Sara and Esteban Carachuri gifting toys to children in Cozumel, Mexico, in December 2023. Photos: Sara Carachuri
Woodbury’s Carachuri family calls Cozumel, Mexico a second home.
Known for its turquoise water and light, sandy beaches, Cozumel, Mexico, is a destination of dreams, located in the Caribbean off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. For Woodbury residents Sara and Esteban Carachuri, Cozumel is a second home. Esteban grew up on the island (He was born in Acapulco.), and many family members and friends remain there. It made sense when Sara and her mother, Shari Hanson, decided they wanted to give back—and chose to do it for the people of Cozumel.
What started as a casual conversation around the dinner table quickly turned into a dream, when Sara and Shari were brainstorming ideas on how to give back to the people of Mexico. “We had been visiting as a family once or twice a year,” Sara says. “People would come up to us and ask if we had shoes for them.” Importing certain items can become quite expensive for the island residents, so necessities often fall to the wayside when prioritizing expenses. Upon their return to the states, they got to work on collecting shoes for their organization Loving Steps. “Making a difference, one loving step at a time” was their mission, and Shari hand crafted collection boxes shaped like shoes while Sara took inventory of every pair. They quickly outgrew their original goal of 100 pairs of shoes after seeing the community rally around the cause. In the end, they took over 500 pairs of shoes to Mexico in July 2012; and they did a second trip in February 2013. From pink cowboy boots to rain boots, the smiles exchanged for footwear were worth their weight in gold. “A child’s parents may choose to buy a pair of shoes for the year or put food on the table for a week,” Esteban says. “Getting shoes as a gift is a huge burden lifted.”
Sara Carachuri (bottom left) and Shari Hanson (bottom right) gifting shoes to children in Cozumel.
In 2018, the family returned from another trip to Cozumel, celebrating their community and spending time with loved ones. That June, Shari was diagnosed with stage four cancer. She passed away in July, only three weeks after the Carachuris welcomed their second son, Felix, now 6. In 2019, they visited once again—but it wasn’t the same without Shari. Consumed by grief and busy with raising their two sons, they took a pause from their work in Cozumel. Five and a half years after Shari’s passing, the Carachuris were finally feeling restored enough to carry on Shari’s legacy and visit the island again—this time with a new plan.
“My mom and I used to do what we called Prize Patrol,” Sara says. “When we were at garage sales or saw people getting rid of toys, we’d buy them and give them away to local kids to bring them a smile.” Inspired by her mom and on a mission to honor her legacy, Sara put out a call to action to the Woodbury community for donations of small, gently used or new toys to bring to the island. “I felt a stirring in my heart,” Sara says. “Not all kids get Christmas presents, so I’m going to bring one suitcase and see what happens.” Met with a wave of generosity and optimism, Sara and her son Oscar, 11, drove to houses across the city to pick up donations, filling two suitcases in a matter of days.
Once in Mexico, the family connected with a local orphanage with kids from infancy to 17 years old and spent the day handing out prizes to each of the kids. “There were probably 50 kids of all ages,” Sara says. “It was important to us that the boys participated and gave to their peers. It warmed all our hearts.” Oscar played basketball with a few of the kids, while others connected through conversations.
In April, Sara connected with Sue Morris who began collecting clothing, shoes and houseware for their trip. “Her vision is for us to really team up together to do gift bags for Christmas,” Sara says. “She knows it’s in my heart to really help the kids.”
The community of Cozumel felt seen and loved by those all the way in Woodbury. And while the Carachuris don’t have their next trip planned yet, it’s safe to say Shari’s legacy will continue to live on through them, regardless of where they go next.
Facebook: Loving Steps
