As the colder winter weather starts to bite, the Jalisco Family Development Agency (DIF) is providing support to homeless people, migrants, the elderly and the vulnerable through its 2023 Winter Assistance Plan.
The statewide program delivers warm clothing, blankets, mattresses, food parcels and heaters to marginalized municipalities, and free overnight accommodation at three shelters in the Guadalajara metropolitan area. A priority group is the Wixárika indigenous population in the northern region of Jalisco, where temperatures often frequently below zero degrees Celsius.
Many organizations seek cash or material donations at this time of year to help those most in need. One of these is the much-respected Casa Huichol in Guadalajara, active since the mid-1970s, whose stated mission is to “develop, promote and support research, training and social assistance actions to preserve the life, identity and culture of the Wixárika people, in alliance with their traditional authorities.”
As well as cash donations, Casa Huicol accepts non-expired medications, rehabilitation devices, prostheses, food, tools, blankets and clothing. Professional volunteering is also welcomed, in the areas of rehabilitation, nursing, digital design and administration.
For more information, see casadesaludhuichol.org. You can also visit Casa Huichol, where many Wixárika crafts are displayed and sold. Call first for visiting hours: 33-3126-5003. Address: Beatriz Hernández 1354, Zoquipan, Zapopan.