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	The Connection	By Patrick Osio

Expat Volunteer Encounters The spirit of Baja volunteerism knows no borders Volunteerism is alive and well in Baja, among both natives and American expats. Among the expat volunteers is Diane Gibbs. In the nearly 20 years this former Oklahoman has been living in coastal Baja, she has developed a successful Realty Executives franchise. Gibbs and other U.S. real estate professional expats and Mexican nationals are active in the local Association of Real Estate Professionals (AMPI by its Spanish initials). The organization helps out with volunteers and fundraising events. Each day, hundreds of students who attend Rosarito s 38 elementary schools come to school hungry. The AMPI is helping by adopting a class of 40 and seeking donations to help more. But Gibbs says the real story is the Mexican volunteers who help out at the schools and the hearts of gold so many illustrate. For instance, one poor Mexican family has opened its doors to 14 destitute and abandoned children, ages 3 to 14. As Gibbs puts it, It is a home, not a house. The home has no roof, no running water and no refrigerator, but there is a lot of love. That, however, is changing. An American contractor is putting a roof on the house, with funds for materials donated by an AMPI member. Gibbs and other members are collecting blankets, clothing and money to buy a refrigerator. Working hand-in-hand with the expats are amazing Mexicans like Nicolas Santos, a young man who works for Gibbs. Originally from the state of Chihuahua, he is an ever-present volunteer because he was helped as a child by the DIF, or Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (Family Integration Development), a nonprofit quasi-governmental organization created to provide diverse and numerous services for children, mothers and the elderly. As a 7-year-old from an impoverished family living on a farm in the small town of La Cruz, Nicolas recalls how DIF provided his family of nine with basic food supplies. He notes how in cooperation with the town s sister city of El Paso, Texas, DIF distributed clothing and shoes each April 30. On Children s Day (May 1), toys were handed out. At age 18, Santos went to visit Rosarito and never returned to Chihuahua. He worked as a gardener and dishwasher. He learned to make tortillas, then to cook at a the New Port lobster restaurant. Eventually he worked at the Palmira restaurant (now the Palm Grill, owned by an American expatriate) where he met an American expat bartender. His new friend began to teach him the intricacies of mixing drinks and Santos began to learn English. Dennis Murphy, the bartender, was a very funny man with hundreds of jokes. Santos learned most of them and today he is one of the better joke tellers along the coast. He later became the general manager of the Baja Cantiles, bringing along a sizable following of clients. In 2000, he went to school to learn real estate. Santos now is a licensed agent and certified CONOCER graduate through UABC (State of Baja California University). He received his diploma in 2007 with a grade point average of 9.5 (10 being best). Today Santos, 34, is the manager of the Puerto Nuevo real estate offices of Realty Executives. Married for 14 years, he has three children. When AMPI was making its donations to the children suffering from the cold weather, Santos was filled with great memories. Thank God, my children do not need the support system of DIF, but my roots will take me back to give to the DIF Kids, for I am a DIF Kid, he says. Patrick Osio Jr. can be reached at posiojr@aol.com. The veteran consultant has participated on writing scripts for documentaries on Baja California real estate, medical services, and retirement information at TransBorderCommunications.com. This article first appeared on the March 2009 issue of the San Diego Metropolitan Magazine.
Patrick Osio, Jr. has written a short but intensive manual on the Mexican perspective on numerous issues between our two countries. The manual is an in depth primer on the culture and protocol for better understanding Mexicans that in turn allows establishing personal and business relationships, and how to avoid the most common faux pas that can ruin relationships and business deals. The manual is available through Electronic delivery for $9.95 About the author Table of Contents Excerpts from the manual The manual is available through Electronic delivery for $9.95 making it possible to download the manual for save on your hard drive, printing its entirety or particular sections while reaping considerable savings over printed copies.