MA Cornerstone- Niebla Padilla Family

Build Dates: June 24-26

Family Information:

Father- Alejandro

• Age: 28

• Profession: Welder

• Monthly Salary: $320 approx.

Mother- Leslie

• Age: 21

• Profession: Homemaker

• Monthly Salary: N/A

Children-

• Vanesa, 6 yrs, 1st Grade

Property Information:

Colonia- Villa del Sol
Time with property- almost 2 yrs

Family Story:

Alejandro and Leslie met here in Ensenada. Leslie worked at a hardware store where Alejandro was a customer. They dated for 6 months before moving in together. Vanesa is Alejandro’s daughter with another woman. Vanesa’s mom married another man, and was too preoccupied with her marriage to care for Vanesa. Vanesa got sick with rickettsia so Alejandro took custody of her. Alejandro is a welder and is self-employed. He suffers from varicocele which is an enlargement of the veins in the scrotum. When the vein swells, he is unable to lift heavy things and does not feel well. For this reason, he cannot hold a steady job. When Alejandro is well and gets a good job, he can earn about 80-90 dollars a week. Leslie takes care of Alejandro and Vanesa. They got their land almost 2 years ago at the price of $4,200. They are still paying it off, but have built a small room where they have been living ever since. Due to the health situation of both Vanesa and Alejandro, this family needs a good, decent house.

MA Harvest- Lopez Santiago Family

Build Dates: June 24-26

Family Information:

Father- Tomas

• Age: 35

• Profession: Field Worker

• Monthly Salary: $265

Mother- Ofelia

• Age: 30

• Profession: Homemaker

• Monthly Salary: N/A

Children-

• Diana, 2 yr

Property Information:

Colonia- Tinajitas
Time with property-  1 yr +
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- Yes
Structure- Wood
 

Family Story:

Ofelia and Tomas are originally from Oaxaca. Tomas came with his family to Ensenada 18 years ago; Ofelia has been in Ensenada for 26 years. Ofelia stopped going to school when she was just 11 years old, and started working in the fields. Ofelia met Tomas at the age of 13 while working in the fields; 9 years later they started dating. They were married on November 26, 2011, after dating for 2 years. At the time, Ofelia had a piece of land, but they had no money to build a home, so they lived with the mom. In 2012 they had their first child together, bur the baby boy passed away after 2 days because his lungs were underdeveloped. This was a very difficult time for Ofelia to get through. One year later she was pregnant again, but miscarried. The same happened the following year, another miscarriage. Ofelia tried so hard to understand the reasoning for this and what God had planned. She didn’t understand what she had done wrong to be hospitalized once again fro losing yet another baby. Their marriage suffered a lot during those years and they both felt terribly. In 2016, Diana was born to them and she is a miracle from God. The family is doing well, they are happy and everyone cares for that little girl. They would still like to have two more children. For many years they both worked in the fields. Ofelia now stays home to care for Diana, Tomas works. Tomas earns a salary of approximately $66 a week during harvest, while other months he would earn as little as $11 a week. About a year ago they decided to start moving forward in building their own home on Ofelia’s land. They have a simple room, but hope that with God’s help they can build a better house to provide a better future for their family.

MA Centerburg Blue- MORALES ULLOA Family

Build Dates: June 13-15

Family Information:

Father- Adan

• Age: 38

• Profession: Seller

• Monthly Salary: Varies depending on the odd job; also buys ice cream bars in bulk and resells them when he doesn’t have a job

Mother- Pilar

• Age: 38

• Profession: Homemaker

• Monthly Salary: N/A

Children-

• Emanuel, 12 yrs, Jr High

• Miriam, 8 yrs, 3rd Grade; she has speech problems and was suspended from school, they are looking for a Christian school that can take her
  

Property Information:

Colonia- Zorrillo
Time with property- 4 months  
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- No
Structure- Wood
 

Family Story:

Adan is originally from the state of Oaxaca. His father died when he was very young, and his family decided to leave the state in search of work and a better life. They came to Ensenada, and stayed. Adan started working when he was just 9 years old. Adan was 24 when he met his wife Pilaer through her sister who was good friends with Adan. Adan and Pilar dated for 3 months before moving in together and starting their life; 2 years later they had their son. At the time, they were living in San Quintin, south of Ensenada. When their son Emanuel was 1, they decided to move back to Ensenada, to be closer to their family. When they got back to Ensenada, they lived with Adan’s mother for 2 months until a friend of Adan’s had lent them a house close to the fields while they looked for a place to live and a job. After 4 months, Adan’s grandpa said they could live on land that he had. They lived there for years before having problems with the legality of the land and being forced to leave. At this point, Adan was desperate for a place, and that is when his brother said he had land with an old house on it that he would sell them cheap. Adan and his family have been there for 4 months now in the old house but they would like to have something better for their children’s well-being.

MA Centerburg Red- Mejia Garcia

Build Dates: June 13th-15th

Family Information:

Father- Josue

• Age: 29

• Profession: Produce Packer

• Monthly Salary: $265 dlls. approx.

Mother- Adriana

• Age: 23

• Profession: Homemaker

• Monthly Salary: N/A

Children-

• Johan, 2 yrs

• Derek, 4 yrs, Kindergarten

• Edwin, 6 yrs, 1st Grade

Property Information:

Colonia- El Zorillo
Time with property- 6 months  
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- No
Structure- Wood, 1 Room
 

Family Story:

Josue and Adriana are a family of 5, with their 3 sons- Johan who is 2, Derek who is 4, and Edwin who is 6. They have gone through many tough circumstances during their few years together. After they were married, Josue and Adriana lived with Adriana’s mother. Their time there was problematic and they decided it was best for them to find their own place to live. For 6 years they rented a small one room house. They were able to by a piece of land and just 6 months ago, they started living on their land. The room they built was not done well and is not a good place for them to live. With all the rain this year, it leaked all inside the room. In addition to the leaks in their house, the rain also brought a lot of vegetation and with that came insects and even a snake. They are afraid for the holes in their house to allow for things to get in that should not. Josue is the only one who works and their monthly expenses are a lot for his salary to comfortably cover everything, and allow for them to build a proper home. They have hope that at some point they will have a home that is safe; a place where they won’t be afraid of something getting in, or a place where they will get wet when it rains. To top it all off, they found a tumor on Edwin’s face and he needs to get tests ran to see if he needs surgery or if it can be treated with medication. The kids dream is to have a home of their own.

MA ACF Church- Urquijo Cruz Family

Build Dates: June 13-15

Family Information:

Father- David

• Age: 42

• Profession: Sells Secondhand Items

• Monthly Salary: $330-415 dlls.

Mother- Griselda

• Age: 39

• Profession: Assistant Teacher

• Weekly Salary: $130-175 dlls.

Children-

• Arlen, 7 yrs, 2nd Grade

• Alejandro, 9 rs, 4th Grade

• Jesus Armando, 15 yrs, High School

Property Information:

Colonia- Lopez Portillo
Time with property- 4 yrs
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- No
Structure-
 

Family Story:

David and Griselda are originally from Sonora, but came to Ensenada with their three children in search of better opportunities. They rented for a year before getting land on credit, which they will soon have paid off. David built a small one room shack made of wood and scarp materials for them to live in as a family. They decided to live in these conditions because it meant that they could have a land and place of their own. David works selling secondhand items, and Griselda works when she can get hire. This is one of the reasons for why they do not have a proper, safe house to live in. They have invested all their money into their children, their school, and paying off their land. Their desire as parents is that their children would be able to grow in a stable home worthy of them. David and Griselda have been married for 17 years and fight every day to give their children the best they can offer. They’ve put their faith in God and hope that through the help of Homes of Hope, will be able to find the opportunity to succeed.

Ford Family- Beltran Hernandez Family

Build Dates: June 8 & 9

Family Information:

Father- Jesus

• Age: 27

• Profession: Agricultural Services Warehouse

• Monthly Salary: $240-305 dlls.

Mother- Griselda

• Age: 27

• Profession: Develops Medical Products

• Weekly Salary: $225-280 dlls.

Children-

• Tania, 4 yrs, Kindergarten

• 2nd Daughter born April 25

Property Information:

Colonia- El Veladero
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- No
Structure- Live in Taco Cart
 

Family Story:

Jesus and Griselda met here in Ensenada. When they first moved in together, they lived with Griselda’s uncle. Their oldest daughter Tania was born during that time. Tania is now 4 years old and when both Jesus and Griselda work, she stays at the government daycare provided by Griselda’s job. Jesus works at the Agricultural Services Warehouse and is in charge of the cleaning and unloading of products. Griselda works producing medical products and is the auxiliary of quality control. Griselda works Monday-Friday, 7 am to 5 pm. Their land was transferred to them as a gift by her father. They were living in a taco cart, but Griselda became pregnant with their second daughter. She had a high risk pregnancy and their doctor told them that they couldn’t live in those conditions any longer. The dirt, dust, and lack of utilities could put Griselda and her unborn baby at risk. They left their land and rented a small apartment where they planned to stay until after their baby was born and out of danger.

Self Storage Blue- Martinez Leon Family

Build Dates: June 3 & 4

Family Information:

Father- Marco Antonio

• Age: 27

• Profession: Construction

• Weekly Salary: $288 dlls. approx.

Mother- Nancy

• Age: 26

• Profession: Homemaker

• Weekly Salary: N/A

Children-

• Dylan, 5 yrs, Kindergarten

• Marco Antonio, 8 yrs, 3rd Grade

• Cristian, 12 yrs, 6th Grade

Property Information:

Colonia- Todo Santos
Time with property- 1 yr 4 months
Electricity- No
Running Water- No
Structure- Trailer
 

Family Story:

Nancy and Marco are a young family from Ensenada. Nancy got pregnant when she was just 14 years old, Marco was 15. Marco wanted them to move in together and lot leave Nancy alone with the baby, but because they were so young, they went to live with Marco’s sister for 5 months and then they moved in with Marco’s mother. It has been very difficult for them. Marco was very young when he needed to start working, and at such a young age, he wasn’t ever able to earn much money. For that reason, they have moved around a lot over the years; never being able to establish themselves in one place and build something. Marco works in construction and odd jobs, earning around $72 dollars a week. Nancy stays home to care for their children and home. They are currently living in a trailer that they bought when they got their land. They continue to make the monthly land payments on their property.

Self Storage Red- Garcia Torres Family

Build Dates: June 3 & 4

Family Information:

Father- Fortino

• Age: 37

• Profession: Construction

• Monthly Salary: $385 dlls. approx.

Mother- Miriam

• Age:34

• Profession: Corner Store Clerk

• Monthly Salary: $135 dlls. approx.

Children-

• Angel, 2 yrs

• Dayana, 6 yrs, 1st Grade

• Danna, 6 yrs, 1st Grade

• Brayan, 11 yrs, 5th Grade

• Jaretzi, 13 yrs, 6th Grade

• Vanessa, 14 yrs, Jr High

Property Information:

Colonia- Jenaro Vazquez
Time with property- 9 months
Electricity- No
Running Water- No
Structure- Wood
 

Family Story:

Miriam and Fortine are originally from Sinaloa; they have been married for 16 years and have 6 children together. They came to Ensenada 12 years ago looking for better work, a better way of life and security as Sinaloa is a dangerous state to be in. They feared that if they stayed in Sinaloa, that their children would get involved in the delinquency; they saw a lot of young people get caught up in the drug trafficking. Once they arrived in Ensenada, they rented a place for about 9 months. It was during that time that they heard about Homes of Hope and decided to find a piece of land for themselves. Fortino works in construction and Miriam as a store clerk for a little corner shop. 5 of their 6 children go to school; only the youngest does not, he goes with Miriam to her work. They live in a small room that they built on their land. They have hope that one day they will have a proper home of their own.

Starting Point Church- Alvarez Contreras Family

Build Dates: June 3 & 4

Family Information:

Father- Jesus Isidro

• Age: 39

• Profession: Field Worker

• Monthly Salary: $295 approx.

Mother- Eulalia

• Age: 25

• Profession: Homemaker

• Weekly Salary: N/A

Children-

• Lucas, 6 yrs, 1st Grade

• Levi Daniel, 4 yrs, Kindergarten

• Pregnant with 3rd Child

Property Information:

Colonia- Bella Vista
Time with property- 1 1/2 yrs
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- Yes
Structure- Wood
 

Family Story:

Eulalia is from Oaxaca and Jesús is from Sinaloa. They have been married for four years. Eulalia came from Oaxaca as a single mother with only her youngest child, she left her eldest with her parents until she was settled in Ensenada. She has had a difficult time as a mother. The father of her first child went to the US to work and he would send her money, but soon after, she lost all contact with him. The father of her second son did the same. She came to Ensenada looking for a better job and for more opportunities. She met Jesús here and he was willing to take on the role of father and provider for her two kids. They were married in 2015. Jesús has been working hard to support his new family. They are expecting their third child in May or early June. They live in a small property that they are currently paying off. The total cost of the property was around $6,000 dlls. They have already paid half. They make monthly payments of around $100 dlls. Their house is an odd mixture of good and bad materials. They used wood scraps and tarps for the walls, but then added a layer of concrete on top of it. The roof is made with wood scraps, but has shingles on top, which a family member gave them. From the outside, the house looks better than it actually is, and inside, part of the roof is collapsing. Their house is already cramped with the 4 of them, and will be even more so after the baby’s arrival.

Team Roper- Duran Morales Family

Build Dates: May 10 & 11

Family Information:

Mother- Micaela

• Age: 42

• Profession: Produce Packer

• Weekly Salary: $65 approx.

Children-

• Brian Manuel, 4 yrs

• Clemente, 15 yrs, Jr High

Property Information:

Colonia- Paraiso
Time with property- 2+ Years  
Electricity- No
Running Water- No
Structure- Scrap Materials & Dirt Floor
 

Family Story:

Micaela is a single mother from Mexicali. She came to Ensenada with her first husband, the father of her two elder children. They came to Ensenada looking for work, but after some time, the husband got mixed into a life of drugs and alcohol. He was physically abusive towards Micaela, and one day she decided it was best for her to leave him and go back to Mexicali with her family. Things weren’t going well though for them, so she moved back to Ensenada. She was living with her mother-in-law at first, but things were not any better between her and her husband, he continued to hurt her and look for her at his mother’s. Micaela started asking friends for help and if anyone would let them move in. Micaela was afraid to live anywhere on her own for fear of what her ex-husband would do to her. Eventually, the man left them alone and Micaela met another men who is the father of her 4 year old son. That was not a good relationship either and Micaela did not want him to be setting the example for her children of what a man should be, he was never responsible for the care of Micaela and her children and was an alcoholic. Today, Micaela lives alone with her children. She lives in a shack that she built for herself when she decided to stop renting and get land on credit where she could build a home for her children. Micaela’s desire is to be able to provide a better future for her children.