Not Your Average Field Trip
You may remember last month, we shared the story of Casa Hogar Cabo San Lucas visiting the John Gullo Home for Children to help us prepare for the future. This month, it was our turn…. our team traveled to visit them at their children’s home to learn even more.
Casa Hogar Los Cabos has decades of experience providing safe, nurturing care to children and teens, and their facility reflects the thoughtfulness and structure that comes from years of dedicated service. During our visit, they generously opened every part of their home and shared the systems and daily routines that keep everything running smoothly.
We saw their carefully organized dorms, divided by age and gender, each with individual beds and personal lockers to foster a sense of belonging. We learned about their creative points system that teaches responsibility and decision-making, and their thorough supervision protocols, including regular night rounds and shared logbooks.
One of the most inspiring parts was seeing their dedicated team…. from social workers and tutors to cooks, nurses, and psychologists…. all working together to support the children’s emotional and physical well-being.
Perhaps most exciting of all, they proposed a new way to collaborate: a joint "camp" experience at the John Gullo Home for Children. In this pilot program, children and staff from Casa Hogar will visit us for a field trip, giving us a chance to practice daily routines and activities before welcoming more of our own residents long term.
Their openness and spirit of partnership continue to encourage us as we get ready to serve more children and families. With every visit, every shared story, and every lesson, we grow more prepared to offer the safe, caring home we envision.
We’re proud to be part of a growing community of partners who are making a difference. Keep reading below for updates from our partners.
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PARTNER UPDATES
John Gullo Home for Children
The John Gullo Home for Children provides temporary shelter for children in BCS whose families are experiencing medical crises. Read the latest update below:
Facility Director Belen Meza Sandez shared photos while enjoying a big harvest from the Garden of Light.
PUMPKINS !!
They were so plentiful she was able to make traditional Mexican sweet treats.
They’ve also been harvesting tons of lettuce, radishes, and various peppers.
Such a special place. Keep shining Maddie ✨❤️✨
New Creation Kids (NCK) Children’s Home
New Creation Kids is a children’s home in La Paz providing safe, stable shelter for children whose families are facing serious challenges such as addiction and homelessness. Read their latest update below:
Leaders2Give and the children of New Creation Kids would like to express our sincere gratitude to Eddie Dalmau and the Baja Pirates for fitting all of these deserving kids with new shoes.
This is the 5th or 6th year in a row that #castingforsoles has visiting New Creation Kids - Nueva Creaçion Niñas and the smiles were priceless!
Gracias a todos !!
The East Cape Health Center
The East Cape Health Center is a nonprofit clinic in Los Barriles offering full medical and dental services with discounted or free care for families in need. Read their latest update below:
At East Cape Health Center, we reaffirm our commitment to the community through concrete actions aimed at improving access to healthcare, especially for vulnerable children. Our philosophy is rooted in prevention, comprehensive support, and dignified care.
In February 2025, we carried out our annual child health campaign, focused on early detection and health education. This year, we visited five local schools and provided oral exams, blood pressure and glucose checks, vision tests, and end-of-day medical consultations—reaching hundreds of students.
These campaigns are more than just clinical events; they help build trust with parents, teachers, and children, creating a network of support centered on children’s health. Planning starts well in advance with meetings, school coordination, and careful budgeting for supplies, staff, and logistics.
After each campaign, our team analyzes the collected health data to identify students needing urgent care. From this analysis, our summer program Más Sonrisas, Mejor Salud (“More Smiles, Better Health”) was born.
This program ensures children identified during the campaign receive essential dental services like deep cleanings, fillings, and extractions—often at significant discounts or free of charge, thanks to our generous donors and partners. Beyond treatment, every appointment doubles as an opportunity to teach children and families about brushing techniques, nutrition, and the importance of regular check-ups.
The social impact of this program is seen in every child who gains access to care they otherwise wouldn’t have—and every family who feels empowered to support their child’s health journey.
Thank you to our medical team, volunteers, donors, and all the families who trust us. Together, we’re not just creating healthier smiles—we’re creating a healthier future.
Feeding The Hungry
Feeding the Hungry is a volunteer initiative in Los Barriles that provides monthly food vouchers to local families experiencing food insecurity. Read their latest update below:
Give Hope.
The landlord wanted to increase the rent he could get for his two room shack. Legally he couldn’t increase the rent for the current occupants, Jose and Maria, so he threatened them with physical harm.
Jose worked in construction, so Maria was all alone with the children during the day. Jose knew he couldn’t protect his family when he was at work, and he felt he had no choice but to leave. Unable to afford the increased Los Barriles prices for accommodation, they were camping out in the bushes on the side of the arroyo in a shelter made of cardboard boxes.
When a Feeding the Hungry supporter heard about their situation they offered help. They arranged for them to be included in the food voucher program. This gave them some immediate relief and ensured that their kids would not go hungry. It also gave them some hope.
After counselling Jose and Maria, they came to realize they would have to increase their family income if they were ever to secure their future. It wasn’t possible for Jose to earn more, so Maria took a job working in a restaurant six evenings a week. Maria watched the kids in the daytime and Jose looked after them after she had left for work. They started to save.
We all know that the harder you work the luckier you get. Recently, Jose and Maria were offered a cheap plot of land in the hills above Buana Vista. With Jose’s construction skills he will be able to build his family a new home.
None of this would have happened without the compassionate intervention of a Feeding the Hungry supporter.
We need more supporters like this. Will you be one?
If you would like to help those less fortunate than yourself, please contact Ben and Harriet Purkey purkeybh@gmail.com or Gordon and Joy Blackie gordonandjoy@gmail.com
SNAP - Spay, Neuter, and Prevention
SNAP offers free spay/neuter services for the local community in and around Los Barriles, BCS and promotes youth leadership through animal welfare education. Read their latest update below:
Behind the Scenes: A Day at a SNAP Clinic
Every SNAP clinic starts long before the first pet arrives. It begins with planning and community connection. In June, we hosted a clinic in El Cardonal—requested and supported by local residents and the DIF office. Together, they helped us find a location with water, power, and shade, creating space for our mobile surgery tent, registration area, and recovery zone.
On clinic day, everyone has a role—including the pet owners. Our veterinarians and registration team arrive early to unload supplies and set up. Registration leads the charge, checking in animals, coordinating timing, and doing quick health screenings. From there, pets move to pre-op where they receive sedation and are prepped for surgery.
Surgery is the most delicate phase. While animals are under anesthesia, our team stays alert for any signs of distress. Every surgery is done with focus, care, and a lot of heart.
Afterward, it’s on to recovery—where owners meet their pets as they wake up. Having familiar faces there makes a big difference in how calm the animals feel in those first groggy moments. We love seeing families involved—it’s a powerful reminder of why we do what we do.
Of course, there’s so much more happening behind the scenes: gathering supplies like surgery pads, collars, and leashes; transporting and setting up gear; cleaning and doing laundry after the clinic. It’s a massive team effort.
Remote community clinics like this one are more expensive to run. But they’re worth every peso. By bringing services directly to rural areas, we remove one of the biggest obstacles to spay and neuter—transportation—and help more animals live healthier, safer lives.
Crescent Moon Project - Art for Children
Crescent Moon Project offers free arts-based classes that spark creativity and help children grow into compassionate, community-focused leaders. Read their latest update below:
Discovering Mexican Lotería: More Than Just a Game
If you’ve attended a Crescent Moon Project Art in Bloom fundraiser, you may have played Lotería—the colorful, image-filled game of chance rooted in Mexican tradition. You might remember cards like La Sirena (the mermaid), El Gallo (the rooster), or La Calavera (the skeleton). Lotería originated in Italy, traveled through Spain, and arrived in Mexico in 1769. Once reserved for the elite, it eventually became a beloved pastime for all social classes.
Traveling fairs helped bring it to rural towns, where it became a weekend highlight. Unlike bingo, Lotería uses 54 iconic illustrations. A caller (cantor) reads poetic or playful clues while players mark matching images on their boards. The first to complete a row calls out “¡Lotería!” to win.
As the school year ends and summer camp begins, our student artists have been creating their own Lotería decks. Each selected 16 favorite cards to reinterpret, a process that requires creativity, focus, and persistence. It’s been inspiring to see the range of images and ideas that spark their imaginations.
As we prepare for the 2025–26 season, we’re offering sponsorship opportunities to support the Crescent Moon Project Art Center and help us continue offering free art classes. A $300 donation covers one month of rent. As a thank-you, sponsors receive a custom student-created painting and a calendar for the upcoming year. Might you be one of the twelve calendar sponsors? For more information, contact Melissa at Mdmcdonald86@gmail.com.
Wonderland for Kids Sponsorship Program
Wonderland for Kids is a bilingual childcare center in Los Barriles offering a Sponsorship Program to help low income families access affordable childcare. Read their latest update below:
Big News from Wonderland for Kids!
We’re excited to announce that starting this October, Wonderland for Kids will launch a Bilingual Montessori Programfor children ages 1 to 6. This new initiative marks a major step forward—not just for our center, but for the entire Los Barriles community.
With the local public preschool overcrowded, we aim to provide an alternative early education option with a 1:6 teacher-to-student ratio to ensure personalized attention and care.
To prepare, we’ve been offering in-house training and certification for our dedicated team—many of whom have been with us since we opened. By investing in our local staff, we’re strengthening early education and creating long-term professional opportunities in our town.
Our Montessori program will operate during regular business hours, continuing to provide reliable, high-quality care for working mothers—now with the added benefit of early education rooted in Montessori philosophy.
For just $400, you can sponsor a full month of care for the child of a single mother—nine hours a day including Montessori learning and early English language exposure.
Thank you for helping us build brighter futures—one child at a time.
To learn about the different ways to donate to Leaders2Give and any of our Partners, visit our Donate page.