Sweets and Treats Ajijic

Ruthie Baker retired to Ajijic with her husband a few years ago… but she didn’t want to retire.

So she started Sweets & Treats Ajijic, a dessert and gift store where the profits go to Hope House, a 501(c)3 non-profit children’s shelter in Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos which provides 24-hour residential care for boys ages 2-18 who have been abandoned, abused or neglected.

Hope House has vocational programs like aquaponics and woodshop, and emphasizes reading, numeracy, oral communication and other life skills, which gives the boys the tools they need to become self-sufficient.

Ruthie makes all the chocolates, cupcakes, cakes, brownies, truffles and candies at Sweets & Treats Ajijic, and all the profits from the edible treats in the store go to Hope House.

The rest of the store has items made by the local community: paintings, sewn bags and aprons, gift cards and gift boxes, teacups, magnets and other things, all of which are handmade. A certain percentage of the profit from these non-edible items in the store go to Hope House. The rest of the profits go to the creators of the products.

Sweets & Treats Ajijic does custom cake and cupcake orders as well as event catering.