Located in The Shoppes of Palmilla, The House of Barrie is a furniture and interior design store that offers a wide range of products for your home. Barrie Livingstone, the owner noticed the posts by the Monarch Effect Foundation mentioning the need for specific books for their College Prep program and realized that several of them were published by the same company from which their orders books that they offered at the store. Monarch Effect Foundation is a Mexican and American charitable organization that helps to send highly qualified students from Los Cabos to universities around the world to fulfill their dreams.

After discussions with Lisa Heid, one of the founders of MEF, they decided to hold a book event at the House of Barrie. As they said in the promotional ads, this was not a book reading but the opportunity for individuals who wanted to support Los Cabos’ students to join in by buying the books needed for their college prep program. Unlike college preparation in the United States and Canada, this year long program is actually life preparation for leaving Los Cabos and traveling to a foreign country to attend university. Students learn everything from budgeting to shopping to study habits and planning.

The House of Barrie purchased all of the books and attendees at the event bought the books that they would like to donated to the Monarch Effect Foundation. Arriving at The House of Barrie at The Shoppes at Palmilla, there were two-long tables set up out front with a Monarch Effect Foundation banner displaying some of the books of interest for the students in their college prep program.

Walking through the two rooms of The House of Barrie, a visitor would see the wide range of furniture, accessories, artwork and glassware offered in the store. It is also clear that books are an important part of their business as books are displayed on dining tables, coffee tables, in shelves and on side tables and chairs throughout the retail establishment.

For this event, one table just past the checkout desk was stacked with copies of the books of interest to the Monarch Effect Foundation – Getting to Yes, Atomic Habits, Deep Work, Grit – the Power of Passion and Perseverance, Think Again. The event was such a success that Barrie Livingstone has agreed to maintain a permanent display of these books supporting the Monarch Effect Foundation throughout the rest of 2026. So, if you missed the event, you still have the opportunity to support the students of Los Cabos in preparing for their life at university in different places around the world