Empowering Emerging Generations - Motivational Presentations and Humanitarian Relief Trips
“My children have never had a Christmas gift.” - Mother of the family we are building for.
As we sit down to our gift exchange this morning, these words still ring in my head. Last night the family we are building for made us a Christmas dinner. While we were there with them, sitting around a […]
...continue reading Well, almost a year later and I am finally posting some pictures! Thank you to everyone who was on this trip with us for your patience. Going through these pictures again have brought back many fond memories of our time together.
The families from the two houses that you completed are still doing really […]
Our internet has been pretty scattered here this past week. Parents and friends, thank you for your patience in receiving these updates and photos.
The last few days have been filled with:
HARD WORK
DOING LAUNDRY BY HAND (by the way, Jeff said thanks)
BEACH TIME
DANCING
DEDICATION DAY
All efforts resulted in these two incredibly well built projects!
We are all looking […]
...continue readingI am sure you are wondering about this picture!!! Please read on…
Today was a busy day filled with anticipation, excitement, hard work, good times with new found friends, the taco stand, and a special treat, THE MEXICAN CIRCUS!
This morning we got off to a late start to our job sites because we had to finish […]
We arrived in Mexico safe and sound.
Check out the pictures on Facebook, do you think that anyone was tired today?
We are just sitting down to supper now and then that will be followed up with orientation.
First day on the job sites tomorrow, stay turned for more pictures and stories.
Yesterday was a day full of adventure, insight and fun. We began by touring around to five different areas of interest on an educational tour. We visited a museum, a cemetery, two school projects that Hero Holiday is involved with, and a clinic.
Later in the day everyone had some time to relax, we had our […]
...continue reading1. Registration and orientation day in Toronto for Dominican Hero Holiday!
2. GBC private charter group from Calgary is traveling down the Baja today and will arrive in Vicente Guerrero tonight as they begin their Hero Holiday in Mexico!
...continue reading
My name is Charles Roberts and I am the Director for Hero Holiday. I, along with my wife and three children, the Bernardi family and the Boyce family, are all currently in Mexico representing Hero Holiday here. Over the past couple of years, my wife Tricia, our sons, and I have been living here off and on. Our boys know this as their home. We know this community very well and have many friends here. We have been fortunate to be able to partner with local government agencies and authorities to better assist the people we are here to help.
Considering the media coverage of the Swine Flu, and the Drug War along the northern Mexican border, I feel it is important for you to hear from us on a personal level. We are living here, day in and day out and would love to share with you, from our perspective, what is really (or not really) happening.
Safety has always been, and will continue to be, our number one priority for all of our trip participants. Safety is always at the forefront of every decision we make and every trip that we facilitate.
I am continually saddened by the media in Canada and the US. Their overreaction and selective coverage to the Swine Flu and to the Drug War stories in Mexico have created and continue to create an incredible amount of fear in people. Considering the media’s business approach to ’sell’ stories to the public, we are constantly seeing more and more ’stories’ that are slanted to instill fear in their listeners. Looking at it carefully, it is clear that ‘fear’ sells.
When hearing news stories, always remember to use a personal filter and your own common sense to read between the lines of what is being reported. When considering traveling to other countries, the most reliable information is official government information that they publish for our safety. It is direct, to the point and usually not ’selective’ or ‘over-dramatized’. A few trusted sites that we gain our information from are the following:
These three are highly respected government agencies, and are accountable to people for what they say. Our Canadian government will ALWAYS air on the side of extreme caution when it comes to travel advisories. If there is any reason for concern at all, our government will clearly communicate that to us, again, sometimes to an extreme.
Today, April 29th, 2009, the World Health Organization communicated again that there is no need to advise against regular travel.
“WHO advises no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders. It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities.”
If you are a Hero Holiday participant, concerned about traveling to Mexico on your trip, please do not be alarmed. I understand that the media is making a big deal about this, and it may appear that the world is falling apart. However, I encourage you, as I did earlier, to please filter what your are hearing, use some common sense, and research this a little further on your own. Please do not believe everything you hear, and do not just take my thoughts on this either. Look into it for yourself via trusted sources. I am confident that a lot of your concerns will be eliminated. The worst thing you can do is to make a quick, uninformed decision, based solely on something you have heard/seen on TV.
Thank you for your understanding. I hope you are encouraged by this. I am available anytime if you would like to contact me personally.
Charles Roberts
Hero Holiday Director
Mexico Cell: (to dial from Canada) 001 521 (616) 109-9404
US Cell: (for when I am in the USA) (619) 370-6303
Email: charles@heroholiday.com
Dear All,
We are please to inform you all that the Gonzaga group arrived safely in San Diego this afternoon. We did a little walk around “Old Town”, we had supper, and then went to walk it off along the harbor.
Tomorrow we will be driving down the coast to Vicente Guerrero. Stay tuned for pictures and […]
The idea is to try and get a slight glimpse of what living is like for most of the world. TJ, Nikki, Tara, Josh and Kristi have created a scenario that they are willingly putting themselves though in a desperate attempt for better understanding.
The shack is made of cardboard, plastic, and an old truck canopy and has a dirt floor. Their ’shower’ is an old torn blue tarp, a pail and a small cup.
Each student will stay in shack for four days. While there they will be:
They have no electricity, no entertainment items, some simple dishes and one luxury item… a small can of bug spray just in case the earwigs, spiders or snakes decide to move back into their shack with them. They will be ’showering’ at least twice in the four days as well as doing their laundry by hand on the final day.
This morning at 6am was Kristi and TJ’s departure to the shack. What you see in their hands was all they were allowed to take with them.
Here they are settling in to their new home! And look… a stray dog has all ready befriended them.
Their first job of the day was to clean up all the garbage around the property where they are staying.
Stay posted as we will update their progress a couple of times each day. I am looking forward to seeing what supplies they will buy tonight with thier first day’s wages. Stay tuned later today, we will check in with them around supper time again.
Archive for charles.
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