There are many novel ways to help others at Lake Chapala. Now a dedicated group, the Villa Infantil “Lunch Bunch,” needs additional help – just a single time, once a week or once a month. Assistance couldn’t be more simple. Volunteers purchase, prepare and provide a nutritious “child friendly” lunch for the 30 children for whom the orphanage is a loving home.
Madre Paty and Sisters Mari and Blanca need lakeside residents, visiting snowbirds or visiting family members or friends to give them a much needed helping hand at lunchtime. Volunteers can team up with friends or with another volunteer from the Lunch Bunch or fix lunch for the kids on their own. Connie Ondola, the Lunch Bunch coordinator, can help new volunteers tailor the experience to suit each individual’s schedules and needs. 
Current Lunch Bunchers are enjoying getting to know the children of Villa Infantil while providing a respite for the madre and sisters and easing the orphanage’s budget. Volunteers have an opportunity to practice their Spanish while the little ones practice their English; they have discovered that their thanks includes 30 endearing smiles.
For more information on the volunteer Lunch Bunch program and for details on how to help, contact the coordinator at (376) 765-3839. For more information on Villa Infantil (its mission, location, and vision) visit www.friendsofvillainfantil.org.