Welcome back to our Casas de Luz newsletter, we are happy to be back in our building season and are excited to meet new builders and see all of you returning builders! Check out what we've done this summer and some exciting events that are coming up!
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Take a look at our summer!
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Our beloved tamale cook, Elba, got a new kitchen this summer for her tamale and tortilla business in Cumbres. She used to use her own kitchen to make tamales, and now she has a brand new kitchen just for her business! Additionally, UUFSD and CDL is supporting her business and the organization supporting asylum seekers in Mexico, El Otro Lado Legal Aid Clinic, by buying 100 tamales, rice and beans a week for the next 12 weeks. There are thousands of asylum seekers in Tijuana either waiting for their court date or waiting for the possibility to apply for asylum. Elba puts so much love in her cooking and the asylum seekers feel it!
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Yes, we are already getting ready for Christmas! Pillow Pets donated over 300 pillow pets which will be adored by kids all around Tijuana. Thanks to them, we have a jumpstart on our Christmas toy drive and have even been able to begin giving them out. Whether it's a dinosaur, elephant, or monkey, our kids at our community centers absolutely love Pillow Pets. Thank you for bringing joy to Mexico!
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Kensington UCC Church
Welcome home to the Sienzlepe family! Check out this video of the Kensington UCC Church's build. They build annually with us and we always love their hard work and smiles.
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Feldman Family & Friends
For her birthday one of our high school leaders, Natalie Feldman, decided to build a home for the Santos Mejía family who absolutely adores their new home! Happy birthday Natalie!
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This summer I worked as a project supervisor for
Amigos de las Américas
in the indigenous communities in Chimborazo, Ecuador. Although the cultures of Ecuador and Mexico are very different, it was amazing how similar it was to connect with those around me and how powerful those relationships proved to be in having a successful summer not only for myself but my volunteers as well. I am excited to continue building relationships throughout Tijuana, San Diego and beyond to continue expanding Casas de Luz.
Un abrazo,
Kirsten Chaplin
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We built a house for Carlos and is family in February of 2008. He was also a part of the breakfast club at our community center in Cumbres and loved helping on builds. This past July he graduated from high school, an amazing accomplishment! This is a dream come true for Carlos, something he didn't think he would achieve if you asked him a few years ago. He hopes to continue studying in university and we wish him the best. Muchas felicidades Carlos!
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September 7, 8
Meet Lucia, Margarita, Martin, Kevin, and Amairani. Margarita's husband left for the US a few years ago and they haven't heard from him since. Margarita works to earn enough for their basic needs, but not enough to cover the needs of her brother, Martin who has autism. They are so excited to participate in the build and receive a home!
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September 21, 22
Meet Evelín, Alexandra, Edwin, and Ariadna, living in Salvatierra. Evelín works as a hair stylist during the week while her kids attend school. Evelín is a single mother and struggles to support her family of 4 with earning a salary of 500 to 900 pesos a week. She and her family are so grateful to receive a home!
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Get ready to build with our CDL apparel, available to purchase on any home build and even online! Check out our online store and don't forget cash on the build to get your very own CDL shirt and hat!
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Every year we provide both of our community centers with brand new backpacks for our students. This year we provided both community centers, Faro de Luz, and our Cumbres community center with 78 backpacks. The kids are so excited to show off their new backpacks on the first day of school. By exciting them with backpacks and school supplies, we hope to reinforce the importance of school and the excitement of going to school everyday!
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2019-2020 Leadership Team
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As a new school year starts, so does our high school leadership team! We are still in the process of finalizing our team and are excited to welcome our new leaders and see some familiar faces! Our high school leadership team offers high school students the opportunity to participate at a higher level in our organization, doing some behind the scenes work as well as organizing many of our events throughout the year.
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Faro de Luz Community Service
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Once a month, members of the Faro de Luz community center go to the "El Refugio" senior center. The community loves being able to give back to their community and learning how to do so. At El Refugio, members play games, cut hair, paint nails, and help with other basic care activities. They have opened a small shop after every Sunday service for all the proceeds to go towards buying supplies for the senior center. Faro de Luz is committed to providing members with new experiences, and they love this one! Pictured to the right is Ruth Hermosillo, who received a home last summer and loves participating in all service projects.
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Yesenia has been living in this house for 22 years. A few years ago she left to attend high school in Nayarit, Mexico and when she returned to Tijuana, she fell pregnant with baby Iván. While she sells embroidered napkins and José works as a builder's assistant, they struggle to maintain their little family while they try to repair their rotting house. Help Yesenia and families like her through our Despensas de Luz program by providing them with monthly groceries so they can worry less about where they will get food to feed their family and more about achieving their dreams!
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Do you have extra school supplies you don't need this year? Our students at both community centers would love those school supplies you don't need and will put them to great use! School supplies are a great donation to support a child's education and ensure they have what they need for school. Often times families are not able to provide their children with everything required for school, making it hard for students to fully participate in class. Feel free to drop any school supplies off at our donation sheds!
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Sheds are at the end of the parking lot of the church if coming from the North. If you are coming from the South, take Via de la Valle and drive towards the ocean. On Del Mar Downs Road, turn right and continue until the end of the road where you will turn left. Drive left up the hill and the sheds will be on your left! There is a rope protecting our sheds from being a dump zone, so feel free to drop off your
usable
donations right there!
Please contact us so we know to expect it!
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Casas de Luz with UUFSD
• www.casasdeluz.org
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