Birds of a feather flock together. Soon after they flew the coop (locating in Lakeside from elsewhere), they hatched their idea (no walking on eggshells for this group).

And right now, they’re strutting their stuff for Poco a Poco and its top charitable partner, FoodBank Lakeside.

Chickens Chicks and Roosters is amid its annual fundraising drive to collect money to buy chicken for Kids Kitchens. This essential protein will help feed children nutritious, weekday lunches at about half a dozen largely rural communities around Lakeside.

The effort is lifesaving. An estimated 70 percent of children in the San Pedro Itzicán area are malnourished – a major risk factor for kidney disease, notes the Poco a Poco website.

One Poco a Poco website page lauds Chickens Chicks and Roosters because group members “generously pre-pay to buy chickens for Kids Kitchens meals. Our grateful thanks to these donors and Rita Phillips, who coordinates the Los Sabinos Chickens Chicks and Roosters.”

Anita Torres Guererro, Kids Kitchens’ volunteer coordinator, “is convinced that these meals are saving lives and saving children from having renal problems … we need more Chickens Chicks and Roosters!”

Money raised goes directly to FoodBank Lakeside, which supplies and coordinates the food program with Anita. Patricia Moran, who has worked with Poco a Poco since she arrived in Mexico in 2018, started Kids Kitchens and is FoodBank Lakeside’s lunch program liaison.

Winging It

”Chicken Chicks” started 4-5 years ago in the Los Sabinos neighborhood, on Ajijic’s west side. Rita recalled there were “about six of us; we actually roasted chickens at home on a weekly basis. We took turns and were each responsible for two or three whole chickens. Our goal was to increase the protein content of the simple meals being provided to hungry, indigenous children.”

To add more cooked chickens, the group switched to cash donations and began purchasing meat at a Guadalajara market. That led to expanding the group, adding Roosters (male supporters).

About 80 percent of group members live in Los Sabinos. All members are friends or families of Los Sabinos residents.

“Some are full-timers here. Some are snowbirds. Some are Americans and some are Canadians,” Rita said.

“We do only one drive for money annually,” she explained. “What I love is the entire engine: FoodBank Lakeside has changed the game. The people we help can count on us all.”

The cash donation campaign began in January, seeking individual donations of $1,700 MXN “or whatever you can manage, to buy chickens” for the hundreds of children provided weekday lunches “in the Mezcala/San Pedro area,” the emailed plea states. The email also asks recipients to view this short Kids Kitchen video on You Tube: Cocina Para Niños.

After hatching their idea, the group expects this year to produce a good amount of chicken scratch. They’re not counting their chickens before they hatch, but …

“We expect to raise more than $40,000 pesos total for 2023 by mid-February!” Rita wrote, adding a somersault emoji. That would be a 25 percent increase over the $32,000 MXN raised in 2022.

“Everyone has many charity options in Lakeside,” Rita said. “Our goal is simply to continue to grow our Chicken Chicks and Roosters community as well as the total funds.”

Rita invites local residents to bring donations either to her home or that of Val Tinney, another Los Sabinos resident. In addition, Sandi Lindsay helps coordinate the effort.

Donors also are asked to provide names, email addresses and amounts donated “for an accurate summary of our success and to be able to thank each person for her or his help.” Rita can be contacted by emailing ritap115@hotmail.com.

She notes, “The need never stops.”

Organized, Professional, Dependable

“To the Chicken Chicks and Roosters: thank you for sharing your charitable pesos with us and doing so year after year. Choosing to help hungry children receive nutritious daily meals will encourage them to grow in all aspects of their young lives,” Rita said.

She called FoodBank Lakeside “organized, professional and dependable. It is a great relief they are involved.”

“It is a simple, straightforward reality that the difference Kids Kitchens and Poco a Poco bring to remote communities is improving lives, bringing hope, building confidence and making kids feel valued.”