Engaging in San Miguel Life through NGOs [] San Miguel Life

Published February 22, 2022

The strength of a community is best measured in times of crisis. In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic reached San Miguel de Allende and the public health and economic effects were painfully felt. Businesses closed their doors—many of them permanently—and had to lay off their employees. In an economy sustained by tourism, the crisis impacted everyone and was devastating for the poorest. But San Miguel showed a heartening resilience in the face of unprecedented loss and uncertainty as locals and expatriates came together and acted quickly to aid those most in need. Food and household necessities were collected and donated to families who had lost everything by a grassroots group called Amigos al 100, started by local businesswomen. A group of medical professionals formed a Facebook group, COVID-19 SMA, which has been an invaluable information resource on everything from testing to finding oxygen for the sick, as well as a provider of translation services and logistical support for the vaccination brigades. These are just two examples of the solidarity and generosity shown by citizens, able to quickly form a safety net for their fellow sanmiguelenses.

“In my twenty-five years living here, I’ve always seen charitable organizations as an integral part of the community. As expatriates, many of us work to give back to a town that has been so gracious to us,” says Ann Dolan, who has volunteered and financially supported many NGOs in the city, including La Biblioteca Pública, Patronato Pro Niños, Feed the Hungry, the Red Cross and IREE (school for the deaf).

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