Currently we’re looking to put together a team of men from Living Hope to travel down to Juarez, Mexico around August of 2008 to build a small single home for a family in need. For this project to be made possible we must raise $4000.00 for building costs, as well as needing guys to give of their time and expertise for a week to build it. Below is some additional information about the need in Juarez, as well as a link to the Casas Por Cristo site, to find out more about the organization we will be working with.
The Rio Grande is the only thing that separates Juarez, Mexico from El Paso, Texas. Although you can view the colonias of Mexico from Interstate 10 in El Paso, the two are literally worlds apart. The United States provides government assistance, quality schools, adequate health care, and the chance at the “American Dream.”
It’s certainly a different story across the border. The opportunities for families and individuals are limited by government and lack of opportunity.
Minimum wage hovers around $5.00 a day. With such limited income, it is almost an impossibility to secure adequate housing. Families are forced to construct makeshift homes made of cardboard, pallets, and other accessible materials. With the extreme temperatures of a desert climate, highs exceeding 100° in the summers, and nighttime lows in the 20’s and 30’s in the winter months, these shelters place the families at risk of heat and cold related health problems.
The need for insulated and secure housing is great, and the likelihood of families ever earning enough money to purchase or build a home is slight. With little to no government or social service assistance, families must look to outside assistance. Casas por Cristo was founded to not only take care of this physical need, but to address spiritual needs as well.
Find out more about “Casas por Cristos” at casasporcristo.org
