Heart 2 Heart’s 100 Plus Program for club-to-club project opportunities

Under the 100 Plus Program, Rotarians in the Heart 2 Heart network work with FURMEX and other partners to provide potential partnering opportunities in Mexico for club-to-club projects. Please see the list of currently available projects.

FURMEX is working with the clubs to develop several additional projects in the upcoming months. Although there currently is not a long list of projects to publish, projects in almost any area of focus can be identified upon specific request.

Thank you for your interest in the 100 Plus Program and in helping to make a difference for those in need in Mexico! Questions or comments about the 100 Plus Program (and any of the project opportunities listed below) can be addressed to Ron Appuhn (rappuhn53@yahoo.com).

100 Plus Program: Club-to-Club Project Opportunities
September 12, 2024

Projects ready for immediate funding

4170.2402 Tlalpan Golf Mexico Girls Empowerment Book – The 2024-25 plan from Tlapan Golf Mexico is the publication of the fourth book in their series of girls’ empowerment through story telling. The U.S. portion of this project, which normally covers the cost to print 1000 books, is around $5,500.

4170.2405 Vision Day Event – FURMEX works with the Devlyn Foundation on community events to provide vision testing and supplying glasses. Usually several hundred people (mostly children) are tested and around 300 need and receive free glasses. U.S. partners could help support one of these day events for $4,000, and it can be arranged that one of these events would be held during the time when the next H2H travel team visits Mexico in January 2025.

Projects that are on-going and can be promoted and supported

1 Tlalpan Golf Mexico club (D4170) – scholarship for La Quinta (Unnido Foundation) children to attend Montessori school – $1,300 annual or $110 per month per student, based on current exchange rates

2 Tlalpan Golf Mexico club (D4170) – support for programs for La Quinta (Unnido Foundation) children (food, medicines and medical support, education and personal development, general support) – any financial support helps

3. Mobility Worldwide (Wayne Beare, Gary Moreau) – non-profit that provides mobility carts for people in places where wheelchairs are ineffective – $350 per mobility cart

4. Aztec Ministry (Tami Beller Gaddis) – non-profit that serves indigenous Aztec communities through various programs including medical brigades, optometry brigades, mobility carts, and literacy materials – any financial support helps (specific project list and costs are available)

Project opportunities with other cooperating partners

Refurbished ambulances – One World Medics (Bryan Peterson – bryan@oneworldmedics.com)

Refurbished fire trucks & firefighter equipment – Baja Bridges (Katherine Van Diest – tahoediesthaus@icloud.com)

Wheelchair Foundation – FURMEX (Reiner Jahn – reiner2013@outlook.com)

Devlyn Foundation – mass vision assessments (and possible hands-on project for Spanish speaking Rotarians) – FURMEX (Reiner Jahn – reiner2013@outlook.com)

History and Concept of the 100 Plus Program

The 100 Plus Program was originally known as the “100 in 100” Program. On April 1, 2021, Mexico celebrated 100 years of Rotary service in Mexico. This anniversary created opportunities for Rotarians in both countries. For Mexico, it was a chance to spotlight Rotary all over Mexico and to engage more of their clubs with the US and perhaps in some cases even more with their communities. For the US partners, it was a chance to get more clubs (and hopefully more districts) directly involved on the club-to-club level.

The celebration project was originally designed to engage at least 100 different US clubs to do service projects in Mexico during 2020-21 and 2021-22 (thus the “100 in 100” Program). These service projects ranged in size from approximately $500 to $10,000 USD, with a shopping list of opportunities for US clubs, depending upon their interest and funding options. US district grants could be used where available.

What this concept also does is to help the US clubs get more directly connected with Mexico club partners. Once this is done, more projects of all sizes can be done moving forward on a club-to-club level. Everybody wins, and most importantly, more people in need in Mexico will benefit from Rotary’s service.

The program is led by a US Rotarian team (headed by PDG Ron Appuhn, D6780 TN) working with a Mexico Rotarian team (headed by Reiner Jahn, D4170) that represents their entire country and works closely with FURMEX. Past District Governor Roger Sims (D6540 IN) organized and started the processes in the beginning and was serving as the US coordinator until his sudden death in late October 2019. Rotarians in both countries lost a great friend, and we all made even stronger commitments to make this program a success to honor Roger and his family.

Mexico clubs prepared project proposals from July through late October 2019 for review by the 100 in 100 teams. Project selection by US clubs and districts began in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic challenges altered the timing and implementation of the projects, and eventually the project list and the program name became dated. Over 50 projects were completed under the 100 in 100 Program umbrella. The new name of the 100 Plus Program became effective in 2022, and several projects have been completed in the last couple of years.