The Organization

Compañeros de Baja Norte is a multicultural, multilingual non-profit social and service club. It provides services and partial funding to various local charitable organizations, private and public. We have a diverse membership with international backgrounds who all happened to end up in Ensenada. Our main goal, besides supporting one another, is to help and aid many different worthy charities in the area. In order to do this, we hold special events to raise the funds needed to give to our beneficiaries. Most of these events are parties or dances and much of the money raised goes to charity.

Charities

We have a scholarship fund so that underprivileged children who are able to keep up their grades are given school uniforms and tuition. Recently, a young man in desperate need of a kidney transplant was aided by our donation. It has become customary for one of our members to organize a very special Mother’s Day for some of the ladies at a local home for the aged. Beauticians get together and give the women shampoos and haircuts. Some even get manicures and pedicures so they will be at their best when the families visit.

We have arranged transportation for several blind people to go to a training facility to learn to work with seeing-eye dogs. Angels on Wheels, a group of wheelchair-bound amputees, also benefits from the money and items we donate. We keep a huge basket inside the front door of our meeting room where we put non-perishable food items that are used to cook meals for a homeless shelter in town. Every year at Christmastime we put together Christmas baskets for 50 needy families in one of the poorer neighborhoods that would otherwise lack many basic staples for the holidays. There are other groups and people we help as the needs arise.

Special Events

One of our more popular special fund-raising events is a Fashion Show, where some of the more active men pose as models. We have special dances with various themes several times a year. Christmas-in-July is one of our most popular culinary events and raises a lot of money. A summer-time tradition is a Hawaiian Luau, complete with a fabulous authentic cuisine and Island entertainment. A Halloween Party kicks off the holiday season and is another favorite fund-raising event. Twice a year we have a rummage sale that helps us clean out our closets and raises hundreds of dollars for “the cause.”

Regular Activities

The Compañeros meet twice a month on the first and third Wednesdays for a regular meeting and lunch. Often we have a special speaker about the services available in the area, keeping us informed about living in Ensenada. On Tuesdays we play bridge and on Fridays there is a TGIF gathering where we play cards, board games and socialize. Once every month we have “Lunch Out” at a local restaurant.

All these special events and activities enable us to socialize, meet new people and visit with old friends. Most of them raise money for our charities. We maintain a free lending library where books, videos, DVDs and audio cassettes are exchanged with the many readers in the club. Each year we participate in Ensenada’s International Day, which raises awareness in the entire city of the diversity of the people living in Ensenada.

We have two Sunday Brunches every month at the clubhouse, each sponsored by a different member and usually featuring a special dish.

Our most recent fund-raising endeavor is a cookbook. We have many great cooks among us who have so many great recipes. “Tasting Away in Mañana-ville” is available for sale at the Compañeros Clubhouse and at special functions.

Visitors are welcome!!

Membership is open to all persons interested in meeting new friends and helping the local Community. All our activities are open to the public.

General meetings are held the first and third Wednesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. There is a year round schedule of Club activities. A monthly calendar of events is posted on the front of the building and a copy may be picked up at the Clubhouse.