Spring cleaning to help a cause ... May 15-30 we're collecting shoes and clothing to support Families at the Dump.

Any sizes for any ages. Drop off items at Vallarta Yacht Club and Philo's in La Cruz. What an easy way to support a great cause!  Stop by with your t-shirts, sandals, shorts, whatever you have. Kids in the house?  Perfect! We'll take those clothes and shoes they outgrew last month..and the month before.  Thank you for your help.
VYC hours are 11am-10pm daily, Sundays 12 noon - 8 pm. Philo's opens at 4 pm Tuesday-Saturday.

Yes, there are Angels - right here in Vallarta!  PVAngels is an organization committed to uniting charity and the community - helping people learn about charitable organizations, events and news, in their own words ... "the dream of PVAngels is to create an atmosphere of pulling together in making our perfect little corner of the world a better - and better known - place." Visit their website PVAngels, and check out their calendar of local events all around the Bay.

Sunday, May 6th at 6:00 pm is the date of the 8th annual Altruism Festival, hosted by the US Consular Agency and Casa Magna Marriott Hotel. This is the largest charity fundraising event in Vallarta, with almost 40 restaurants participating plus live music, dance presentations, and more. All proceeds are shared equally between 24 charities from Vallarta and Nayarit, selected by lottery.  The Festival is held on the beachfront lawn at the Casa Magna Marriott in Marina Vallarta.

Families at the Dump needs bags for the "helping hand" store and emergency Food Bank.  What an easy way to help a charity, just save your WalMart and Mega shopping bags!  Bags can be dropped off at their FAD office, on the 2nd floor of Paradise Village Mall.  Office hours are 10-2, Mon-Fri.

Want to help a little more? Fill some bigger bags with used shoes and clothing for their store. End of season is a great time to clean out the closets.  Extra non-perishable food? Add it to the bag! The VYC will hold a Shoe & Clothing Drive May 15-30. Leaving earlier? Drop it off any time at the VYC, we'll get it to the Families at the Dump. What could be easier?

The "helping hand" store at the FAD location next to the Dump is where families registered with the Families at the Dump program can use the points they earn in exchange for clothing. Helping with the day care center and other activities all earn participants 'points.'  This way, FAD provides a helping hand, not a handout, as families learn that productive work and participation leads to a better life.  So be a bag lady (or guy)!

The Bucerias Bilingual Community Center is looking for a few helpers!  Teachers, Entrepeneurs, Volunteers, sign on for a fulfilling way to enrich the lives of those in the local community. BBCC Volunteers are unpaid; BBCC Entrepreneurs charge a fee for their services and donate 20% of their take to the BBCC. Everyone wins!

Forget the cloudy weather – we have a fabulous sunset booked for 5 March, the ideal beachfront location, and some brilliant musicians to make it all perfect!

Come along to Adautos on the Beach (Ave Pacifico #11, Bucerias), music starts at 4pm and goes on till 8pm. Entry is only 200 pesos and includes appetisers. Cash bar; and of course raffle prizes to be won.

This audio visual celebration is a fundraiser for the Cleft Palate Program which is in need of financial support to continue with its excellent surgical procedures. We have an eclectic mix of prestigious local musicians uniting to help this cause: Deep River, Dueto Enlace, Los Frixoleros and Duvalin. What a line up! That’s a really great variety to suit all musical tastes!

Buy your tickets in advance to avoid disappointment – you can get them from: Adauto’s; Elements Realty; Gringo’s Books & Coffee; and The Britannia Pub in La Cruz. Come & dance on the beach & celebrate the beauty of being in Banderas Bay!

Come Hear About the Non-profits ... February 20th the Vallarta Yacht Club will host a panel of speakers representing the 3 non-profit organizations it supports as part of their VYC Community Action Program. The VYC helps fill critical needs in Greater Banderas Bay and helps "give back" to the community through support such as clothing,food, and Christmas toy collections, and donation proceeds from the annual Great Chili Cook-Off.  The VYC focus is on family health & welfare, crisis response, and information distribution.  The 3 supported organizations are: 

Families at the Dump - Brenda Power, Program Coordinator
As the volunteer managing the daily operations, Brenda will share information about the objectives, programs, and activities of this charitable organizations. This organization serves families living at or neat the PV dump, one of the most severely disadvantaged populations in our area. The vision of the organization is to assist families and empower them to achieve independence and self sufficiency, with the primary focus on education, family values and medical assistance.  The ultimate goal is to prepare them for a better life, future, and improved living conditions.

On February 15th and March 15th, from 11AM until 3PM,  the ARTS FOR THE TURTLES fundraiser fiesta will take place at Bahia del Sol resort in Nuevo Vallarta.  Through AMA Mexico, or the Association for Mexican Environmental Unity, these events support the Nuevo Vallarta Sea Turtle Preserve.  

Sea turtles are a keystone species, a true indicator of the health and vitality of sea life and the Banderas Bay future generations will know. The Campamento Tortugero protects over nine thousand nests annually in an effort to return us to sustainable turtle populations.   It is the largest camp in Nayarit, and presents sunset hatchling "liberaciones", which you are also invited to attend.  The Preserve depends on these events to support the ongoing protection of the threatened Olive Ridley species.    

Numerous local artists will provide paintings, sculptures, baked goods, and artistry of various disciplines.  There will be a live auction, a special luncheon by the Seahorse Restaurant, live music, and much more on the oceanfront terrace.  Admission is free.  Come and have a great time while saving the turtles. Check us out in the information links below:

our website AMA Mexico.org and on YouTube:  http://youtu.be/F0ZeBzuQT7A