Casas de Luz Newsletter December 2020
Happy December and happy holidays!! A year ago we had no idea what 2020 had in store for us. Little did we know our lives would be completely turned upside down. It's been a challenging year in different ways for every one of us. As an organization, this is our first year only building 3 homes since our beginnings. We've had to find new ways to fill our time on the weekends - a feat harder than most of us could have expected. As a community we have all had to become creative to keep ourselves engaged with life. Perhaps you learned a new skill this year, or maybe you finally had time to have a day where you truly do nothing? Although at some points it felt like this year would never end, we are here. We have all grown and learned this year and we hope we can bring our determination and growth into the coming year. We thank you for being part of our community and continuing to support families on both sides of the border. We continue to be truly amazed at the strength and beautiful nature of our Casas de Luz community. Thank YOU for making it so special, we wish you and your loved ones a very happy holiday season. This is a short newsletter to wrap up the year, look out for more news in January.
See you next year!
A Holiday Special
A little behind the scenes peek into what life has been like at the community centers and how you can help make some Christmas wishes come true.
Holiday Donation Drive
Fill a Stocking
We need your help to fill stockings at our community centers! We are looking for donations of new or gently used toys for ages 0-14. It's a hard time to be a child (and an adult), and we hope to bring more smiles and joy to every child at our community centers this holiday season. For a lot of kids this will be the only gift they receive this holiday season. Help us bring the holiday joy to Tijuana at our Faro de Luz and Cumbres community centers! Donations will be happily accepted until January 5 at our donation sheds at St. James Catholic Church.
Don't live in San Diego and still want to bring joy to Tijuana? Message us and we will happily share with you a shipping address!
Fill a Purse
Every year we gather purses and fill them with goodies like toiletries, jewelry, makeup, perfume, scarves etc. Join us in celebrating the women at both of our community centers and all of the hard work they put in towards their families and communities by donating a purse or any filler item that will be sure to make the recipient very happy.
Holiday Groceries
Feed a Family for the Holidays
The holidays are a time of joy and love around the world. For a lot of families, it is also a time of stress as parents worry how they will put food on their tables. Families in Venezuela and Ecuador are especially struggling this year as unemployment and hunger skyrocket due to the pandemic. We are so happy to provide resources to our communities in Tijuana, but our mission to decrease hunger this holiday season doesn't stop there! Help us reach more families and fill more bellies. No one deserves to feel hungry, especially not during the holidays.
Venmo @casasdeluz and mention holiday groceries.
Heaven on Earth NOW
We are beyond grateful for Heaven on Earth NOW and their support in feeding families for the holidays. With their support 50 more families don't have to worry where they will get their Christmas dinner from. Thank you Heaven on Earth NOW for helping us fight food insecurity in Tijuana!
Mis Quince Años
Crissia's Quince
On November 29 Faro de Luz celebrated Crissia's 15th birthday! This was a special celebration as Crissia has been actively involved with Faro de Luz since its humble beginnings of setting up a table to hand out hot chocolate and pastries. As Faro de Luz grew, she took on more responsibilities including helping teach the children's Sunday class. Crissia is also secretly in training to become a master carpenter as she dreams of going to college to study civil engineering to build homes and help communities like hers. Felicidades Crissia!
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 your usable donations right there! Please contact us so we know to expect it!
Casas de Luz | www.casasdeluz.org | A UUFSD social action program.