Why Friends Supporting Families Exists: Food Insecurity in Los Barriles

The Why: Poverty Is a Reality - Poverty is a daily reality across Mexico, and Los Barriles in Baja California Sur is no exception.Many families quietly struggle to meet their most basic needs. For these families, food insecurity is constant. When income is unpredictable and housing is fragile, groceries can feel like a luxury rather than a certainty. In communities where poverty is widespread, food insecurity affects every aspect of daily life—health, education, and emotional well-being.

This is the gap Friends Supporting Families (FSF) exists to address. By removing the economic barrier to food, Friends Supporting Families provides more than groceries; we offer relief, consistency, and peace of mind. For the families we serve, knowing food will be available each month makes a profound difference. For the broader community, FSF strengthens connection, compassion, and shared responsibility.

The Who: A Group That Cares - Friends Supporting Families is a community-driven, volunteer-led, not-for-profit group based in Los Barriles. Our mission is intentionally simple: to raise funds to purchase food for local families in need. We believe that consistent access to food creates stability, dignity, and hope for families facing hardship. In 2025, FSF provided consistent food support to 24 local families, helping ensure children and elders had access to regular, nutritious meals.

FSF Food Delivery to the DIF - the trusted local Desarrollo Integral de la Familia

The What: Feeding Families - FSF raises funds by creating and selling handmade beaded items and other artisanal goods at the weekly Saturday Market and local events. These items are lovingly crafted by dedicated volunteers, with most supplies donated. One hundred percent of proceeds go directly toward monthly food purchases.

Tres Palapas and Homes & Land of Baja recently hosted a BINGO fundraiser which raised

significant funds. With matching support from John Gullo, the fundraiser raised enough to help provide food support for 24 families for four months!

Tres Palapas Bingo Night for FSF

Community-Led, Respectful Support

A core value of Friends Supporting Families is dignity.

FSF does not choose which families receive food assistance. Families are identified through the trusted local Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF), ensuring support is handled through established local channels in a culturally appropriate and respectful way.

How You Can Help

There are several ways to support Friends Supporting Families:

• Donate toward monthly food purchases

• Purchase handcrafted goods at the Saturday Market

• Join us in creating items that help sustain this work

To learn more, please email us fsflb.info@gmail.com OR

Visit our website: www.fsflosbarriles.com

Every purchase, every donation, and every shared message helps keep this support consistent—month after month.