“Better three hours too soon than a minute too late”, wrote William Shakespeare.
That’s still true today in Puerto Vallarta. It’s not too soon to book your tickets for a delightful Home Tour, available through the International Friendship Club. Buy them now before it’s too late. There will be only one more opportunity to take the tour (Tuesday, December 14) before they are suspended for the holiday season. Tickets are available online at ifcvallarta.org.
If you would like to wander through and take photographs of three or four stunning homes, with their gorgeous artwork and landscaping, all set in beautiful surroundings, then this is the best tour in town. TripAdvisor reviewers rank the tours as Excellent 712 times out of 747 and Very Good 31 times. How can they be so good? Because our caring and informative docents ensure you have a wonderful time.
You’ll feel good by doing good, too, because the proceeds from the tours are used to support between twelve and fifteen charities and programs that help the children of Puerto Vallarta.
Covid has had devastating financial effects on many organizations in town. For over a year and a half, no tourists or snowbirds have been here to help with their donations or by volunteering. Raising money for good causes ground to a halt.
But now we, the tourists and the snowbirds, are back, and we need to help. By supporting IFC’s Home Tours, we will be supporting many, many children and their families. All of the proceeds from the tours are used to help the following non-profit organizations:
• The Santa Barbara Physical Rehabilitation Clinic helps improve the quality of life of disabled children and adults from low-income families.
• Pasitos de Luz is a registered, nonprofit organization founded by mothers of children with special needs to achieve their therapeutic, psychological, nutritional, educational and basic needs.
• Association of Families of Children with Cancer provides travel support and monthly despensas of food, supplements and diapers.
• Social Outreach Program – IFC provides our volunteer, Susan, with the funds to buy food and supplies for individuals and families to help them survive. Susan works with community churches, community centres, food banks, providers of medicines and youth drop-in facilities.
• Casa Hogar Maximo Cornejo – This children’s shelter was founded in 1993 and has seen hundreds of children rescued, loved, educated and graduate to an adult world.
• R.I.S.E. – Refugio Infantile Santa Esperanza – Is another children’s shelter. Children and infants come to RISE from local social services agencies, DIF (the Mexican social services department), and families experiencing a crisis at home.
• Vallarta Abuelos – is a nonprofit centre for needy families. It offers educational and cultural support to at-risk children. Education Scholarships support children who face poverty, neglect, parental drug abuse, or physical/mental handicaps.
• V.K.E.P. (Volcanes Kids Education Project) – In Mexico, only four out of ten kids finish high school. The purpose of V.K.E.P. is to get kids “to go to school and stay in school, and dream big.”
• S.E.T.A.C. (Solidaridad Ed Thomas Asociación Civil) – S.E.T.A.C. offers education and integrated health and wellness services focused on the LGBTQ Community in a setting free of stigma and discrimination. IFC supports its public education programs.
• Huichol Scholarship Fund – This is a charitable program that awards scholarships to Huichol university students to assist them in completing undergraduate university studies.
• ALAS Escuela De Canto – ALAS provides a safe space for children and young people, where they take refuge in music and dance, not in drugs and alcohol.
• IAMPV (Instituto des Artes Musicales Puerto Vallarta) – Music school for beginner and intermediate levels.
• IFC’s cleft palate program coordinates medical staff, hospitals and social outreach to provide free assessment, surgery and continuing care to children born with cleft palates and lips.
Our Covid protocols restrict sales of Home Tour tickets, so you need to book now and not leave it until the last minute. The Home Tours depart from the Sea Monkey restaurant located on the Malecon, at Aquiles Serdan. There’s no better way to start the day than with a leisurely coffee or breakfast on the beach before boarding our air-conditioned bus for the tour you’ll remember.
To book tickets for the Home Tours, find out about our charities, sign up for our Welcome Lunch on the 12th or make a tax-deductible deduction, please visit ifcvallarta.org.
Written by John Warren of the International Friendship Club.
The International Friendship Club is a registered charitable organization in Mexico listed as Club Internacional de la Amistad de Puerto Vallarta A.C. It is located at the northeast corner of the Rio Cuale Bridge above the HSBC Bank, Colonia El Centro, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, 48300. Phone: 322-222-5466. Website: ifcvallarta.org Email: info(at)ifcvallarta.org