Many of us have been feeling the urge to return to Mexico to build Project Mercy Baja homes for the impoverished neighborhoods of east Tijuana. But the border is still officially closed to all except for essential travel and groups are not yet comfortable with working in Mexico again. So for the past few months we have been researching new opportunities to continue to build for Mexican families from this side of the border. HomeFed Corporation generously allowed us to use an empty 3 acre site in Chula Vista for this effort.
This past Saturday October 24, five enthusiastic groups built five sets of housing components which we shipped by flatbed truck down to Mexico. We delegated each participating group to a certain family and are so very happy to build all five houses in the same upcoming new neighborhood of Las Alondras. The various groups built not only homes, but they helped to create a new community.
Incarnation Lutheran Church of Poway built a house for single Dad Ruben Gutierrez and his two children.
All Hallows Catholic Church of La Jolla, built their house for the Medina Mena family, grandparents who have take on raising two young grandchildren.
Fallbrook Rotary with Old Mission Rotary, built a home for the Aguilar Renteria family of five.
Wild at Heart men’s group from La Jolla built for the Lopez Lopez family including 2 year old Jesus Javier.
HomeFed built a home for Grandma Teresa Martinez Becerra and granddaughter Guadalupe whom she adopted after her mom died.
HomeFed allowed us to use the site, our extremely talented and big hearted construction manager John Zawis laid out all the plans, arranged the pre-cutting and brought along his bunch of “amigos” to help guide where needed. Thanks also go to long time leaders Mike Meziere and his friends from Escondido Sunrise Rotary, and Chris Malek and Fritz Hellstern, for pitching in. It was a great event and a great success. We will feature each family as our Mexican crew puts up the houses in the weeks to come. Thanks to all involved.
Everyone wore masks, the groups were well separated and adhered to all of our protocols. It was an amazing and extremely gratifying day.
Thanks is not enough but we do humbly thank everyone for helping Project Mercy Baja continue with our mission even in these hard times. Gracias amigos.
