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Proud Cake Decorators and their cakes after only 5 hours of training

Bob James called the Old Mission trip to San Quentin the “most amazing Rotary experience he has ever had!”  A group of Rotarians, spouses and friends from Old Mission Rotary traveled deep into Baja in the Rotary District van to visit the Salvador Diaz School at the Lomas de San Ramon Colonia. 

Old Mission first became involved with this agricultural worker’s settlement through VIIDAI, a public health project organized by SDSU, UCSD and the Autonomous University of Baja California.  Ever since, Old Mission Rotary has been working to improve the lives of the people of this poor but proud community of Mexican Indians originally from Oaxaca Mexico. 

 
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New 1800 sq foot shade structure Old Misson Rotary banner

Our most recent projects were the funding of the construction of an 1800 square foot permanent outdoor metal shade structure, the purchase of an oven for the communal kitchen which feeds 350 people per day and the painting of the Salvador Diaz school. What impressed our team the most over the four day visit was how the entire community turned out to paint both the inside and outside of the school.

With our new oven installed and working, Roberta Hartley and Diana Trefflich conducted a cake decorating class.  The enthusiastic women of the Colonia will use these new baking and decorating skills to sell cakes for events taking place underneath their new shade structure! Old Mission Rotary is very proud of the team that made the long and dusty drive down to San Quentin! 

The next opportunity for International service at the Colonia will be with the VIIDAI project fall visit over the weekend of  October 18-20