Back to a Better Beginning

We are in the Old Casa Grace again, but fully remodeled and updated. Check out the 2020  video tour above, or go to the photos and videos page to see it and a "before" video made in 2014 for comparison.

This Casa Grace brochure, with lots of live links, is a good way to share a future adventure with your group or family.

Donate Without Money!

Hello, friends!

Some of you have been with me for the whole 25 years I've been going to Tepic to serve the Children's home, their neighbors, and their friends. We created Service Synergy, a 501(c)3 non-profit, in 2017 to cover various aspects of our activity in Tepic. Non-profit status opened doors of opportunity for both activity and funding. I hope you'll connect with this painless way to support Service Synergy: Fred Meyer donates a percentage of purchases made by participants who choose Service Synergy as "their" non-profit. Service Synergy supports Casa Grace and our education project, Ambassador Service Study. The first year's donation from Fred Meyer will become scholarships for students learning abroad. To "participate" through 

• Fred Meyer, sign up online with your rewards card or phone number at www.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards. It takes 3 minutes. Painless.

If you could share this info with anyone who uses Fred Meyer, you'd be doing a good thing! Let us know if you took any of these actions.

Bernie Weigand, President 

Creating global citizens one friendship at a time

www.ServiceSynergy.org 

Birthday Mission Builder August 18

The FUN in FUNdraising: a party near you!

Grant Writing for Future Education Groups to Visit Tepic

     I had no idea that securing nonprofit 501(c)3 status for Service Synergy would open so many doors beyond being able to receive tax-deductible donations. What a revelation to see that our government will grant money to organizations that promote international studies and foreign language learning. But Oh!, the hoops one must navigate in order to prove oneself legitimate and with a worthy cause. Your tax money is safe, fellow citizens! No fly-by-night person can get a government grant. The verification process alone requires ---I lost track of how many steps. After that there is the grant itself to write, and many good people to coordinate with, on both sides of the border.
     It has been a long time since (October '17) being in Tepic....Check out the latest newsletter from the list at right, to get an idea of how I hope to set up others to go with me.
     Kathryn and Omar, with little Anthony, will be enjoying Casa Grace while they find a place of their own.

The NEW Casa Grace!

Casa Grace has moved next door! More pictures are on the video/photo tour page. This is the front of the house. You can see the old Casa Grace just to the left. Your visit will be so much more comfortable! Call to book your team or go to the AirBnB site.

We now have solar hot water, clean white tile floors, lots of natural light, a kitchen with cabinets and a real oven for baking. The three bedrooms upstairs have lovely built-in closets and drawers. We have a full bath and a half, an office-library-studio, a dining room, a partly covered patio out back, systems that all work and good security. These features conquered the 5 1/2 years of nostalgia and plans I had for the old Casa Grace. Pedro, the youngest of the 9 siblings of the old Casa Grace, is the new owner-to-be. He and his whole family will be great neighbors. 

Not only all that, but all of the furnishings of the old fit nicely into the new. Even the color combinations of the new walls fit the textiles, linens and curtains of the old, like they always part of the plan. 

Sample Newsletter

Here is a snippet of my latest Casa Grace-Tepic newsletter. You can read the whole thing online at Casa Grace Chrysalis . See back issues by clicking in the far upper left tabs above the newsletter, or use the links in the box at right.

Subscribe to get future email newsletters about Casa Grace projects with the button at right.

Huichol Yarn Painting

Zooming In

You can zoom around by going to the Google Map (click) that looks like the photo above. The old Casa Grace is outlined in chartreuse.
For me, zooming in is a delight, because I do aerial view artwork, watch birdwings, and enjoys windsongs. I used to dream of flying all over my childhood neighborhood. In planes I always want the window because it's such a privilege to get the big picture from above.