Barbara Acosta Obituary

07/02/1955 - 10/24/2020

Barbara Acosta will be remembered throughout Durango for her kindness, spunk, sense of humor, and never-ending concern for others. "What can I do to help?" was the question always on Barb's mind. Barb and her husband, Fred, operated Sixth Street Hair Salon from 1982 until 2015 when they retired. During three decades in Durango Barb supported dozens of local philanthropic programs. "I grew up very poor," Barb said. "Good, generous people left brown paper bags on our front porch with things my family needed. I learned early about good people helping others. I wanted to be one of them. I have never forgotten what it was like to be in need."

After moving to Rosarito, Mexico in 2015 Barb dove wholeheartedly into serving her new community. She quickly became an essential part of Hearts of Baja, an organization that supports Los Angelitos Orphanage, providing secure living conditions, nurtured upbringing, and education for orphans and abandoned children who would otherwise live on the streets of Tijuana. In 2018 Barb became a founding member of Mujeres Para Mujeres (Women for Women), establishing a women's resource program in Rosarito to help unserved (often desperate) women in a variety of ways. Mujeres seeks to empower women to use their voices, acquire new skills, and support other women. Educational programs include English language, writing, sewing, and a Home Health Care program that teaches nursing skills. Mujeres has also partnered with VIA International, helping women break the poverty cycle by providing micro-finance loans to start home-based businesses (loans might pay for a machine for commercial sewing, a goat for making cheese to sell, or a cart to haul home-grown produce to the market. VIA provides micro-financing worldwide with a 100% payback of loans.

"Some people who grow up poor feel deprived," Barb said. "I've always felt grateful. How wonderful it is to get to help others, something I know pleases God. One of the greatest lessons I've learned in life is that the more I give, the more I get. I'm passing on the challenge to all my friends in Durango. Please open your hearts and support the orphans and women of Baja. They live close to Durango geographically, but they're a world away in terms of very basic human needs. They need and deserve our help."

Donate to Los Angelitos Orphanage at www.heartsofbaja.com. Donate to the Rosarito microfinance program at www.viainternational.org. You may alternatively donate to the microfinance program and also to the women's resource program at www.mujeresparamujeres.com. Enter 'Barb Acosta' in the comment space on each donation form.