ZAPOPAN, Jalisco
Calcutta is Everywhere is an initiative that was created in 2018 and each year seeks to help sectors of the community in need of support.
The social project "Calcutta is everywhere: wise hearts" is an initiative of students from the Universidad Panamericana Campus Guadalajara to meet a community need.
This year, due to the pandemic, it decided to focus its activities on the grandmothers of the Santa Clara nursing home located in Jocotepec, since today more than ever they need the support of the community.
The students in charge of the logistics of the event were looking for the right place, taking into account the COVID protocol measures; and the Santa Clara asylum was chosen for having ventilated areas and gardens to avoid the entrance and to take care of the healthy distance.
For this reason, the students of the School of Institutional Management (ESDAI) organized a "Delivery Box" for the residents of the nursing home: "The students prepared the food and filled it with details of the banquet presentation, putting the seal of hospitality on this service.
They studied the menu for the guests, took into account the diets and personalized the banquet in soft diets, liquid diet and normal food; with great artistry they made sure that each one of our guests enjoyed their meal," explained Raquel Acosta, Deputy Vice Chancellor.
In addition, the volunteers organized various activities for the grandmothers to spend a pleasant afternoon, including dances, magic acts, beauty salon, among other activities.
Participation of students during the Wise Hearts social project
During the planning of the event we looked for different ways to support the project and involve more students, 32 ESDAI students prepared the banquet, 51 students participated by writing a personalized letter to the grandparents of different nursing homes; approximately 250 people from the UP Community among them, students and staff, financially supported the expenses of the event and; on the day of the event 38 students, 6 alumni and 5 teachers attended as on-site volunteers.
Thanks to the willingness and participation of the members of the UP Community, we were able to support 58 grandmothers and the nursing staff of the nursing home.
"Our motto is the phrase of Mother Teresa of Calcutta #darhastaqueduela and it could be said that the students once again made this phrase a reality not only in words but also in deeds, they knew how to use their talent, dedication and time to make the grandmothers happy," concluded Raquel Acosta.
One day prior to the event, all volunteers were tested for COVID to ensure that none presented a risk to the abuelitas.
