As we give thanks for our many blessings this year, we wanted you to know that CUPS will continue to work both in Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley in 2012 and your participation is invited. You are necessary. You are needed.

In Mexico, schools continue to be our focus. Parents try hard to make certain that their children are in school and are healthy learners but there is hunger in our Mexican communities. Most parents look for work on a daily basis. They do not have fixed employment. The best meal each day for their children all too often comes from the school's feeding program. 2012 projects in or very near Valle Hermoso will build kitchen dining facilities in two different locations, one urban and one rural.

CUPS projects in the Rio Grande Valley will help with mobility needs, with housing for those most in need, and with hunger. You might be helping build a new house or you might be repairing one suffering from hurricane damage. Some of you might help out at the RG Valley Food Bank where there are particular needs in the summer when the winter visitors are gone. Winter visitors stay about five months (November to April) in The Valley to escape the northern winter, and during their time here, their contributions are truly enormous. Your time with the RGV Food Bank will help in the prevention of hunger in a four county area. Some volunteers will build mobility devices, known as PETs in English, or "carritos" in Spanish. While our volunteers are not the only ones making PETs at the Mission, Texas shop, they built over 20 in 2011 and over 30 were placed in Mexico, using CUPS' contacts.

There are many ways to help in 2012:

• Become part of the mission work team made up of members of your church family or perhaps a "family" of strangers who come together to help; 
• Become a member of a "virtual team" where prayer and financial support, particularly in Mexico, make a big difference. 
• Become a donor of equipment and health supplies benefiting those with physical needs or school supplies and books for young students in school. CUPS remains one of the very few nonprofit organizations carrying out such work in this part of Mexico. US literacy programs in the Rio Grande Valley benefited this year from donated books in English for their students. We want to help again in 2012!

As I write, I just received an e-mail from a group that helps nonprofit organizations like CUPS with training in many areas of interest, training that meets the needs of groups like ours. Network for Good celebrates 10 years of service and their motto for this celebration is "Thank You for Helping Us Do Good." I take the liberty of borrowing their words, very special words, that spell out what we too feel and believe. As we move into the holiday season with Thanksgiving and then Christmas, the message of Jesus to "do good" remains our powerful guide.

                                Louise Flippin, Mission Director, CUPS

Cooking in Classroom

Another PET in Mexico

Jose has problems with his left leg as a result of an accident.  He is a lively fellow and had been cutting grass for his animals while using a walker to get around the community. He took to the PET like a duck to water!  CUPS met him while visiting a school. He was identified by parents who were attending a meeting at that school about a project to help the primary and kindergarten in their community. It is common that CUPS learns of more than one need in a community because of community care for those in need or most vulnerable. Thank you for your continued support. 

Grandfather gets new PET