We left Phoenix on Tuesday morning and
arrived in Nogales, Mexico, right around noon. Crossing the border was as
simple as could be; no checks, no nothing, we just drove right on over. Upon
arrival in Mexico Mónica hired a cab driver who we could follow to the Casa
de la Misericordia. The compound of buildings stands proudly atop a hill in
the Colonia Bella Vista neighborhood. And although the name sounds so
promising it is a very poor neighborhood. The houses are small and run-down,
some patched together with boards, the streets aren’t paved, stray dogs are
everywhere and it is near impossible to comprehend that we just drove three
hours from our comfortable homes and find ourselves in an environment so
different from our neighborhoods.
As we parked the car we were greeted
by Jeanette, the woman Mónica spoke to on the phone. We had arrived in the
middle of a small Christmas celebration for the volunteers working in the
kitchen. After saying hello to everyone present and being offered some food,
which, by the way, was delicious, we were taken on a tour of the Casa de la
Misericordia. There’s the dining hall with the adjacent kitchen, a storage
shed, restrooms with showers, the daycare center, the administrative
building, a playground and a classroom for adult-education classes.
After unloading the donations we were
able to talk to the Casa’s director, Francisco Trujillo, and learn more
about the facility. It was founded in the 1980’s with the goal of providing
a nutritious meal a day to the children of the neighborhood and has evolved
into a community center. Today the Casa feeds between 300 and 400 children
each day, has about 30 children in daycare while their mothers are out
working and offers adult education classes. They have success stories to
tell, like that of three women who learned to cut hair in a class offered by
the Casa and then successfully set up their own business. And they have big
plans for the future, like establishing a shelter for victims of domestic
violence.
Ladies, I want you to know that your
donations were gratefully accepted and will help. The food will be used to
feed the children, the clothes will be given to families in need and also
sold at their own little store at a minimal price with all proceeds going
toward the lunch program and the toys will be given as rewards to children
who do well in school. The bigger items, like a highchair, playpen and two
bouncy seats, which we were unable to take this time due to space
limitations, will be used in the daycare center.
We are planning a trip back to Nogales
in mid-January. If anyone has more donations we would be happy to take them
with us. Items that are needed also include school supplies and anything
used for haircutting (like blow dryers, scissors, etc.). Some parents in the
Colonia Bella Vista don’t send their children to school because they can’t
afford a notebook and a pen.
