Santa Barbara, California – The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara North and the Santa Barbara-Puerto Vallarta Sister City Committee are reaching out to help neighbors in Mexico who have been affected by loss of income because of the COVID-19 pandemic and shutdowns.
The Sister Cities group already has sent $13,000 to date to feed 500 families – about 3,000 people – in crisis in the Volcanes community in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico.
The Volcanes Food Bank was established in the beginning of March to help meet the needs of poor families in Volcanes and surrounding areas of Puerto Vallarta during the pandemic, which devastated the area economically. Jobs and tourists have nearly disappeared in the resort city.
One donation of $25 can feed a family of four for a month with basic foods such as beans, rice, lentils, potatoes, tortillas, eggs, cooking oil, soap, toilet paper, etc.
Santa Barbara Rotarian and Sister City member Yvonne Pedersen is the founder of a new fundraiser titled “Operation Bust Out,” created to help the Puerto Vallarta food bank, while helping local children stay active during the pandemic.
Pedersen, a Goleta native and nationally renowned “Golden Girl” baton instructor, is donating her time to teach baton twirling and dance classes for Goleta-area children ages 5 to 12.
“It is a fun and safe way for local children to ‘bust out’ of confinement and ‘bust out’ some cool dance moves,” Yvonne said. “Baton twirling is a great way to improve ambidexterity, rhythm, coordination and self-esteem,” she added.
There is no fee for the four-week sessions, but a tax-deductible donation of $50 to the Santa Barbara-Puerto Vallarta Sister City Committee is welcome to support the Volcanes food bank project.
For more information about the ‘Operation Bust Out’ classes, or how you can make a donation to the Volcanes food bank project, read the full article on noozhawk.com.
