Dear Friend:

Here at Via International we are "opening to a new world." The pandemic has sparked new ways of thinking and working, and we are excited for the future. As we invite your year-end donation, we want to share just one glimpse of that future, where emerging leaders engage with community change agents possessing decades of experience.

Thank you for your support of Via International!

A group of students from the University of San Francisco visited San Diego last March as part of our "Via Go" program of immersive travel, learning, and engagement. We hosted 10 groups in 2022 and 18 have already made plans to participate in 2023.

The USF students explored San Diego's barrios and border communities, and also crossed the border to visit Via's community development sites in Tijuana. At the close of the program, one of the students, Vera Hines, reflected on her experience and said:

"I want to go back home and unbuild the narratives that people put in social media about Mexico and Tijuana, which is such a beautiful place."

And that is exactly what she did, creating a book of collages and reflections to share her experience with others. You can follow this link to READ VERA’S BOOK: https://drive.google.com/file/...

One of Vera's collages is dedicated to the promotoras who are the heart and soul of our 47 years of work in the colonias of Tijuana. We continue our active support of 10 promotoras working in 20 Baja California “colonias,” and look forward to expanding our network in the coming year. Promotoras make lasting change in their colonias, teaching nutrition, pioneering environmental education and guiding small businesses to promote family financial security.

Students who travel to San Diego and Tijuana with Via International are hosted by a promotora, who cooks for them throughout their stay. The promotora who hosted Vera and the students from USF last Spring was Lupita Aleman.

Read what Vera has to say about Lupita:

"Lupita is a ray of sunshine, always smiling and trying to help people in whatever she can. My most prominent memory of her is when we all held hands and she blessed the food she had been making with all of her love during the day. I will never forget Lupita. "

Your donation to Via International brings leaders like Vera and Lupita together and offers life-transforming experiences to both!

Thank you for your generosity!

Year-End Appeal 2022

By Via International

Year-End Appeal 2022

Via International is Opening to a New World