Vallarta Food Bank (Brazils on Tour)

It’s been two years since we started Vallarta Food Bank, and we keep growing. To date, over 85,000 meals served and over 135,000 despensas made and distributed. Currently, we’re serving between 600-800 hot meals a day at our soup kitchen. You are crucial to Vallarta Food Bank’s mission: No One Goes Hungry.

Our board of directors include Jimmy Plouff, Frankie Victoria Bañuelos Estrada and Francie Nguyen. We’re small business owners in Puerto Vallarta who want to give a helping hand to our community. Each of us has experience with volunteer efforts: from delivering food and supplies after hurricanes, searching for missing children, working in soup kitchens, to building schools in small villages in Vietnam.

Currently, our organization serves hot meals 5 days a week from our soup kitchen while continuing to provide despensas (food bags) to the families in need. In addition, we support the families from Pasitos de Luz, Foundation Down A.C., and Red de Asociaciones Altruistas. We also make bi-weekly deliveries to more than 30 families who are physically unable to leave their homes.

Besides serving food, we provided emergency disaster relief to families and small businesses in Vallarta and the surrounding towns that were devastated by the hurricane and flooding. This year, we bought and donated mattresses, stove tops, refrigerators, cleaning supplies for many families. We also started an emergency cleaning crew to clear the mud and debris for small businesses, the Cultural Center, and the Rio Cuale Park.

Another project we started this year is to provide free, clean drinking water. So far we installed four filtered water taps throughout the city, with one right outside our building for everyone who needs clean drinking water.

At our food bank, everyone has access to free English classes, job training programs, and medical assistance.

Our displaced families also have access to free shower and laundry facilities. The weekly bazaar is a great way for everyone to receive free clothing, shoes, and household items.

Our mission has been able to grow and evolve thanks to the support of our incredible volunteers and donors. We truly could not do it without both. Yet as we enter our third year as a non-profit organization, the need for support continues to grow.

Now more than ever, consistent monthly donations are what allow us to keep the soup kitchen and despensas programs going. Please consider becoming a monthly donor to help achieve our mission.

Thank you for your help.

Our Reach

Every week, our goal is to pack, distribute, and deliver 3,000 despensas (food bags) to hungry families within Vallarta and outside the city - all the way from Chimo to San Sebastián del Oeste.

Please donate what you can. For $10 USD, we can feed one small family for a week.

Quimixto: Weekly delivery to this remote fishing village accessible only by boat.

Boca de Tomatlán: Weekly delivery to this little fishing village.

El Nogalito: Weekly delivery to this small community nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains.

Mismaloya: Weekly delivery to this remote beach cove surrounded by the jungle.

Cartolandia (La Colonia Presidentes Ejidales): Weekly delivery to this little town at the very top of the mountain where houses are made out of crates, cardboard and tarp. There is no electricity, no running water, no trash collection.

Chimo: Weekly delivery to this tiny coastal town located in the municipality of Cabo Corrientes, way past Yelapa and almost at the end of the bay.

San Sebastián del Oeste: Weekly delivery to this beautiful Pueblo Mágico. With no tourist and being so far from Vallarta, the families here are feeling isolated and need our help.

Location of Vallarta Food Bank: Rio de la Plata 379, Col Lopez Mateos, Puerto Vallarta

Hours of Operation:

Monday: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm to request an appointment

Tuesday - Friday: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm for scheduled interviews

Tuesday - Friday: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm to receive food packages

5 Ways to Donate with Vallarta Food Bank

You asked for it and we got it. You can now become a monthly sponsor on our own website.

1. Sign up for a monthly membership on our website


2. Make a donation online at our website. Credit card or PayPal accepted


3. For tax deductible you can donate with our partner, Casa JoJo Foundation


4. Make a donation on GoFundMe


5. Make a donation directly with PayPal account Vallartafoodbank@gmail.com and use "send to friend" option for no fee

A big thank you to everyone who donated and shared our campaign. Please continue to help share our campaign because it is getting more difficult each day with more and more people out of work. With your contributions, we will make a big difference in their lives.