Our end of year 2025 fundraiser finished above our goal of $20,000! Thank you all for championing this dream, giving us the ability to launch our own nonprofit (Sal y Roca) and invest in our leadership crew in 2026. It’s humbling and exciting to see all the pieces coming together.
To celebrate the launch of our new name here in Baja, we of course had to do as the locals do and CELEBRATE! We hosted a “Red Carpet” style awards ceremony night with over 150 people from the community. The evening was filled with amazing food, videos, stories, and trophies to show the accomplishments of the kids and honor the local Baja partners who help to make these programs possible.
The sense of connection and love through out the evening was overwhelming. At the end Dustin and I had a moment to share a few words from the heart, which unintentionally brought most of the room to tears… including us!
Check out more photos on our Facebook Page.
One thing we wanted to share clearly that night was why we’re really here. The programs we run (surfing, climbing, ESL..ect) are powerful tools for growth and building life skills. But the deepest transformation comes when kids begin to understand that God loves them and wants to use them to make this world a better place. Our programs open small doors to speak into these kids lives and it is truly such an honor to be a part of the movement happening with this next generation.
In February we began offering weekly tutoring and English classes, along with occasional Saturday hikes and our new Baja Leadership trainings.
Part of the fundraiser last year was to invest and develop our local leadership crew through monthly trainings. These gatherings are both practical and relational: a chance to learn together while building community. For the rest of the year we’ll cover topics like risk management, budgeting, outdoor leadership, as well as provide a CPR/First Aid certification.
‘Tramites’ is a special Spanish word for all the not fun, behind the scenes work that needs to happen and as we stepped into March, we realized there’s A LOT! The need to slow down and reassess our capacity during this time is important. We have a deep desire to keep programs running at full pace, but we know we can’t if we want to build this new nonprofit well.
So until May we’re simplifying our schedule to one program/ week while focusing on the foundations that will allow this ministry to grow sustainably:
• Working with Hello Light to launch our new website
• Construction of our home/ministry space
• Completing the pile of nonprofit legal work and official name change to Sal y Roca
• Setting up our donor and program management systems
As with many nonprofits, giving tends to ebb and flow. Recently we’ve seen a small dip in our monthly support. If what we’re doing resonates with you, would you consider becoming a monthly donor? The consistent support helps us plan programs, invest in local leaders, and keep opportunities free for the kids we serve.
Head over to our support page to see our new channels of giving!
We are so grateful to this incredible community for all your support. Please reach out if you have any questions or would like to come visit or volunteer on a program!
Abrazos,
Dustin & Jess
Jess@alephsurf.org
