Community Kitchen

Colonia Emilio Zapata

Recomended by The Cozumel Sun

The Colonia Emilio Zapata Community Kitchen was started by  Brenda Briceño Can and her familie in early April. Brenda joined forces with Jorge from Colonia Adolfo Lopez Mateos Community Kitchen.

Location: 12 avenida Norte Entre Calles 75 y 80, Cozumel, Mexico

FREE Meals to Go:

 Monday – Friday 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm

Community Kitchen Recipients

149 families identified as in need receive FREE food; they average 4 people per families. This equals 596 meals prepared five days per week. A member of each family brings their own carry out containers. Everyone must wear a mask. Social distancing observed, there are markings on the ground.

Community Kitchen Meals

The Meals meet nutritional guidelines. The Meals are planned daily based on what is in stock from donations. Preparation starts as early as two in the morning. The meals are cooked over wood. Gas is expensive.. The volunteers go into the jungle to gather wood.

Community Kitchen Volunteers

This labor of love is a family affair. Eight members of Brenda Briceno’s family plus two close family friends run the kitchen.

Brenda´s parents fall into the vulnerable protective class.  They are a close-knit family that live right on that block. All precautions are taken to protect the Abuelos! Only two of the ten volunteers are exposed to the recipients. The other eight work in the background. Everyone is careful to careful to follow safety precautions.

Prep work is very time consuming when cooking for over 600 people. Shopping involves going to all the stores to compare prices. It is difficult to plan nutritional meals, working around the ingredients on hand.

Other Services:

They deliver Meals to seniors directly to their homes. Seniors are given priority at the kitchen.

They deliver fruits, vegetables, milk, and formula to families with young children..

There is Prescription Medicine assistance.

Refreshments, water, sweet bread, are delivered to first responders, medical staff, and law enforcement when available.

COVID-19 Measures

Face masks, safe distancing, disinfecting, and curfews mandates all followed.

Community Kitchen History

This group immediately go i\nvolved delivering staples to families when the crisis began.. After Brenda´s job ended on April 12, she had more time on her hands, and the delivery of food evolved into a community kitchen,

The Cozumel Sun News promotes Cozumel Mexico Community Programs for FREE in The Cozumel Sun Facebook Group 

Community Kitchen Donations

They are using their own funds with assistance from some members of the community that have donated food, wood, and cash.

How You Can Help:

Living in Cozumel: upermarket gift card, food, or cash donation.

Outside of Cozumel: Designate a donation to Brenda´s food kitchen in the Cozumel Sun PayPal account. You may designate supermarket gift card or cash. We will follow your instruction. The Cozumel Sun will absorb the PayPal fees and pay the 16% IVA Tax.