An Impactful Week: Coming Together for Community

It’s amazing what you can accomplish in a week with dedicated focus, resources, and a group of passionate volunteers who are eager to make a difference.

Fundación Costa Palmas organized an exciting volunteer event for its members to benefit the La Ribera community. Each day, they partnered with local teachers, parents, and community members to work towards a common goal. Throughout this initiative, members got to witness the real needs of the kids and elderly in La Ribera and the true impact of Fundación Costa Palmas.

The week kicked off with a group of members painting part of the Primary School of La Ribera to enhance its appearance and provide interactive playground games. A total of 25 people participated in this volunteer day: Costa Palmas members, employees, teachers, and parents from the school, resulting in a productive day and major impact. Pedro Chimal, a member of the Costa Palmas Beach Club staff, lent his drawing and designing skills to create incredible floor designs that all serve as games. Additionally, a beautiful mural was painted on the building and then the buildings themselves. The mural reads “Las diferencias nos enriquecen y el respeto nos une” which translates into “Differences enrich us and respect unites us” in English, presenting a clear message of union and respect.

On Tuesday, a group of members got together to prepare 70 school bags that would be later distributed among children in need in La Ribera and Santa Cruz. The bags included supplies for kindergarten, elementary and junior high school along with an encouraging note in each with messages such as “We wish you a great school year ahead” and “You are very intelligent.”

In the afternoon that same day, Costa Palmas volunteers distributed more than 3,000 diapers to adults in need, from La Ribera and nearby communities, Santiago and Santa Cruz. This event was organized in collaboration with the local DIF (The National System for Integral Family Development) and included activities for community members and volunteers before the donation segment.

The following day, Costa Palmas members distributed the 70 school bags they created earlier in the week. This event was also organized in collaboration with the local DIF and encompassed an integration activity among the participants. It was a wonderful afternoon of connection.

On Thursday, 12 trees were planted in the Telebachillerato de La Ribera by five members and 15 students and teachers. The trees included figs, guanábana, and limes and were planted with the intent to be used for future school projects. An activity followed in which the children shared the school's needs and interests with the members.

The week was fulfilling, heartwarming, and eventful—certainly one to remember. The Costa Palmas community knows it was just the first of many more projects to come in which we have the opportunity to work closely with the La Ribera community to create change, and we look forward to the next.