Seattle Bridge Church- Bernal Ramos Family

Build Dates: October 29th-30th

Family Information:

Father- Noe

• Age: 33
• Profession: Driver
• Weekly Salary: $75

Mother- Mirelli

• Age: 26
• Profession: Homemaker
• Weekly Salary: N/A

Children-

• Noemi, 14 yrs, 9th Grade
• Mirely, 9 yrs, 4th Grade
• Leslie, 7 yrs, 2nd Grade
• Nesly, 4 yrs, Kindergarten

Property Information:

Colonia- Ruiz Cortinez
Time with property- 9 months
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- No

Family Story:

Noe was a single father with a 5 year old daughter, Noemi, and they lived in Mexicali. Mirelli, also from Mexicali, met Noe when she was 16 years old, and they started dating. Mirelli's family didn't accept the relationship and they kicked her out, so she moved in with Noe and his mother. They lived there for a year and a half, but they had many problems there between the two families. Noe's mother took care of Noemi while Noe and Mirelli made the move to Ensenada. Obviously, they went back to Mexicali for their daughter, but they have been in Ensenada ever since, living with Noe's mother. There have been many disagreements and fights amongst them due to the fact that they are living with the mother-in-law. As a family, they want to be able to live in peace and separate themselves some from the issues that they have had to deal with over the years. After a long struggle, they were able to find a piece of land which theybought on credit. They are currently living on their land in a small trailer. Inside the trailer are 2 beds and their kitchen has to be setup outside as there is no room in the trailer for all of them and their 4 children. Noe is a driver of a pipe that delivers water to different neighborhoods, while Mirella is a stay at home mom. Their desire is to have a home for their children. The trailer is insufficient for all of them and it has been hard on Noe with his small salary to be able to provide something better since they moved out of his mother's home. 

Evergreen- Ochoa Chavez Family

Build Dates: October 22nd-24th

Family Information:

Father- Ramon

• Age: 43
• Profession:
• Weekly Salary:

Mother- Marisol

• Age: 40
• Profession: Works in a factory
• Weekly Salary: $44

Children-

• Cesar, 12 yrs, 7th Grade
• Abner, 4 yrs, Kindergarten

Property Information:

Colonia- Loma Linda
Time with property- 
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- Yes

Family Story:

Ramon and Marisol met 22 years ago in Sonora through their work. They started dating and moved in together and went back and forth between renting and living with family members. Ramon and Marisol had 5 children, 2 girls and 3 boys. The last place they lived was with Ramon's grandma, but she kicked them out and so Ramon decided to buy them their own land. The land which they now have was donated to them as a favor from the man who owned it, that way they could have their own place. Ramon built a small structure for their house from old scrap wood and plastic. Ramon used to work in construction, but he had to have knee surgery after being in an accident that shattered his knee. Since then he hasn't been able to return to that work. He works little jobs here and there in order to help his wife financially. Marisol works in a factory earning around $44 a week, and that is what they live off of. The 3 eldest children are married and living on their own, only the 2 younger boys are still at home. Ramon needs a house because the house he built is old and in very bad conditions; it leaks and has no insulation from the weather outside. They want a safe and healthy place for their family. 

Osborn- Cabrera Rasgado Family

Build Dates: October 15, 16, 17

Family Information:

Father- Levi

• Age: 50
• Profession: Electronics Repairman
• Weekly Salary: $37

Mother- Cristina

• Age: 40
• Profession:
• Weekly Salary: $55

 

Children-

• Levi Antonio, 21 yrs
• Cristian, 20 yrs
• Martha, 11 yrs
• Yesica, 8 yrs

Property Information:

Colonia- 2 de Septiembre
Time with property- 7 years
Electricity-
Running Water-

Family Story:

Cristina and Levi met in Oaxaca 25 years ago and they had 3 children together before moving to Ensenada. They came to Ensenada 12 years ago for work because the salaries in Oaxaca were very low. At first, they just went from house to house renting whatever they could afford.  Eight years ago, they moved in with Cristina's brother. He later sold them a piece of his land so they could build their own place to live. They do not owe anything on their land, but the current house is in very bad conditions. When it rains, it leaks in the house. This winter it is expected to rain a lot and they are not looking forward to all the problems this will bring. Their oldest daughter has health problems and they have to buy her medications. With the household expenses, health expenses, and their low income- it is very difficult for this family to be able to improve their living conditions. Levi was working at a factory, and Cristina worked selling desserts on the streets for 3 years. Cristina had to go back to Oaxaca to be with her mother who had become very ill from cancer, and Levi decided to leave the factory to care for his children while their mother was away. He works from home when he can repairing electronics. Cristina was gone for 8 months and since she has been back, she has started cleaning homes as a little side job to help bring in a little more money when needed.

Mt Soledad- Miranda Napoles Family

Build Dates: October 13th & 14th

Family Information:

Father-Israel

• Age: 38
• Profession: Factory Worker
• Weekly Salary: $65

Mother-Rocio

• Age: 33
• Profession: Homemaker
• Weekly Salary: N/A

Children-

• Juan, 14 yrs, 8th Grade (boy)
• Natividad, 76 yrs, Rocio's mother

Property Information:

Colonia- Revolucion
Time with property-
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- Yes

Family Story:

Israel and Rocio have been married for 14 years. For about Roadwire10 years they were renting in different places, paying up to $100 a month. They got to the point where they couldn’t do that anymore. Rocio’s mother donated a piece of land, which is where they currently live. They have a 14 year old son who is a student, and Rocio also cares for her mother full-time. Rocio’s mother has a small room on the property and that is also where Rocio cooks as she doesn’t have a stove of her own. Israel and Rocio have a small place that they made of old wood that was given to them and the floor is just dirt. They only have one bed which is a full size mattress where Israel, Rocio and their son all sleep together; except for the times Juan goes and stays with his grandma. Israel works in a factory where he has a salary of $65 a week. Rocio cares for her son and her mother, who is completely dependent on them. They are unable to build themselves a proper home on Israel’s income alone.

Roadwire- Viruel Talamantes Family

Build Dates: October 10th-11th

Family Information:

Father- Marvin

• Age: 27
• Profession: Mechanic/Nurse
• Weekly Salary: $87

Mother- Diana

• Age: 24
• Profession: Homemaker
• Weekly Salary: N/A

Children-

• Irvin, 6 yrs, 1st Grade (boy)
• Diana, 5 months (girl)

Property Information:

Colonia- Morelos II
Time with property- 6 years
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- No

Family Story:

Marvin and Diana are from here in Ensenada, they met through church and dated for 5 years before getting married. After getting married, they moved in with Marvin’s mother and after about a year, his mother gave them a small piece of land. They moved to their new land where Marvin had built a small structure from garage doors. They have been trying to make it better little by little, but it is in very bad conditions and leaks when it rains. They have two children. When Irvin was born, it was very difficult for Marvin to take care of everything. He was working at a recycling plant and his salary was only around $50 a week. He had a desire to study, so he did and became a nurse in order to try to provide a better life. But even with this, it has continued to be hard for them as there are many people studying to become nurses and it is a very competitive field. Marvin currently works 2 jobs- as a mechanic and a nurse, earning around $87 a week. They now have a 5 month old and their current home is very small and unsuitable for a family and young kids.

Bennett- Ojeda Fierro Family

Build Dates: October 10th-11th

Family Information:

Father- Osvaldo

• Age: 21
• Profession: Field Worker
• Weekly Salary: $56

Mother- Laura

• Age: 20

Children-

• Luis Enrique, 4 yrs, Kindergarten

Property Information:

Colonia- El Paraiso
Time with property- 1 year
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- No

Family Story:

Osvaldo and Laura are a young couple who have been together for 6 years. They dropped out of school and decided to start a family. Osvaldo left school because he suffered from epileptic attacks (and still to this day) and Laura later dropped out because it was hard to stay after the decision they had made to live together. After 2 years living together they had their son who is now 4 years old and in Kindergarten. When they had their son, they were living with Osvaldo's family, but moved out after there were some problems with Osvaldo's father. They moved out and went to live with Laura’s mother, but there were problems with her stepfather and they moved out and went to live in different places.  It was 8 months ago that they got land and went to move there and built a small structure with wood. Their floor is only dirt and with that comes a lot of insects and filth. It is difficult to get ahead or make a better life themselves and their children with Osvaldo’s sickness and lack of work opportunities for him. For now, Osvaldo has been working in the fields and the area in which he works is only for seasons; sometimes he has work and sometimes he doesn’t. But they have to make it worth with what they have.

Faulk's Family & Friends- Garay Hidalgo Family

Build Dates: October 9th-10th

Family Information:

Father- Jose

• Age: 39
• Profession: welder
• Weekly Salary: $80

Mother- Maria

• Age: 28
• Profession: Homemaker
• Weekly Salary: N/A

Children-

• Rosario, 3 yrs, Kindergarten
• Reynaldo, 8 yrs, 4th Grade

Property Information:

Colonia- El Veladero
Time with property- 7 months
Electricity- No
Running Water- No

Family Story:

Jose and Maria became a family 9 years ago. Jose is originally from Sinaloa and Maria from Guerrero. They have officially been married for 2 years because the first 7 years together they just lived in a free union. They were living in a very small house that they rented until they got themselves a piece of land last year. Once they had the land, they built a small structure there and left the rented house for their land. Their current place is where they eat, sleep and live; it has only a dirt floor and the roof is pieced together. Maria's sister, Flor (who suffers from epilepsy), also lives with them and is cared for by Maria. Jose works as a welder for a company and earns minimum wage, about $80 a week. His salary is barely enough sometimes to cover all the household expenses and make their land payments. Maria is unable to work as she needs to care for their children and her sister who cannot take care of herself. They are in a very difficult situation and have no support from others. The "house"where they live right now has insects and they are sick often because of the dirt and not having a proper house. The desire of the family is to provide a safe home for their children, and a better life for all.

Life Community Grand Junction- Barragan Sanchez Family

Build Dates: October 6-7, 2015

Family Information:

Father- Liberato

• Age: 33
• Profession: Factory Worker
• Weekly Salary: $42

Mother- Lorena

• Age: 28
• Profession: Factory Worker
• Weekly Salary: $42

Children-

• Joseline, 8 yrs, 3rd Grade (girl)

Property Information:

Colonia- Pablo Ortez
Time with property- 6 months
Electricity-
Running Water-

Family Story:

Lorena and Liberato are originally from Veracruz, but have been living in Ensenada for 5 years. They have been married for 8 years. They came to Ensenada on vacations, but enjoyed it so much that they decided to move here and make a life here. They work in a factory making about $84 a week, together. Their work hours are from 6 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday. Lorena and Liberato bought a piece of property on credit, making monthly payments. Lorena has a 6 year old daughter who goes to the elementary school close to their house.  Because they work all day, they have to pay a woman $15 a week to help care for their daughter. They were renting a small house in very bad conditions for $50 a month, but just recently moved to their land to be able to use that money and invest in their property. It has been very difficult for them to build and they need a lot of help. They have faith that one day they will have their home.

True-U LIT Blue Team: Huerta Reyes Family

Build Dates: September 26-27, 2015

Family Information:

Father- Celestino

• Age: 30
• Profession: Works in the fields
• Weekly Salary: $15

Mother- Gabriela

• Age: 22
• Profession: Homemaker

Children-

• Lizbeth, 10 months (girl)
• Alejandro, 5 yrs, Kindergarten (boy)
• Eduardo, 7 yrs, 2nd Grade (boy)

Property Information:

Colonia- Maneadero
Time with property- Donated to them
Electricity-
Running Water-

Family Story:

Celestino and Gabriela are originally from Oaxaca who came to Ensenada looking for a better way of life. They now have 3 children- Eduardo is 7, Alejandro is 5, and Lizbeth is 10 months old. As a family, they have never had their own house. They have been living with their parents and the house is very small for everyone. Gabriela's mother legally donated them half of their property so that they could build their own place. This has been very difficult though. Gabriela was pregnant and Celestino was the only one who could work. The salary of Celestino is very little and barely enough to cover their household expenses- basic necessities like food and water. For this reason, they have yet to be able to build a habitable home. Celestino had to travel to Oaxaca as an emergency came up with family and he needed to go sort some things out. He left his family here in Ensenada. Celestino is supposed to back the end of September, but until then, Gabriela has had to go try to sell things on the streets to provide for her family. When she goes out to sell, her sister cares for her children, and only Lizbeth stays with Gabriela. This family's dream is to be able to have a place where they can all live together peacefully, where the children are safe; a place to call home.

True-U LIT Red Team: Lascres Arevalo Family

Build Dates: September 26-27

Family Information:

Father- Dagoberto

• Age: 30
• Profession: Works in the Fields
• Weekly Salary: $55 (varies)

Mother- Victoria

• Age: 27
• Profession: Works in a factory making hangers
• Weekly Salary: $50

Children-

• Daguito, 10 yrs, 4th Grade (boy)
• Samantha, 2 yrs (girl)
•  

Property Information:

Colonia- El Paraiso
Time with property- 1 yr, 1 month
Electricity- no
Running Water- no

Family Story:

Dagoberto and Victoria have been together for 10 years. They had a piece of land with a house, but Dagoberto became very ill and needed an operation. At the time Victoria was pregnant and was unable to get a job because nobody wanted to hire a pregnant woman. They had to sell the house and property because Dagoberto was unable to walk/work for 9 months following the operation. They went to live with one of his brother's until they decided it was time to leave and they needed to find their own place. They found land and bought it on credit. Their children are cared for by a neighbor who they pay $15 a week for her help. Daguito has a problem with one of his eyes, and it was when he started to walk that they noticed it was worse than they thought. The doctors said that there is nothing they can do an dhe will probably lose complete sight in his left eye. Dagoberto works in the fields because he is unable to do heavy labor. Victoria works in a factory making hangers, from 7 am to 5 pm, and earns about $200 a month.  For them it is difficult to be able to build a proper home as Dagoberto is unable to on his own.

Crosby Church (Blue)- Silva Villasenor Family

Build Dates: September 17 & 18, 2015

Family Information:

Father- Juan

• Age: 36
• Profession: Electrician
• Weekly Salary: $75

Mother- Xochilt

• Age: 36
• Profession: Homemaker
• Weekly Salary: N/A

 

 

Children-

• Angela, 14 years, 2nd Grade
• Genesis, 7 years, 1st Grade

Property Information:

Colonia- Simon Bolivar
Time with property- 10 months
Electricity- NO
Running Water- NO

Family Story:

Juan and Xochitl have been together for 15 years. They have never had their own place and spent all their years together renting and moving from house to house. They were given the opportunity to get a piece of land on credit and decided to purchase it by making monthly payments. At first they were renting a house and trying to make their monthly payments, but they weren't able to continue doing this, so they had to move to their land. They built a very small structure with wood; the door is made from pallet wood and one wall of the structure is their neighbor's fence. The family has 2 daughters who study music. They were given a discount on classes and Xochitl only has to pay about $6.25 a month Angela plays violin and Genesis is in a choir. Last winter, Genesis was diagnosed with asthma and is now being treated. Juan works for a company as their electrician and makes about $75 a week. Xochitl is a stay at home mother. They do not have the resources to build themselves a better place to live and what they do have for their home, they have because it was given to them.  

Crosby Church (Red)- Armenta Escobedo Family

Build Dates: September 17-18, 2015

Family Information:

Father- Cristian

• Age: 36
• Profession: Construction
• Weekly Salary: $60

Mother- Osiris

• Age: 30
• Profession: Homemaker
• Weekly Salary: N/A

Children-

• Cristian

Property Information:

Colonia- Simon Bolivar
Time with property- 1 year
Electricity- No
Running Water- No

Family Story:

Cristian and Osiris have been married for 8 years. During the first 7 years they were renting different houses. They were given the opportunity to buy a piece of land on credit and moved to their land at once. Due to lack of work and a very low economic situation, they live in a very small house that is made of garage doors and a tarp roof. Cristian and Osiris had separated for a year after Osiris found out that Cristian had impregnated another woman, the other woman was her best friend. The other woman gave birth to the child, but didn't want to be responsible for him and gave him to Cristian to care for. Osiris decided to forgive Cristian and to help him to care for the child. They now live together as a family in their small house and have faith that they will have a home that will be better and safer for the young boy.

Baird & Warner (Green) - Aviña Mondragon

Build Dates: 16-17 September, 2015

Family Information:

Father- Juan

• Age 24
• Profession: construction assistant
• Weekly Salary: 1250 pesos

Mother- Juana

• Age 2
• Profession: stay at home mom
• Weekly Salary:
•  

Children-

• Alexandra, 8 years old
• Carlos, 5 years old
• Maira, 3 years

 

Property Information:

Colonia- San Rafael
Time with property- 9 months
Electricity- no
Running Water- no

Family Story:

Juan and Juana are from Michoacan and they decided to come and live in the north, looking for a better life and to prosper. They were excited to come live up north as they dreamed of having a home for their family. They have been living in Ensenada for 4 years and all this time they have rented homes, in two different neighbourhoods. Not long ago, they decided to buy a piece of land on credit. Instead of paying rent each month, they used that money to make payments every month and invest in something that would be theirs. They found land that cost $95 a month and there they built a room to live in. Juan works in construction making around $77 a week. Juana is a stay at home mom and cares for their children. When Juana taken them to school they have to walk very far. This family has had faith in God that soon they would be able to give a better home to their children, but they have been unable to with their own resources and so they have asked for help.