New Ecuador Coastal Newsletter links expats on the south coast

Expats living on Ecuador’s south coast finally have their own communication network.

The Ecuador Coastal Newsletter website launched in January, providing news, features, events announcements and a buy/sell forum for expats living between Playas and Manta.

“Our original intention was to offer a communication channel about community groups working together on projects such as the collection of school supplies for poor children, Christmas outreach projects and assisting the Red Cross,” says Julie Freeman who created the website along with fellow Salinas expat Cathy Yearout.

Julie Freeman

The two began the project last year with a weekly e-letter but quickly realized that they needed to expand their scope to reach a wider audience. “We had good support for the newsletter, which went out packed with information each week,” Freeman says. “It became evident, however, that in order to attract quality content and to reach more people we needed to shift gears and expand with better technology. Hence the website,” she says.

Freeman, a retired IBM employee, is a part-time expat, dividing her time between Salinas and Canada. Yearout was an information technology specialist from the Denver, Colorado area, before relocating to Salinas.

Cathy Yearout

Freeman and Yearout say they will continue to promote their passion for connecting expats with worthy projects. A recent article in Coastal Newsletter spotlights the Santa Elena Peninsula SOLCA medical program, a non-profit cancer screening and treatment service.

Other recent articles include covered the new IMAX theater in Guayaquil, changes to the tourism visa, and bus travel along the coast.

Freeman and Yearout say they are pleased with the response to their new website and are looking for writers. “We are building our base and looking for contributors who would like to voice their experiences and share their knowledge about life on Ecuador’s coast.”

To sign up for the Ecuador Coastal Newsletter, click here. For the website, go to http://www.ecuadorcoastalnewsletter.com