efforts to build three beautiful homes, and visited many schools. The volunteers brought with them 3,000 pounds of books for the school libraries, and many shoes for a new safe house for children.

The 2013 rotary trip from June 9th to the 17th promises to be equally exciting. 100 youth on two busse will once again visit schools and contruct a house for a family in need. This year the volunteers will once again visit and give service to elementary schools. They will also participate in furnishing one of the homes that they stated last year and will present it to a wonderful family.