Current Situation in Reynosa, Mexico

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, we actively support many children and families living in Reynosa, Mexico. If you have donated shoes to us in the past year, it's a safe bet that many ended up in the hands of the little kids living in the ramshackle housing complexes inside the city. (Reynosa lies immediately south of the U.S border, near McAllen, Texas.)

These families, and the children in particular, have struck a chord with us. You've never seen such wide smiles as when they receive a new pair of shoes -- it's almost as if we gave them a box containing pure gold instead of a decent pair of shoes.

It's no secret that violence -- due to the rapid escalation of an ongoing drug war -- has wracked Mexico recently. This past Tuesday (February 17), at least six people were killed and a number of police officers were wounded in an open gun battle in the middle of the city, including a prolonged gun fight around an elementary school.

In 2008, Mexico endured more than 6,000 drug-related homicides; 2009 is on pace to be much worse. We feel that all the aid organizations that lend much-needed support to our Mexican neighbors should step up their donations in light of the horrible circumstances in the region. We certainly will.

This is considered "real life" immediately south of our own border, but it might as well be across the world in the more familiar war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan.

We will not stop supporting our friends in Reynosa, despite the obvious dangers. We want you to be aware of where your donations go so you can clearly see, full circle, how your support of Soles4Souls and other charities truly impacts those who aren't fortunate enough to live a couple miles to the north.

We all have much to be thankful for, and the team at Soles4Souls thanks you for your continued support of our programs.