In 1994 Bill and Sue Evarts were leaving the remote community of Santa Marta in the Sierra de San Francisco north of San Ignacio. From a small ranch a young man stepped onto the road with a bandana tied around his head supporting a swollen jaw. In obvious pain, and barely able to speak, he asked if they had any aspirin. They gave him what they had and assumed that what he really needed was professional dental care.
Months later, Bill was describing the scene to his dentist, Jerry Jones. Jerry mentioned that he had once worked in clinics on the peninsula which were possible in part because of compact, portable dental units. And then a life-altering “Aha!” moment exploded in Bill’s head: if he and Sue could provide all the food, transportation, and camping logistics, could he entice Jerry to return to Baja California for another clinic. By the time he left the office, he had recruited Dr. Jones, his Hispanic dental assistant and her boyfriend who was a dentist in Tijuana. At Jerry’s behest, a phone call and visit brought on board an oral surgeon. An RN was added along with four support staff. The group ran their first mobile clinic in 1996 at Santa Marta. Four years later they incorporated as Amigos de Los Californios, a 501(c)3 charitable organization (Tax ID #33- 0945347) in order to garner tax deductible donations.
Since then Amigos has operated clinics in Santa Marta, San Francisco, and San Ignacio. Its binational, all volunteer staff at times has included dentists, oral surgeons, denture technicians, medical doctors, nurses, optometrists, and audiologists. In recent years the healthcare needs of sierra residents increasingly have been met by local practitioners. Amigos has continued to support dental treatment for the elementary school children of Santa Marta in Santa Rosalía. The organization has also provided financial aid for numerous mountain youth wishing to pursue higher education, from high school to university levels.
After winding down their mobile clinics, Amigos inquired how they might continue to help the mountain population. In both communities the answer was unanimous: they wanted help with their dilapidated health clinic buildings, or casa de salud, where visiting doctors could see patients. In Santa Marta, the existing government-built edifice needed moderate repairs and a major facelift. Amigos paid for the materials and the local families provided all the labor to fix the leaking roof, rehabilitate the water and septic systems, clean and repaint everything, and equip with needed furniture.
In San Francisco, the jumping off point for most mule trips to the region’s world famous cave paintings, the situation has been much more challenging. The original casa de salud is a small shack that has gradually been deteriorating. A few years ago a tropical storm caused major damage and blew off most of the roof. It was suggested that Amigos could help rebuild by salvaging what was still useable. It became obvious that the best plan would be to build a completely new and larger structure that could serve the mountain residents for years to come.
After numerous delays, many Covid related, Amigos is ready to move ahead with its most ambitious project, all for the want of an aspirin three decades earlier. In conjunction with various authorities, a site has been approved and an architect/contractor has been retained. The organization has raised a substantial portion of the proposed cost, but it still needs a significant boost. To that end Amigos is asking for your help. A generous benefactor has offered to match any donations up to a total of $15,000 received during the month of December. All contributions are tax deductible and will be applied directly to this project. If you would like to help, please make checks payable to Amigos de Los Californios, and mail to Bill and Sue Evarts, 1831 Lendee Dr., Escondido, CA 92025.
