Volver 2018 ~ A Successful Fundraiser!

This year’s Volver lunch was a success! We held this very special event at the historical Serenity House on Sunday, April 22nd to celebrate Earth Day. We were accompanied by a wonderful group of people who care about Mother Earth and the communities they are a part of.

Chef Zarco Guerrero put together a meal that left you licking your fingers and going back for seconds. We had his special ‘enchiladas’ as he likes to call them, which are blue corn gorditas topped with a bright red chile with olives and queso fresco that melted in your mouth. This was accompanied by soft calabacitas (squash), corn and beans, foods that are known as the three sisters in the Southwest and Mexico. Guests got a fresh organic salad from Maya’s Garden with avocado and roasted chiles to start their meal and a delicious chia pudding for a light but tasty dessert created by Cultural Coalition’s executive director Carmen Guerrero.

Participants were guided on a silent walk of gratitude by curandera Patrícia Federico-Ruiz. We walked around the beautiful grounds of the Serenity house in order to better hear the sounds of the outdoors and to take in the healing beauty of the native plants surrounding us.

As guests enjoyed their desert inspired meal, they were treated to the harmonious sounds of Latin American Musician Gustavo Angeles.  He played a number of original songs as well as a few renditions that resonated with guests, even some special songs from Panama.

Although it was a warm day, guests enjoyed conversations and laughter under the shade in the decorated back patio. At the end of the event, three raffle winners were chosen to receive some very special gifts.  Patricia Federico-Ruiz’s gift was a special aromatherapy spray and a personalized massage. Zarco donated a one of kind wooden plate carving from his most recent series, Recycling the Sacred Circle.  The Cultural Coalition provided a gift bag containing a festival t-shirt and a bilingual book authored by Zarco called “We Decorate the Dead” . 

Overall, the event was fantastic and guests left with a full stomach and a happy heart. If you missed out on this event, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss out again!  We are certainly planning more creative and effective fundraisers in our future.