Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Last week marked significant dates for PEACE (Protection, Education, Animals, Culture, Environment) and for Mexico. We’ve celebrated Mexico's Independence Day as well as its natural environment, animals, and people — all of which we strive to protect every day.

PEACE also coordinated a Peace Parade to mark the International Day of Peace on September 21, reflecting our vision of vibrant and safe communities in which all individuals are empowered to achieve their fullest potential and live safe and healthy lives in harmony with their natural environment.

It was an inspiring, uplifting week! Find the latest education, animal, and environmental program information below, and learn how you can get involved.

Programa de Ayuda a los Animales (Help the Animals Program)

Michael Hayes, owner of the ¿Qué Pasa? restaurant in the Vallartan neighborhood of El Caloso, donated his space for last week’s free spay/neuter clinic. The clinic sterilized over 85 animals, with two volunteers, two PEACE vets and three other PEACE staff members! Thank you, everyone, for another successful clinic!

Clinic Snapshot

• Two vets and three PEACE employees perform an average of 80 surgeries in 4 days.
• Eighty families are introduced to PEACE.
• Four days of animal-education classes are provided for local youth and community members.

This happens every week, year-round.

Do you have personal experience of a PEACE spay/neuter clinic? We'd like to hear about it! Send a two- or three-sentence testimonial about what the Help the Animals program means to you to becci(at)peacemexico.org.

Bring a dog or cat to be spayed or neutered, Wednesday through Saturday! Upcoming Clinic Schedule:

Wednesday, September 28 - Saturday, October 1, 2011 - Independencia
Wednesday, October 5 - Saturday, October 8, 2011 - Lomas de Coapinole
Wednesday, October 12 - Saturday, October 15, 2011 - El Progreso
Wednesday, October 19 - Saturday, October 22, 2011 - Inventory
Wednesday, October 26 - Saturday, October 29, 2011 - Bucerias
Wednesday, November 2 - Saturday, November 5, 2011 - Lo de Marcos
Wednesday, November 9 - Saturday, November 12, 2011 - Mezcales
Wednesday, November 16 - Saturday, November 19, 2011 - La Peñita
Wednesday, November 23 - Saturday, November 26, 2011 - Careyes
Wednesday, November 30 - Saturday, December 3, 2011 - Manzanillo
Wednesday, December 7 - Saturday, December 10, 2011 - Huatulco
Wednesday, December 14 - Saturday, December 17, 2011 - Huatulco

For more information regarding the clinics or for directions, contact Poli at 322-134-0942 or Lalo at 322-141-1031.

Programa de Casa Comunidad (Community House Program)

More than 400 children dressed in white, carrying handmade banners and chanting "Long live peace!" "No more violence!" and "Peace will win!" marched through Punta de Mita on Wednesday, September 20, to mark the International Day of Peace.

Alicia Elias and Miguel Angel Lopez, teachers at PEACE's alternative school, coordinated the event with every school in Punta de Mita and Higuera Blanca. With so much news coverage about the drug wars and violence in Mexico, it was inspiring and refreshing to hear the young voices from a small pueblo on the Mexican coast asking for change. These are the voices of the future, and we believe kids can change the world!

Programa de Orgullo en la Comunidad (Community Pride Program)

In addition to PEACE's daily collection of plastic, glass, aluminum, and paper from Punta de Mita, Higera Blanca, and La Cruz, PEACE coordinates other environmental efforts thanks to dedicated volunteers who make a difference every week.

Len and Carol Martin lead bimonthly beach cleanups. Michael Hayes, the owner of ¿Qué Pasa? restaurant (where our clinic was held this week) has created a Basura Brigada, in which 30 to 70 local children grab a trash bag and conduct town cleanups every Saturday at 11:30. Their efforts are rewarded with a free lunch and toy and candy give-aways!

Get a glimpse of the Brigada by watching THIS VIDEO. or learn more about it on Facebook.

Gifts last Week

Longtime animal clinic supporter Joan Bates offered to house Sylvia Fox and her team, who have raised more than $1,500 USD and collected supplies to sponsor the upcoming clinic in Mezcales. Thanks to all for this amazing teamwork and support! If you’re interested in sponsoring a clinic as an individual or group for $1,500 USD, contact molly(at)peacemexico.org.

More than $200 USD was donated by the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine staff and students to benefit Ayuda a los Animales.

Food items worth $5,110 pesos have been donated since September 1 in the first annual Work for Food drive. This amount will provide 73 bags of food, which can feed 730 people. The 73 people receiving a bag of food each complete two hours of town beautification projects in exchange.

Thank you to our newest corporate sponsor, Riviera Partners and Stone Contractors!

Other donations last week:

Dale Majewski, donated nearly $200 USD worth of art supplies to the PEACE mobile classroom.

Cheri from Very Vallarta donated four backpacks for our alternative school students.

Thank you all for your generosity!

Donation and Volunteer Opportunities

Beach Cleanup: Thank you Mike, Elizabeth, and Len and Carol Martin for your cleanup last Saturday! PEACE volunteer beach cleanups take place every second Saturday of the month. Meet in front of Oscar´s Restaurant, where the Río Cuale empties into the bay. Gloves and bags are provided. The next cleanup will be October 1 at 9 am. Contact pvlencarol(at)yahoo.com if you wish to help.

Prepare a nutritious meal for our alternative school: Feed ten students from the PEACE alternative school, Monday through Friday from 10:00 to 10:30 am. Contact nova(at)peacemexico.org if you are interested.

Visit PEACE's Casa Campesina in Punta de Mita: contact becci(at)peacemexico.org if you’d like to take a tour of our headquarters.

Animal clinic volunteer training: Thursday, October 6 and Friday, October 7, from 10 am to 2 pm at the PEACE clinic in Independencia. Directions to the location will be provided during the week of training.

Donate toward our Work for Food Drive. Two hours of community beautification projects earns a worker 70 pesos’ worth of food, which can feed ten people.

Donations needed to supply the program include the following:

• Bags of dried beans
• Bags of rice
• Boxed milk
• Cooking oil
• Pasta noodles
• Cans of tuna
• Boxed or canned tomato paste
• Toilet paper

Drop-off locations are at the BBCC in Bucerias, Vallarta Yacht Club, Marina La Cruz, and PEACE's Casa Campesina. Contact becci(at)peacemexico.org for directions!

PEACE would like to extend a huge thank-you to Laurie Ailworth, Sue Fornoff, and Katrina Liana for their passion and dedication to making the food drive a success!

If you are unable to make a food donation, but wish to contribute to the cause, donate at peacemexico.org. Thank you for your contributions! For more information about Work for Food or how to donate, contact becci(at)peacemexico.org.

PEACE, (Protection, Education, Animals, Culture, Environment) established in 2005, is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization made up of three main programs which focus on education, animal well-being, and environmental protection in the Bay of Banderas, Nayarit, Mexico. PEACE works hand-in-hand with communities in Mexico to provide holistic education, combined with community action programs that enable people to improve their quality of life as well as their financial stability.

For more information, please visit PeaceMexico.org or click HERE to read more about PEACE