C. U. P. S. 

  Beginning June 2009, US citizens will need either a passport or one of the new passport cards to enter Mexico.  This will affect all CUPS workgroups traveling to Mexico after May.  Realizing that the passport fees can be a stumbling block for many travelers, the US is now offering a cheaper and more convenient alternative.  Read about it here:  Passport Cards.

  The women of Muldoon, Smithville, and LaGrange Texas have been making quilts for families in Mexico for many years.  Read about their latest efforts in the attached Quilt Story.

C.U.P.S. Spring 2009 Newsletter is online.

    2009 is C.U.P.S' 20th Anniversary

In commemoration of its 20th anniversary, and in response to prior Workgroup requests for a C.U.P.S. T-shirt that their volunteers could wear while on a misison trip, C.U.P.S. has designed an anniversary T-Shirt.  For more information about these T-shirts, and to place an order, click here.

  First Presbyterian Kingwood makes 25th Anniversary gift to C.U.P.S.

First Presbyterian Church Kingwood (FPCK) decided to celebrate its involvement in missions as part of its recent 25th Anniversary celebration, and selected a local Houston mission (Humble Area Assistance Ministries), and a world mission (C.U.P.S.) to be recipients of special donations.  Members were challenged to raise $2500 for each mission, but in fact raised $4,500 for each.  Two church members, Cindy Bausch and Alice Loveless, traveled to Mexico to make the presentation of the check to the Tzehuali #2 Special Education school in Matamoros.  Pictured above, from left to right, are Isabel de la O (Director of Tzehuali # 2), Louise Flippin (C.U.P.S. Missions Director), Cindy Bausch (FPCK), and Alice Loveless (FPCK).  Isabel de la O said that "this gift would be a great help to the school and to its students in meeting needs in educational technology and playground equipment for the school."  The president of the Tzehuali Family Association, Mr. Diaz, took the day off from work to be with the FPCK visitors, and mothers from the school cooked a delicious meal for them - another wonderful way to say "gracias" in Mexico.  For more information on the visit, see the FPCK Trip Report.

Living our Mission

CUPS is an ecumenical Christian organization founded in 1989 to improve the quality of life in rural communities along the Mexico-U.S. border. Maximizing the use of capital and human resources, CUPS unites Mexican and U.S. communities in projects that touch the lives of thousands of people. Health projects are a primary focus, but community defined needs for projects and programs are equally important in our work. Past projects have included community centers in urban Matamoros and rural areas, new school classrooms in urban and rural communities, and health clinics in various cities.

Click on a photo for larger view.

Comunidades Unidas Pro Salud (CUPS) is making its name -- Communities United for Health -- come to life by the hands of countless volunteers who make projects and programs possible as they bring the message of God's love to our neighbors on the U.S.-Mexican border with their enthusiasm, energy, hammers, and paint brushes. There are ways to help and volunteer to improve border life along the U.S.-Mexico border. CUPS has developed lasting relations with many Mexican communities. CUPS is governed by a Board of Directors and is a 501 c (3) organization. Our financial support comes from individual supporters, churches, and other organizations.. Additional CUPS communications can be found in the latest Newsletter.

   SAFETY OF MEXICAN BORDER AREA - AN UPDATE FROM LOUISE

    The Mexican government, encouraged and supported by the U.S. government, actively continues to battle with drug cartels in Mexico.  The US Department of Homeland Security is holding public hearings in this area on the Wall to be built from Brownsville to West of McAllen to prevent illegal immigrants, drugs, or terrorists from entering the U.S. from Mexico   The U.S. State Department has just issued another warning about travel in Mexico, including the border areas.

Problems of border violence are real but not new.  Most people in both countries live normal lives studying in school, attending church, visiting family and friends, and shopping.

CUPS pays attention to the communities where we work, and we believe these areas are safe for our volunteers.  If this conclusion changes, we will advise our volunteers and supporters of our assessment.

C.U.P.S.  INDIVIDUALS & WORKGROUPS
 Online Registration

Learn more about how to organize a new WorkGroup

  For more info, see our Detailed Registration Instructions

GREAT NEWS for CUPS Supporters !!!
We accept online credit card donations through NetworkforGood.com.  Click on the link below to get started, or visit our Ways to Help page for more information

You can also explore ways to do volunteer service to benefit CUPS at VolunteerMatc

  THE 2009 VERSION OF THE C.U.P.S. HANDBOOK FOR WORKGROUPS IS AVAILABLE ONLINE.

A WORKGROUP SAFETY GUIDELINES DOCUMENT HAS BEEN PREPARED TO HELP WORKGROUPS PLAN FOR A SAFE WORK EXPERIENCE