TIJUANA, Baja California — The group of 22 teenagers and adults went to Tijuana to build two homes for families who own land but don’t have the means to build a home.
Most in this group have never built a house before, but none of that matters, they just have to be willing to make a difference.
“ I just love serving, this is about having purpose,” said volunteer Xavier Peralez.
“It's a really cool opportunity because we get to spread the love of Jesus, “ another volunteer, Ashland Aiken, said.
The volunteers are building two homes. One is for the Alvarez Chavez family.
Joel Chávez says it’s expensive to buy materials and to pay for labor to build a home. According to the Mexican government website, about 28% of the Tijuana population live in poverty and almost 2% live in extreme poverty.
High school senior Jenna Denton, also a volunteer, has heard the stories of Tijuana families having very little from her grandmother.
“I’ve heard that they live in poor conditions and to see it breaks my heart. I want to do what I can to help,” Denton added. “The house is four walls, one window and one door. It may not seem like much, but for these families it means stability, a game changer."
Estrella Álvarez says the home is protection from the rain, the bad weather and provides a place for her two boys, one with special needs to grow up in.
“It’s not about the building or the structure of what we’re doing, it’s about the families building community with each other,” said volunteer Kindra French.
With a little guidance, everyone had a role in the building process and after owning the land for six years the Alvarez Chavez family finally have a structure to call home.
Spectrum Ministries takes applications from Tijuana families who own or lease land, then buys all of the materials and calls on volunteers from churches like Daybreak to provide the labor. Daybreak Church organizes the build twice a year.