ResortHatch

The Royal Resorts Foundation has longstanding ties with the Ciudad de la Alegria community center on the outskirts of Cancun. It provides scholarships for a class of high school students at the Colegio Mano Amiga on the campus and has also donated supplies on many occasions. This time a group of Royal Resorts volunteers visited the Hogar del Anciano, a home for senior citizens in the complex in order to spend time with the residents and to donate packets of adult diapers that had been collected at the resorts, the focus of a month-long companywide campaign among team members.

The volunteers sat and chatted with the residents in the leafy courtyard, playing loteria, the all-time favorite Mexican board game similar to bingo, before serving them pastries and fruit juice.

   A crew of Royal Resorts gardeners were busy at work planting a new flower bed in the patio garden for the residents to enjoy, and donating plants for other parts of the grounds.

There are 30 residents at the home. They come from all over the country and they love having visitors. One gentleman is a lifelong fan of the Baltimore Orioles, another speaks three languages and is an avid reader. The oldest is a lady who is 99 years old, soon to celebrate her centenary in December.

They are looked after by Miriam Ruiz, the manager, and a team of three caregivers per shift, plus students doing voluntary work, a resident doctor to monitor their health and kitchen staff to prepare meals tailored to the dietary needs of the elderly, low in salt, fat and sugar. Miriam explains, “Although we stick to a special diet, there are treats during the week such as cookies or a dessert and we celebrate birthdays and festivals during the year, always asking our community what they would like to enjoy. Often top of the wish list are carne asada (BBQ) and sodas!”

Many of the residents are frail, using wheelchairs or walkers, and one of the daily activities is a stretching session, followed by a walk around the courtyard for those who are able to. A volunteer physiotherapist visits once a week to give residents a routine of exercises to strengthen muscles.

   The residents enjoy activities such as watercolor painting, board games and reading. Donations of art materials, books in Spanish and board games are gratefully received. The center also receives gifts of furniture and equipment from local donors and the hotel industry and also stages a bazaar on Saturdays to help raise money.

Some residents have relatives in Cancun, but there are others who are completely alone. The DIF or Institute for the Support of Families, the General Hospital and Public Services refer senior citizens to the center when they have no support network of relatives and can no longer live on their own. Miriam Ruiz says, “Visits like yours are invaluable, they add some magic to the days of our residents and put a smile on their faces. They enjoy talking to young people, playing games, swapping stories and reminiscing about their lives. Hugs, a kiss on the cheek and the touch of a hand means a lot to them; it restores a connection to the community and makes them feel valued.”

We would like to thank the residents and staff at Hogar del Anciano for letting us visit them and to all the Royal Resorts Foundation volunteers – from the Design & Communication and Production, Web Design, Operations, Quality Control, Security and Gardening departments, and from Grand Residences. We also thank all our teammates who donated to the drive. We hope that this visit will be one of many.

How you can help

The Royal Resorts Foundation provides educational scholarships, funds a breast cancer and prostate cancer screening program, physiotherapy for children with mobility and neurological challenges, supports community projects and conservation. If you would like to help or donate online, visit royalresortsfoundation.org. With your support we can change lives.