Monday, July 14, 2025

15th birthday party canceled by Covid; youth uses cash to help needy

Instead of spending money on a lavish birthday celebration, a 15-year-old Mérida, Yucatán, girl opted to use her party funds to help feed the needy.

Jiromy Xool Pech, who turned 15 on August 3, asked her parents to use the money they would have spent on her birthday party to provide food for people who have lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Instead of having a party, I prefer to give food to people, to help themselves,” said the young woman.

Turning 15 is normally no small affair in the lives of young women in Mexico. The milestone birthday marks the passage to womanhood and normally entails princess gowns and elaborate celebrations in parties known as quinceañeras

But for Jiromy, a demonstration of excess in a time when so many are in need was something she chose to forego. 

Instead, she and her extended family spent the weekend prior to her birthday on Monday preparing and distributing food to her neighbors in need.

The menu centered around turkeys that the family had raised especially for the party and some of Jiromy’s neighbors and local businesses joined in. 

“It wasn’t what I had planned, but much better,” she said.

Source: El Universal (sp), Publimetro (sp)

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
Ovidio Guzmán

Sinaloa Cartel leader Ovidio Guzmán pleads guilty to drug trafficking and organized crime charges in the US

3
Guzmán also admitted to overseeing the production and smuggling of fentanyl and other drugs as part of his plea deal.
Salinas, California, USA - June 19, 2015: Immigrant (migrant) seasonal farm (field) workers pick and package strawberries directly into boxes in the Salinas Valley of central California

Sheinbaum promises more resources for consulates after ‘unjust’ ICE raids in California

24
The military-style immigration raids on two California farms on Thursday drew sharp criticism and a pledge to action from Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
A small plane flies over the ocean

How the Mexican security minister’s slip of the tongue rankled Salvadoran President Bukele

4
President Bukele took exception after García Harfuch's identified a drug-smuggling plane as coming from El Salvador.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity