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Hekab Be
opens non-profit 501(c)3 corporation in the United States
For many years it has
been a dream for all of us involved in Hekab Be Biblioteca de Akumal
to launch a U.S. side non-profit organization to support our work. We
have often answered questions from disappointed donors who wished to
make larger endowments to the library, but were unable to, due to our
not having U.S. non-profit status. Well, now we do!
Thanks to the tireless
efforts and support of Debbi Burke (aka
Deb2Gs on Loco Gringo), and her husband Frank, the library can
now receive donations and provide a tax-exempt receipt for both
monetary donations and donations in kind. This is a momentous
achievement for the library and we are so grateful to her for all the
work in getting this set up. Debbi is also providing financial and
administrative oversight of the U.S. non-profit, and has taken an
active role in maintaining the library blog and answering
communications. In other words, she has become a vital member of
Hekab Be!
If you are looking for a
tax write off, or have just been waiting for the right time to donate
to Hekab Be, this is it! During the slow tourist season when visitors
are scarce is typically a time when the library struggles to stay
open, even though we operate on a shoestring budget. Donations at
this time of year are very low, but very vital.
IF
YOU HAVE VISITED THE LIBRARY AND SEEN ITS GOOD WORK,
Tell
a friend, family member or business associate. Everyone
can help the library! Have you told your co-workers and friends about
our program? Pass on this message or our blog site address
(http://hekabbe.blogspot.com)
and maybe even your employer will
contribute, especially at tax time!
For more information
about current library needs, visit our wish list blog at:
http://hbwishlist.blogspot.com
For
information on how to make a donation, visit our donation site at:
http://hekab-be-paypal.blogspot.com
Or you may contact us at:
akumallibrary@gmail.com
Hekab
Be keeps kids engaged in learning even when school is not in session
Despite the lack of
visitors this season, Fall is a time when Hekab Be is busy helping
local children as they go back to school. This year in particular,
the need for an institution like the library was highlighted when the
State’s teacher union went on strike for over a month.
School had only been in session for one week when classes were
cancelled indefinitely. None of the children in Akumal (or anywhere
in Q. Roo) had classes, and kids were wandering around looking for
something to keep them busy. Not only does the library keep them
“busy,” we keep them engaged in learning! Although classes
resumed last week, the labor issues have not been resolved and
children will once again be out of school for a planned strike that
is only supposed to last 3 days, but may continue if union issues are
not resolved.
New
reading programs at Hekab Be
Starting in October,
Hekab Be will re-initiate its program of reading to school children
at the Kindergarten and Primary schools in Akumal. We have done this
program in the past and it has been well received. Hekab Be staff
visit the schools 3-4 mornings a week, bringing books to share with
the children. Here you can see how engrossed the children are when
listening to a story at the Kindergarten.
Early Education research in the U.S.
has shown that simply having a parent read to their child every day
can make a dramatic difference in the child’s literacy skills as
they enter school. Unfortunately, this simply does not happen enough
in Akumal, where both parents are often busy working. To address this
need, Hekab Be will be launching a Saturday morning “mommy &
me storytime” for kindergarten age children and their mothers.
Children ages 3-5 will come to the
library accompanied by their mothers every Saturday to hear stories
and participate in an arts & crafts project that is related to
the story themes. One rationale for this program is that modeling
reading and story-telling skills can be a powerful way to educate
parents and help build their skills for teaching their children. We
are all excited about this new program!
Fight the
low-season blues: English language video rentals at Hekab Be
To help fight the boredom that local
residents often face during the low season, Hekab Be will soon be
offering low cost rentals of recently released movies on DVD. We
currently have a small collection of DVDs and we welcome any
additions to our video library. We also have a number of children’s
videos on VHS (for those who still own VHS players!). Rentals are $1
US per day. Come check some out!
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