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 below of currently available projects.

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).

Updated August 1, 2026

100 Plus Program – 4 specific projects for 2026-27 that need partners

We have four really good projects with club partners and recipient organizations/beneficiaries whom we have worked with successfully in prior projects. FURMEX will be both the administrator of these projects as well as a financial contributor, a role that they have graciously provided for us for over a decade.

1.4170.2505    Vital signs monitors for hospital emergency department (Ecatepec host club, D4170) -This project is phase 2 of the acquisition of 15 vital signs monitors needed for the Emergency Department of Hospital General Las Américas in Ecatepec, aiming to improve the quality and timeliness of care for over 120 patients treated daily—35 to 40 of whom are admitted across three shifts. By increasing the number of monitors, the outcomes are to reduce preventable deaths, ensure continuous patient observation, and enhance response capacity in a highly overcrowded emergency setting. Nine monitors were purchased in Phase One in 2025-26, and the final six monitors are budgeted for this phase 2. The total cost is $9,000, with $6,300 to be paid by US partners (plus some fees). We have a long history of supporting this hospital, and the Heart 2 Heart annual travel group will be visiting this hospital in November, with the hopes of seeing all 15 monitors in place (maybe even a ribbon cutting, so to speak, for phase 2?), if we can gather the funding quickly enough.

2. 4170.2602    Day of Vision (three host clubs, D4170) – In November, the Devlyn Foundation, FURMEX, and three local Rotary clubs will be sponsoring a three day event in the Tlapan area (south part of Mexico City) where children and adults will receive vision tests, and eyeglasses will be provided to those in need. An estimated 1,500 eyeglasses will be distributed over the three day period. An alliance partner of the Devlyn Foundation will fund the cost for half of the eyeglasses (less than $10 each), and the Heart 2 Heart partners will share the cost of the the other half of the glasses (along with some meal costs for volunteers) with FURMEX and the three local clubs. The Heart 2 Heart visiting team will be participating in this event on one of those three days. The total cost for the meals and half of the glasses is $8,000, with $5,600 to be paid by US partners (plus some fees).

3. 4170.2605    Girls Empowerment Book 7 (Tlalpan Golf Mexico host club, D4170) -This project will be book 7 of the 10 books that are planned to create stories, fiction or nonfiction, written like children´s books, that send the message to all readers of the value that girls have as persons and as such they must be respected and learn to respect themselves.  This is done with characters and places that reflect the culture in Mexico, so that children may see people like them in the stories. The project has been well received, and it also serves as a basic education and literacy project, as often the stories are read by family member to the children. The total cost for 1,120 books is $12,000, with $8,400 to be paid by US partners (plus some fees).

4. 4170.2607    Kitchen hoods for the workshop building at ANSeR (Tlalpan Golf Mexico host club, D4170) – The project objective is to aid ANSeR (Aquí Nadie se Rinde IAP) in fulfilling its plans to keep helping children with cancer and their families in Mexico. With the cooking workshop facility, mothers are being taught how to make different products that they may sell to improve their family’s income, including lessons on how to get the right price for their products.  ANSeR is also working into being able to provide quality food for the children during their visits to the facilities. The cooking area is being used, but hoods for the stoves and oven are needed to make the conditions of the workshop better and improve the production of the different meals the mothers are learning to bake and cook.

District 6780 receives contributions for Heart 2 Heart projects and wire transfers funds to FURMEX, which handles the fiduciary needs for most projects. For contributions, please make checks payable to “Rotary District 6780” with a notation of the preferred project number or description. Please mail checks to Todd Wolf, Rotary District 6780 Treasurer, 618 Lark Meadow Drive, Knoxville TN 37934. Also please send a short email to Ron Appuhn (rappuhn53@yahoo.com) about the contribution so that we can track our progress on supporting these impactful projects.

We may have additional projects from D4140 to share later on as more information becomes available and as we make progress toward funding the current list of available projects.

100 Plus Program – 4 specific projects for 2026-27 that are fully funded by partner pledges and/or contributions

1. 4170.2061 Water tank cleaning in public schools (Ecatepec host club, D4170) – This project is the sixth year of cleaning water tanks for sanitation in public schools. 42 schools and approximately 33,600 beneficiaries will be served by this project. The total cost is $11,170, with $8,350 (plus some fees) to be funded by the US sponsor club Decatur Daybreak AL D6860 and two D6780 TN clubs/individuals.

2. Medical Equipment and Supplies Abroad (MESA, D6600) and Heart 2 Heart are sponsoring a used 14 passenger minibus for use by Aztec Ministry in east central Mexico. MESA obtained the vehicle by gift, made some minor upgrade and maintenance adjustments, and arranged for the transportation of the vehicle to the border, where Aztec Ministry will handle the importation and pick up of the vehicle. The total out of pocket costs for MESA and for Aztec Ministries is $9,500, to be paid by a Heart 2 Heart individual sponsor.

3. District 6580 IN has approved a district grant to fund a kitchen renovation project at the Mama Cleo’s boys home in the Lake Chapala area (Ajijic host club, D4140). The total cost is $5,000.

4. 4170.2608 Commercial washer for El ARCA (Tlalpan Golf Mexico host club, D4170) – The project is to purchase and install a commercial washer for use in the facility for El ARCA, an organization that houses and supports individuals with significant disabilities and who have no home or family support. The total cost is $2,350, with $1,650 paid by a D6780 individual (plus some fees).

ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES 

District 6170 annual hands-on service trips to the Guadalajara area – District 6170 AR will be leading their annual hands-on service trip to the Guadalajara area on October 3-10, 2026. Please contact Bill Fish (bfish@ipa.net) for more information about their potential financial support needs.

Districts 6820 annual hands-on service trips to the Guadalajara area –  District 6820 will be leading their annual hands-on service trip to the Guadalajara area on February 6-13, 2027. Please contact Lucy Anne Walker (lucyawalker@yahoo.com) or PDG Bill Walker (bill@brickerton.com) for more information about their potential financial support needs.

MESA (Medical Equipment and Supplies Abroad) – We have started work on a partnership with MESA (www.rotarymesa.org), a non-profit based out of District 6600 OH which supplies containers of repurposed medical equipment and supplies to many parts of the world. The cost of a container to Mexico will be $10,000, which is an incredible value for the amount of good that are provided. We are in the early stages of determining the process and planning the initial pilot project, and the possibilities for impact in Mexico are very encouraging.

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. Grace-Aire Medical Foundation / 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 projects include the following:

* “Business in a box” for a physically challenged adult $200/kit – examples: Condiments Vendor Cart Business, Jam/Jellies Homemade Canned Goods Vendor, Leather KeyChain Crafts and Wallets, Hair Bow Making, Bracelet and Bead Crafts, Haircutting Barber Shop Supplies, Toiletries Vendor (Shampoo, Soap, Razors, Combs, Mirrors, Toothbrush, Toothpaste), Seed Distributor Cart.

* Mobility cart for an individual $400/cart (made in the USA)

* Optometry brigade $1,800 – 150 to 250 people in one day (Includes Eye Exam and Prescription Glasses or Readers Fitted – Pulled from our Portable 8,000 Eyeglasses Inventory).   (500 is typical for three days)

* Mobility cart container freight sponsorship $5,000

* Medical brigade $5,000 – 700 to 1200 people in a three day medical brigade.

* Used truck for medical outreach clinics – Budget $15,000 Medium Sized Truck 2014-2015

* Diabetes mobile screening clinic

* Grow a Garden $15,000

* Music for amputees $20,000

* Eye surgery campaign $42,000

* Mobility cart manufacturing facility in Mexico – very big dollars

For more information on Grace-Aire Medical Foundation projects, please contact Tami Gaddis (aztecministry@gmail.com, 865-374-3391).

PROJECT OPPORTUNITIES WITH OTHER COOPERATING PARTNERS

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

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

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