Latest News From Mayapan

This is a direct letter from Mercado Mayapan

Dear Friends,

The new year is upon us, and we are very grateful for the incredible support that all of you and the entire community provided us to get through 2009.

In the final days of 2009, we raised more than $7,000 in donations and short term loans from Friends and Amigos, and more than $40,000 in sales to be able to cover the final payroll of 2009, which was also a rare third payroll for the month of December. This response is a clear demonstration of the potential of the Mercado as a community cultural and economic center for not only low income women and their families, but all of El Paso as well as friends, family and tourists from afar.

With the entrance of 2010, we also are receiving a very generous and critically important grant from the North American Development Bank, which has been an investor in our social purpose businesses for more than 10 years. This support will allow us to not only sustain the Mercado but grow it towards self-sufficiency and long term sustainability.

Unfortunately, along with this wonderful news and advances, we continue to face challenges with the City of El Paso. Although through several meetings in late 2009 we had been told that the city would work with us, on January 5, city council voted to declare us in default on the loan that they provided us in June 2009. Currently we are in negotiations to try to develop a repayment agreement, which will result in payoff of the loan while allowing the Mercado to continue to operate and grow in 2010.

And to those ends, we have lots of exciting plans and events coming up very soon:

• On February 1, Café Mayapan’s restaurant will begin again. With a new menu, Café Mayapan waitress-based lunch service will be available 11am to 3pm, Monday through Friday, in our 2000 Texas Avenue building.

• On February 6, Museo Mayachen will unveil its newest exhibit, the Chicano/a Movement in El Paso in Mercado Mayapan

• Every weekend in February, there will be exciting unique programs in Mercado Mayapan dedicated to the Chicano/a movement. Each Saturday in February, there will a forum featuring key local and national Chicano/a leaders to share about the diverse impacts and milestones that the movement achieved. And each Sunday, a multitude of artists and musicians will perform, including music by Mariachi Flores Mexicanas, Alacranes Mojados, cultural group Ceiba, Radio la Chusma, Danza Azteca, Folklorico Tonatiuh, Words of Wisdom Chicano/a Poetry Slam, and a low rider show. The Mercado’s menu also will feature favorites from long-time barrio residents and families.

And this is just the beginning!!! Mercado Mayapan staff and leadership are also working on a whole new calendar of events and programming for all of 2010, including the Mercado’s first anniversary on May 1, the Mole Festival in July, and of course our annual Day of the Dead program in November.

Our fundamental goal this year is to not only expand the number of people who come to the Mercado, but in particular we want to build REPEAT customers. Our goal is to grow 5% per month.


You can help us reach those goals in several ways:

• Come by the Mercado at least once a week—during the weekdays! Growing numbers of people are attending our programming on the weekends, but we want to build the Mercado also as the community’s shopping site for groceries and gifts, as well as a meal during the week.

• Bring your family and friends to the Mercado regularly—make it your place to hang out on the weekends—the programming is ever changing, but always family friendly!! Set a goal of coming at least twice a month with family and friends, for a meal, an event or shopping on the weekend.

• Select one group you are a part of—your workplace, a club, a professional association—and commit to distributing information about Mercado Mayapan events to them each month. You can enroll in our email list to get regular bulletins on our programming (email centromayapan@mujerobrera.org to subscribe to the list)

• Work with Isabella Rodriguez, our events contract coordinator (mercadomayapan@mujerobrera.org) to schedule a meeting or event at the Mercado or the Café, or have them serve as your group’s caterer!

Again, thank you so much for all of your support in 2009 and throughout the years. We are very very excited about the potential of this year, and we are confident that with continued community support, Mercado Mayapan will become a premier cultural and commercial center for El Paso and the whole border region.

With very best wishes in this new year,

La Mujer Obrera

Bring on the New Year!

Dear Friends of Mayapan,

2010 has arrived!!! And we are very excited about all of the new opportuntiies and development that will be occurring in the Mercado in this new year.

We really appreciate all of the help and support each of you and your family and friends have given us during 2009--it was a challenging year, but we have made it to 2010!!

Unfortunately however some issues from 2009 have carried over. As many of you may know, yesterday the City of El Paso took steps to declare us in default on the loan that was made to the Mercado last summer. This action was taken despite our having met with the City staff on a monthly basis since June, and our having a meeting, at our request, with the city manager in mid December to present a repayment plan. As we have said all along, we are fully committed to repaying the loan in 2010, and we hope that the City will work with us to allow us to repay the note. (http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_14129934?IADID=Search-www.elpasotimes.com-www.elpasotimes.com)

Unfortunately a repercussion of this matter is that there is extensive confusion and concern about the Mercado's operations (now and in the future). We have attempted to explain that the Mercado is open, has been open and will continue to be open and operating in 2010. That in fact, 2010 looks to be an outstanding year for the Mercado's growth and development, including an expected announcment of a major grant in the coming weeks.

But right now, we need to continue to build and demonstrate community support. WE URGE YOU AND YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS to come to Mercado Mayapan--shop, eat, spend time in a family friendly environment. If you are out of town, check out our e-commerce site www.lummetik.com.

And if you have an organization or event, consider Mercado Mayapan, Cafe Mayapan or La Mujer Obrera's conference room as its site. Isabella will be happy to work through the details with you, just contact her at isabellarodriguez@mujerobrera.org or call her at 915-630-7048. Large or small, we have the facilities and support to make your event a memorable occasion.

Again, thank you for all of your support. And we look forward to working together this year to strengthen and grow Mercado Mayapan.

Best wishes, La Mujer Obrera

December Comadrazo 12/6/09, 3PM Workshop, 4PM Meeting & Ornament Exchange at Mercado Mayapan, Liberia

Host: El Paso Comadres

Location: Mercado Mayapan
2101 Myrtle, El Paso, TX 79901 US
When: Sunday, December 6, 4:00PM
Phone: 532-6200

Join us for our December Comadrazo/Ornament Exchange on 12/6 @4pm. We'll be meeting at the Mercado Mayapan. They have a wonderful mercado central/food court. Purchase your favorite platillo from the many vendors. We'll provide the drinks.


Participation in the ornament exchange is completely voluntary. The only request is that if you do plan on partaking, you please bring a nice ornament (something you would enjoy receiving) suggested price range of $5.

Open to the community and as a special holiday treat, Comadre Margie Brickey will be sharing her creative crafting skills with a WREATH MAKING SESSION from 3 to 4pm. Supply list will be sent under separate cover for those interested in coming early and joining in.

Directions to Mercado Mayapan, 2101 Myrtle, 532-6200
- I-10, exit Piedras St., turn south at Piedras
- Take Piedras overpass to Alameda,
- Turn right on Alameda, down 1/2 blk, bearing left
- Left on Myrtle 2 blks to 2101 Myrtle (its a one way street).

Thanks for joining us in November for brunch at G&R restaurant.

Remember Las Comadres has no dues, no officers, requires no commitments of you...just show up to meet the wonderful women in your community. From there we build support networks that will blow your socks off!!! We buy from each other's businesses; we post jobs, scholarships, and mucho mas!

If you haven't had a chance to attend a comadrazo in a long time (or you've never attended); now is a great time to come. We know your time is very valuable, we invite you to come partake in taking our comadrazos to the next level.

Come join us!


Con Carino,
Margie Brickey, Alicia Rascon & Rosa Celis-Rodriguez
El Paso Las Comadres Facilitators/Coordinators
Nora de Hoyos Comstock, Ph.D. Founder
Las Comadres para las Americas connecting Latinas all over the world!
http://www.lascomadres.org/; nora@comconn.com mailto:nora%40comconn.com
512-928-8780 voice/fax; Cell: 512-751-7837

eWoman Network Holiday Extravaganza 12/8/09, 5:30 to 9PM at Mercado Mayapan

Join us for a one-of-a-kind Networking Experience



 Come be part of an Exciting Evening!
 Expand your connections during Accelerated Networking!
 Start your Holiday Shopping with us at our Vendor Showcase!
 Enjoy traditional Posada Cuisine!
 Fashion Show Extravaganza featuring Prominent Fabulous Women in our community!
…and, did we mention Shopping?

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Event: 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. (Doors open and informal networking begins at 5:30pm)
La Mujer Obrera / Mercado Mayapan
2101 Myrtle, El Paso, TX 79901, (on Myrtle between Walnut and Willow)


$35.00 - Members and Friend of Mayapan/Mayachen, $45.00 - Prospective Members
$55.00 - Late registration, beginning December 5th.


A limited number of Business Showcase display tables are available to showcase or sell your products and services. The fee is $65.00 for nonmembers and $50.00 for eWN Members and Amigos de Mayapan/Mayachen, nonrefundable.


Sponsorships opportunities available on multiple levels.


Please join us and see why eWomenNetwork is recognized as the #1 resource for connecting and promoting women and their businesses.


For more information contact:

Melissa Rodriguez, Managing Director

(915) 494-5485
Melissa@eWomenNetwork.com

Vote for La Mujer Obrera: Chase Bank community giving Contest

Vote for La Mujer Obrera: Chase Bank community giving Contest


Please share this message with everyone you can!!!

Chase Bank is conducting a national contest to give 20 non-profits $25,000 each. But you have to vote through Facebook. It’s called Chase Community Giving.

La Mujer Obrera is an organization of that operates a social-purpose Mercado dedicated to creating jobs, businesses, and income for low-income women workers and their families in El Paso, TX. It is registered as a contestant under our corporate name Centro Obrero Del Fronterizo. The voting ends December 11th.

Please get this out to all your email contacts and Facebook friends. And please join Facebook (www.facebook.com) and vote for La Mujer Obrera.

For those who need more info on our organization, you can visit http://www.mujerobrera.org/
 or http://www.mercadomayapan.org/
 or http://www.lummetik.com/

Many thanks,
La Mujer Obrera

10,000 people visited Mercado Mayapan, thanks and update from Cindy, Irma and all the staff.

The past month’s achievements are a testimony to the women’s perseverance, courage, vision and determination, as well as a demonstration of the community’s outpouring of support for, and embrace of, Mercado Mayapan, as truly the “community’s Mercado”.


On October 1 the women received an “Invest in the American Dream”Award from Texas Senator Eliot Shapleigh in El Paso, Texas for Wealth Creation. http://investintheamericandream.org/


The following week with funding from the Ford Foundation, LINC’s Artography project announced the inclusion of the organization and Mercado Mayapan in an elite national group of innovative organizations doing groundbreaking work on arts in a changing society. http://artsinachangingamerica.net/section/view/2009_grantees

Also that week, a delegation of 8 women from the Mercado were in Washington DC met with 18 different groups of Administration officials, Congressional leaders and national public policy/advocacy organizations, to build support and awareness for the critical model of women’s empowerment that is emerging in El Paso. Highlights of the trip including a personal meeting with Gloria Steinem, as well as meetings with U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios and a meeting in the West Wing of the White House with Stephanie Valencia (a Las Cruces native) with the Office of Public Engagement.

A week later, the local leadership of Bank of America presented a check for a $25,000 grant in support of Mercado Mayapan. This is one of the largest corporate donations ever provided to our efforts.

The same day the organization signed a contract for federal stimulus funding from HUD in support of 36 staff positions in Mercado Mayapan.

Also in October, we were asked by the Smithsonian Latino Center to provide photographs for inclusion in their virtual celebration of the Day of the Dead. http://latino.si.edu/education/LVMDayoftheDeadFestival.htm

And we ended the month, and started into November, with a tremendous celebration of the Day of the Dead, Morelos style!!! We estimate that more than 10,000 people attended during the two days!! The largest event in La Mujer Obrera’s history!! Pictures, videos and other reports will be forthcoming. Here’s the first of the coverage

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_13680137?IADID=Search-www.elpasotimes.com-www.elpasotimes.com

We want to thank everyone in the community and across the country and in Mexico who have helped us reach this critical juncture for the organization. Mercado Mayapan is the community’s Mercado, created by low-income women workers, as a school, a festival marketplace, and a community building space. Please come join us any day of the week for shopping and wonderful food. And every weekend, in November we will be celebrating Morelos, the home of Emiliano Zapata. And coming in December we will be celebrating the food and culture of the posadas!!

We were featured in the day of the dead webpage as the largest celebration.
http://www.diasdemuertos.com/

For more information, contact us at info@mujerobrera.org. Thank you, La Mujer Obrera

Mujer Obrera awarded Best Practice for Access To Capital Award

Hello Friends,

    The month of October is off the a great start with the women workers accepting being honored tonight as the recipient of the Best Practice for Access to Capital Award for the annual Invest In the American Dream Banquet!! Felicidades to Irma Montoya, Lorena Andrade, Cindy Arnold and all of the women workers of the Mercado Mayapan!!
    Additionally, La Mujer Obrera and the Mercado Mayapan have been selected to be included in an exclusive cohert as part of Arts in a Changing America Arts in a Changing America is a grant and documentation program aimed at supporting exemplary art-making set within the landscape of changing demographics in America. ARTOGRAPHY nurtures arts communities that encourage diversity and artistry while engaging the wider public in a critical dialogue.
    For ARTOGRAPHY, exceptional artistic practice is the standard by which investigations into diversity and human achievement can and must be manifested and understood. Artists and arts organizations should be empowered to describe (as well as inscribe) their own practices and develop their own language of identity.

Schedule of Events for Mercado Mayapan

October 2009

Mercado Hours: M-F 8am to 7 pm Sat and Sun 8-5

October 1st Access to Capital Award given to Mercado Mayapan at American Dream Banquet, 5-9,

El Paso Museum of Art

October 3-4 Cultural Programming in the Plaza Cultural

October 5-9 Delegation of Women Workers Visit D.C. to gain support for NaDBank and Department of

Labor Grant Applications and to Network with National Organization and Potential Partners

October 6 Amigos de Mayachen/Friends of Mayapan Meeting, 5:30-7:00 p.m. - Mercado Mayapan

October 10-11 Cultural Programming in the Plaza Cultural

October 17-18 Festival de Maiz - Corn Festival

October 23-24 Cultural Programming in the Plaza Cultural

October 31 Day of the Dead Celebration (continued Novermber 1st)

We are excited about the potential opportunity tfor Mercado Mayapan to host some events for the Sun Bowl this Fall and hope it will increase our opportunities to host more high profile events.

Thank you for your continued support of the Mercado Mayapan. Remember to bring your family and friends to Discover the Mercado Mayapan and shop and eat!!