Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico - Soon, much needed services will be available to local women who are living in abusive situations. A local group called "Vida Reavivida/Compassion for the Family" is building an emergency shelter for women who are victims of domestic and sexual violence.

David Zude, director of the Banderas Bay Women’s Shelter, has been working on the project since October 2008. "My original idea was to start a home for the elderly, but when I went to social services to discuss my plans, they practically begged me to start a women’s shelter instead as the need was tremendous," says Zude.

Compassion for the Family began building the Banderas Bay area’s only domestic violence shelter on July 7, 2011, but as the project's funding depends on private donations, fundraisers, grants, and volunteers, the shelter's construction is still underway. Nevertheless, the structure is slowly but surely approaching completion.

"On Monday, we were very blessed to have a group of people from Vida Vacations in Nuevo Vallarta joined us to help raise walls of the shelter. The group paid for 1000 cement blocks, 40 bags of mortar, and the salaries of 5 additional brick layers for the day. They also worked their tails off hauling almost 1,600 blocks to the second floor and helping the brick layers to lay almost 1,000 blocks! Thank you so much our friends at Vida Vacations," Zude wrote to Banderas News earlier this week.

When completed, the Banderas Bay Women’s Shelter will be roughly 5,000 square feet and will be able to accommodate 6-8 women and their children with a total capacity of thirty-two people.

If you would like to discuss volunteer opportunities, make a private donation, or ask for more information, contact David Zude at compassionforthefamily(at)yahoo.com.mx, or 044-322-103-2451, or visit the website at CompassionForTheFamily.org. Your tax deductible donations can be made directly from the website.

About The Banderas Bay Women's Shelter

The Banderas Bay Women's Shelter is working with Vida Reavivida/Compassion for the Family Inc. and Mexican Social Services to provide an immediate, temporary and safe living environment for women and children who are the victims of domestic violence; to prepare them to be financially independent through jobs, education, English second language education, non interest small business loans; and to assist them in living a life free of violence through professional counseling.

Vida Reavivida A.C. is a not for profit charitable organization that is registered with the state Jalisco. For more information about Vida Reavivida A.C. and the Banderas Bay Women's Shelter, please visit CompassionForTheFamily.org,find them on Facebook, or contact David Zude at compassionforthefamily(at)yahoo.com.mx.