As Sister Adelia showed us around her kitchen, we noticed that the space was pretty small - especially considering it serves hundreds of women three squares meals a day. "It's small," she said, "but we have big pots." The women who stay at Sister Adelia's shelter in Tijuana come from all over - Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador...even from as far afield as Cameroon! They're all fleeing heartbreaking situations at home. All looking for a second chance. The shelter in Tijuana is a sort of midway point between their old life and new, a place to wait until their cases are processed. Before their futures are decided. They might stay a week, a month, even six months, some with their children and some without. During that time, Sister Adelia does all she can for them. But, said Sister Adelia, something is missing. When we asked what was needed most, Sister Adelia thought for a moment. "There's something I can't quite place," she said. "But...they're missing a light. It's gone … [Read more...] about Do What Brings You Joy

Sister Armida believes in abundance. Of people, of kindness. Of generosity. "People's generosity is what keeps us going," she says. "I don't know how, but we always manage to get by." Armida runs Casa de los Pobres, a center in the heart of Tijuana where people - mainly migrants - get access to a hot meal, a listening ear, and, if they need it, medical attention. Their clinic serves dozens of people each day, treating everything from the common cold to maternal care to disease prevention and treatment. But they don't have any regular income coming in - their number one concern is how to keep their pharmacy stocked. "Our patients have nowhere else to go but here," said Sister Antonia, who helps run the clinic. "We do our best to serve them everyday. But getting medications for everyone is a challenge." These Sisters want nothing more than to open their arms to everyone in need of care. With more medications in stock, said Antonia, they could welcome a few more without … [Read more...] about Believe in Abundance

Just because somebody is down on their luck doesn't mean they don't savor a sweet treat as much as the next person. It doesn't mean they don't like surprises. The Catholic Sisters of Casa de los Pobres take on the massive effort to feed more than 800 of Tijuana's most vulnerable people. That's breakfast, lunch, and dinner for people who depend on their generosity and love. But the Sisters know that sometimes their fare can get a little...repetitive. Rice, beans, and chicken are on the menu a lot, along with oatmeal everyday for breakfast. Yesterday, we surprised everybody by changing things up a bit. Today, we're back at it again, this time with something sweet in hand. The Sisters told us that one thing people love but don't get enough of is sweet treats - something to satisfy their sweet tooth. That's all we needed to hear... We filled up the car with pastries, donuts, cookies, chocolate croissants...all the decadent breads we could find. And we delivered it to Casa … [Read more...] about How Sweet It Is

In Tijuana, near the border, there's a quiet yet powerful celebration underway. A group of Catholic Sisters, equipped with a deep love for humanity and a drive to serve the very poor, are working around the clock to make sure that even the most vulnerable get a hot, delicious meal. Today, and every day. Sister Armida is leading the charge. "We don't ask questions," she said. "We serve anyone, no matter who they are. Everyone deserves our love." Every single day, this fierce crew of Franciscan Nuns serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner to more than 800 people, mostly migrants coming from Central America. That's a lot of food. And they always manage to serve everyone in need. Hearty, thick oatmeal is usually on the menu for breakfast. And people love it - they depend on it! But, said Sister Armida, "Sometimes serving something special and a little different would be nice." The most frequent request? Ham and eggs. "There's one man who told us he dreams of ham and eggs," said … [Read more...] about Holiday Cheer

Joy is something that's tough to quantify. How much do you need of a good thing to feel joyful? Or is joy about the little things...sunsets, a good laugh, an unexpected connection? For one border community near Tecate, Mexico, and on one particular Saturday, joy meant something shared, some simple. A fiesta. This neighborhood doesn't always get the chance just to celebrate for the sake of celebrating. So when they told us that a fiesta could really boost everybody's spirits, we decided to plan a party. Our friend Esveide lead the charge. And the women of Finding Sophia jumped in to get everything setup, helping make empanadas and set out tables and decorations. They really gave the ladies of the community a chance to just relax and enjoy the fun. And what a fiesta it was! Esveide and our Finding Sophia friends really pulled out all the stops...pinatas, empanadas, cotton candy, a cake, games for kids, balloons, streamers, even a inflatable bouncy house! What kid - … [Read more...] about Sparking Joy

When they can, Esveide and her community of close-knit women near Tecate, Mexico, give out food supplies to other households in their neighborhood. They don't have much themselves, but over the years they've found ways to support those who are really struggling. Lately, they haven't been able to support their neighbors with the rice, beans, and other mainstays like they used to. So today, we're surprising them - with the gift of giving. We went shopping with Esveide and her daughter to get just the right things - oil, sugar, rice, beans, coffee, and more. Then we gathered our friends at Finding Sophia to organize the haul and get ready to give it all away. "There is little access for food for many people," said Luz, Esveide's mother. But "people help each other. They give everything they have to one another." The bags of food for families will last them about a week. But the feeling of giving back, doing something good for your neighbors, and stepping in right … [Read more...] about Gifts that Give Twice

When we sat down with some ladies near Tecate, Mexico, we asked them to tell us what their biggest challenges were. And what we might do to make things a little easier. We met these mamas, which includes Esveide and her family, through an all women's service group called Finding Sophia. We had heard that lately, this community was dealing with some pretty difficult things - increase in crime, insecurity, and a general feeling of unease, not sure what would come next. We had thought that perhaps their answers to our questions would be all about their greatest physical needs...but we thought wrong. Instead? It was all about joy. Something that came out loud and clear was that they needed some TLC. They needed something to lift their spirits. One of the ladies had an idea - what about a salon day? Gathering anybody who needed a little pampering, to boost their confidence and make them their special? So we gathered up some supplies, got the ladies of Finding Sophia … [Read more...] about Some TLC

Alicia has a talent. When people in her community are struggling with something, she sits with them. She listens. She guides. And she walks with them through the tough times. She a little bit like her community's informal counselor. Alicia lives right next door to Esveide, the fierce single mother we met yesterday. While we were chatting with Esveide and her family, we learned about Alicia's talent - and her leaky roof. We thought we could do something about both. Alicia has so many people over to her home to chat. So we wanted to help her do more of what she does best. We got her a fresh of coffee supplies and cups and saucers, plus some books on counseling and coloring book supplies - for when her "clients" need to relax and unwind. We also knew her leaky roof was a big problem. When it rained, the water trickled down right inside the house and into her kids' rooms. That was an easy fix - we helped her get the supplies she needed to patch it right … [Read more...] about Listening In

For Esveide, family means everything. A single mother of nine children, she lives in a border town near Tecate, Mexico, doing her very best to keep her kids in school and give them every opportunity to grow. We came to know Esveide through the ladies of Finding Sophia. We learned that recently, Esveide's community has faced an increase in violence, crime, and child abductions. And as a result, an increase in fear. We sat down with Esveide's crew, wanting to learn some doable ways we could help. And their first idea? It might surprise you... Chinese food! The family's all-time favorite restaurant is called Wong Wa, which serves up classic dishes like orange chicken, shrimp fried rice, and sweet and sour soup. Esveide and her family go there for special occasions and holidays, and when we asked what might cheer them up their answer was clear - a family meal at their favorite local spot. In truth, their response wasn't surprising at all. What family doesn't feel joy … [Read more...] about A Special Treat