Vallarta Abuelos

23/09/2026

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED SATURDAY AFTERNOON

This Saturday afternoon we could use a few volunteers for a cultural class that involves Paint.

As we will have about 40 children participating you can imagine that there will be little hands to be guided, cups of waters to be filled and spilled, colors to mix, and brushes that need washing etc. etc. 🙃

The the project is really cool: in the Mayan culture each child has a protective spirit called a NAHUAL, which is determined by their birthdate. Each child will paint their protective spirit symbol on a new white baseball cap, in the colors specific to that NAHUAL.

You can see the finished product in the photo. We'll also be learning a bit more about the Mayans.

Vallarta Abuelos
Bolivia 1261
Colonia 5 de diciembre
Across fromMeno's restaurant
4:30 to 5:30 (please come at 4:15)

20/09/2026

ALAN NEEDS A COMPUTER

This fourth year scholarship student in mechanical engineering needs to download a program for school but his old computer is not compatible.

Can you help us by making a small donation at gofund.me/274c1d8d3 ? We can purchase a $1200us computer, refurbished, for only $450us.

ALAN’s story shows that it is possible to break the circle of poverty. When we first met him, his family was renting a small room without a kitchen, or even a table on which to do homework.

From ALAN: “Through the Vallarta Abuelos family, I have learned that even our greatest dreams can become possible when we receive the right support.

My mother has always worked very hard, but she could not afford the educational expenses of three children, and attending college once seemed far beyond my reach. Vallarta Abuelos helped pay for my high school education as well as my younger sister’s elementary school expenses. Today, I am only one year away from graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

I am deeply grateful to every person who believed in me, and gave me the opportunity to change my life.”

17/09/2026

Yesterday was a truly special day for our scholarship recipients, who were invited to enjoy Aquaventuras Water Park as honored guests.

To remain in the Vallarta Abuelos scholarship program, students must maintain a “B” average and participate regularly in our English, mathematics, and cultural enrichment classes, which help fill important gaps in their public-school education.

This wonderful outing was a well-deserved reward for their dedication and hard work throughout the year.

We are especially grateful to Miss Claudia and Aquaventuras for so graciously making this visit possible through the company’s social responsibility program and its commitment to giving back to the Vallarta community. (The third photo shows the thank you notes the children prepared for Miss Claudia.)

14/09/2026

ABUELOS SCHOLARS FUND

gofundme.com/abuelos-scholarships-for-lowincome-university-students

For seven years, Vallarta Abuelos has been helping make the dream of an education a reality for children from low-income families in Puerto Vallarta.

These children and their entire family lived in a single small room. Many lacked kitchens or bathrooms or sufficient beds, and were lit by a single bare bulb. These are the circumstances our scholarship students have overcome to reach university.

Today, we're filled pride for the five young people who have achieved their goal of attending college. They are pursuing degrees in Nursing, Business Administration, and Mechanical Engineering—fields that will build Mexico’s future while also giving back to their families and communities. However, the cost of higher education continues to rise each year.

For the coming academic year, the cost of university tuition, transportation, books, supplies, and related expenses will total approximately 50,000 pesos ($2,800 USD) per student, or 25,000 pesos ($1,400 USD) per semester.

There are several ways you can support one of our university students:
Gold Sponsor
50,000 pesos (approximately $2,800 USD)
Provides a full year of university education (two semesters) for one student.

Silver Sponsor
25,000 pesos (approximately $1,400 USD)
Provides one semester of university education for one student.

Bronze Sponsor
2,500 pesos (approximately $140 USD)
Provides approximately one month of university education

Donations are tax-deductible in the United States through Tax ID 75-2905446. Contact [email protected]. A detailed per-student budget is available upon request. You can donate here: gofundme.com/abuelos-scholarships-for-lowincome-university-students

For seven years, Vallarta Abuelos has been helping make the d… Anne Marie Weiss-Armush needs your support for ABUELOS SCHOLARSHIPS for Low-Income University Students

13/09/2026

Gay Dewar is a wonderful addition to our team of volunteers. Before retiring, she served as language coordinator of the British American School and brings a wealth of experience in teaching, guiding, and mentoring children.

In the photos below, Gay is teaching our Thursday evening English conversation class, assisted by volunteer Julie.

Vallarta Abuelos has no paid staff. We depend entirely on dedicated volunteers, and Gay’s experience, generosity, and commitment to our children make her an invaluable member of our team. We are truly grateful to have her.

10/09/2026

Muchas gracias, Abuelo Chris for donating a computer to Vallarta Abuelos. Eighth grader Monica gratefully accepted it as hers had just died.

Not only does it cost an excess of 4000 pesos just to register a child for school, but elementary school children require a good quality cell phone to receive and turned in homework. Junior and senior high students need computers as well.

Monica is so very grateful for this gift, Chris. Her father is handicapped and in Mexico it is difficult for people with a disability to find a job. So as school started, this was the ideal time for such a gift.

We have a college student studying mechanical engineering, whose computer it’s so old it can’t download the programs he needs for school…. Hoping to find a donor soon.

08/09/2026

MENSAJE PARA NUESTROS VECINOS MEXICANAS

Es con profunda tristeza que debemos compartir que ya no contamos con más mochilas para regalar ni con fondos adicionales para ayudar con los gastos escolares.

Vallarta Abuelos es una organización sin fines de lucro muy pequeña. Recaudamos fondos gracias al apoyo de expatriados generosos que viven en Vallarta y que donan como una manera de expresar su amor y gratitud hacia esta comunidad y hacia las personas que los han recibido con tanta calidez.

Sabemos que la educación en México puede ser muy costosa. Además del gasto inicial de aproximadamente 4,000 pesos por cada niño inscrito, las familias deben cubrir pagos mensuales durante todo el año. Entendemos lo difícil que puede ser afrontar estos costos y sentimos profundamente no poder brindar más apoyo en este momento.

Este año, gracias a la generosidad de nuestros donantes, pudimos distribuir 700 mochilas llenas de útiles escolares. Nos habría encantado poder ayudar a todos los niños que necesitan una, pero 700 mochilas fue el límite de lo que nuestra pequeña organización pudo proporcionar.

Todas las mochilas ya fueron distribuidas. Les agradecemos de corazón su comprensión y la confianza que han depositado en nosotros.

Lamentamos profundamente no poder hacer más. Sabemos que la necesidad es grande, pero nuestros recursos son limitados. Gracias por su comprensión y por permitirnos acompañar, aunque sea de esta manera, a tantas familias de nuestra comunidad.

MESSAGE TO OUR MEXICAN NEIGHBORS

It is with profound sadness that we must share that we have no more backpacks to give away and no additional funds available to help with school expenses.

Vallarta Abuelos is a very small nonprofit organization. We raise funds with the support of generous expatriates living in Vallarta, who donate as a way of expressing their love and gratitude toward this community and the people who have welcomed them so warmly.

We know that attending school in Mexico can be very expensive. In addition to the initial expense of approximately 4,000 pesos for each child enrolled, families must cover monthly payments throughout the year. We understand how difficult it can be to meet these expenses, and we are deeply sorry that we cannot provide more assistance at this time.

This year, thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were able to distribute 700 backpacks filled with school supplies. We would have loved to help every child who needed one, but 700 backpacks was the limit of what our small organization could provide.

All the backpacks have now been distributed. We sincerely appreciate your understanding and the trust you have placed in us.

We are deeply sorry that we cannot do more. We know the need is great, but our resources are limited. Thank you for your understanding and for allowing us, in this small way, to support so many families in our community.

02/09/2026

School started this week. The children were so excited and happy with their new backpacks and uniforms.

Each of these students has a scholarship from Vallarta Abuelos that covers all educational expenses.

It donation of 11,000 pesos covers an elementary school scholarship and 15,000 will sponsor a child in upper school.

30/08/2026

As Vallarta Abuelos’ summer activities came to an end yesterday, former school principal Gay Dewar shared some valuable advice with our mothers on how they can support their children in school.

She discussed some of the challenges parents may face: What can you do when a teacher is not meeting your child’s needs? How should you respond to bullying? She also emphasized the importance of truly listening to our children and finding a little private, one-on-one time for each child.

It was also the final day of our summer math class, where Gay had generously volunteered as a teacher. To celebrate all their hard work, Teacher Abigail presented prizes to each of the participating students.

A wonderful way to bring our summer program to a close

29/08/2026

As our Vallarta Abuelos children return to school on Monday, we want to send a huge THANK YOU to the wonderful volunteer teachers who gave their time, energy, patience, and love throughout the summer.

There are simply too many of you to name individually — and what a wonderful problem to have! You helped our children practice English and math, strengthen their academic skills, build confidence, and stay excited about learning during their summer vacation.

We are so grateful to every one of you. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of our children.