Casas de Luz Newsletter October 2020
Happy October! This year is flying by and it'll be 2021 before we know it. Therefore we want to formally introduce you to our new transitional sleeping cottages program, which we hope will take off in the coming year. Learn about our vision and how you can get involved now. Additionally you will see how we are providing food for our students at Faro de Luz which is essential to continuing their education. And finally you will meet Jonathan and Naidelyn who received a home earlier this month for a fresh beginning for the young family of four. As always, we thank you so much for your constant support and we wish you a happy October. We hope you find innovative ways to enjoy Halloween while staying safe!
The Cottage
Transitional Sleeping Cottage
Our sleeping cottages are designed to be transitional housing for individuals or two-member family units. These units will be temporary solutions to provide a transition between homelessness and permanent housing. Each cottage is 8x12ft with an additional front porch area. With 3 windows, the cottages have plenty of light and ventilation. Tenants will be kept warm with insulation in the walls and cottages will be fully wired to be hooked up to electricity. Just like our homes in Mexico, each cottage will be fully furnished before turning the keys over to the new tenants!
Our Vision
Build Hope & Community
Our goal is to build villages of 3 to 30 transitional sleeping cottages on properly zoned land, such as a church property. After construction of the cottages, a social services organization will assume the operations of the village to place individuals in need of transitional housing and provide case management, connecting them with services to help each individual achieve their own independence plan. Because the cottages do not have their own bathroom or kitchen facilities, we hope to build a central community center allowing residents to use such facilities and foster a larger sense of community.
Become a Sponsor
Build a Team
While we do not have land and permits ready to start building, we are putting the plans in place so that we are ready to build the minute we can. A cottage costs $5,000 and we invite sponsors to help build, just like our builds in Mexico. Building will be a little different than what we are used to in Mexico. By the time we build, we will have a strong Covid protocol in place to keep our builders safe. That means we will no longer be able to share tools! Contact us if you are interested in creating a team and becoming a sponsor for an individual in need of a sleeping cottage.
Host a Cottage
Are you part of a church or another organization that would like to host a cottage on their property? With the appropriate permits, churches can host one or more cottages on their land. All they need is a space of two parking spaces to host one cottage. We are working towards interfaith collaboration to provide solutions to homelessness and would love to work with you.
In Other News
Despensas de Luz
Our Despensas de Luz program continues to grow and it couldn't be happening at a better time. The Tijuana Home Build project of SDSU has taken on the challenge of fundraising to sponsor food for our students three times a week. Students receive a full meal (with fruit!) every time they come to study. To focus on their homework, the students need fuel for their brains. For many kids, it will be the only meal they eat all day. It's so important to continue supporting their learning, so thank you TJHB for sponsoring our students at Faro de Luz!
Jonathan's Build
On October 3, we built a home for Jonathan, Naidelyn and their daughters Kayla and Eileen. Jonathan is the son of Juan, the pastor and community leader of our Cumbres community center. Jonathan was just 7 years when we built his house in 2013, and it has been amazing watching Jonathan go from a mischievous young boy to a caring father and husband. The young couple decided to invest in their dream and buy land to build a house where Kayla and Eileen have room to play, and to have a home of their own. Luckily, we had the opportunity to make this dream come true by building a house in one day! A few volunteers from the US came down and many neighbors and other carpenters from Mexico did their part. It is so special to see our community come together during these times and support one another. Welcome home!
Donations
Donation Sheds at St. James Catholic Church
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 usable donations right there! Please contact us so we know to expect it!
Casas de Luz www.casasdeluz.org A UUFSD social action program.