About Manos Con Alas Ministries

How We Got Started

The concept of Manos Con Alas Ministries began years ago in the mind of the founder, Michael N. Budincich. In 1982, after taking a trip to Mexico to service poor people there with chiropractic care alongside dentists, medical physicians and eye doctors, he was inspired to continue to serve.

For several years, he served in a supporting capacity as a clinic chiropractor at several of Baja Free Clinics with a non-profit corporation, the “Flying Samaritans,” L.I.G.A., also known as the Flying Doctors of Mercy and more recently with Mexican Medical Ministries, a California non-profit corporation based in Chula Vista, California.

After being inspired to continue this service, Budincich received his pilot license and owned a string of increasingly large and powerful airplanes as years went on. These planes are primarily used to give free clinics in Mexico every one to two months, comprising 75% of Budincich's flying.

From taking just a just a few passengers every month or two in a small plane, Budincich expanded his non-profit activities to two, foundation-owned, six-seat airplanes principally used for mission activities in Mexico.

As of 2011, three to four aircraft depart Budincich's home airport in El Monte, California, with up to 18 volunteers per trip, physicians, chiropractors, nurses, Nurse practitioners, translator, and other paraprofessional personnel, as well as lay people to support these staff.

Regular free clinics are conducted throughout Baja, California, and sometimes mainland Mexico and other underserved parts of the Southwestern United States. Up to this point, most of the activities Budincich's efforts have been in northern Baja California with occasional trips to southern Baja California.

Manos Con Alas Ministries, which began as a tiny seed in the mind of one caring doctor, is now a growing, blossoming idea among the Christian community of pilots in Southern California who wish to serve their fellow man with humanitarian care, as well as to spread the Good News of our belief in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.

Humanitarian free health care, food, and other services are given without regard for any person's base beliefs or ability to pay. There has never been any charge for services Manos Con Alas has given in the past nor does the Ministry intend to charge a single penny for any services in the future.

Manos Con Alas Ministries continues to depend on support of individual gifts from private parties, charitable organizations and non-profit organizations designed to give to charities such as ours.

We continue to be grateful to fellow pilots who use their aircraft engine hours and piloting skills.

Of utmost need is the financial support necessary to purchase medications and aviation gas, pay airport fees, insuranceplus room and board fees for volunteers serving in Mexico on these free clinic weekend mission trips.