Our global coronavirus response has taken us back to Tijuana, Mexico, and to the Jardin de las Mariposas house. Our Changemakers team is well acquainted with the house, a place that is full of community and is deeply passionate about supporting the LGBT community in Tijuana. Because of the coronavirus outbreak, the house is, unfortunately, not currently accepting new residents in an attempt to protect the current residents as best as they can. But it’s also hard to do that when you don’t have the supplies you need to do so. So, we decided to get them some more emergency relief supplies that they would be able to use to the house squeaky clean. This included things like alcohol wipes, cleaning sprays, gloves and a first aid bag! This change made possible by Tradition Capital Bank. … [Read more...] about Squeaky Clean

Today our COVID-19 response brings us back to Tijuana. Working with our partner organization ORAM, we visited Jardin De Las Mariposas. Jardin De Las Mariposas is a shelter for LGBT migrants. Like all vulnerable populations, COVID-19 has greatly impacted the shelter. When asked how we could provide support the answer was soap, toilet paper, and paper towels. We made our way to the store and were able to pick up enough supplies to restock their supply! “Thanks to great organizations like ORAM & Alight whose continued support allows us to provide much-needed services. Thank you for giving us joy and hope in these challenging times,” exclaimed a staff member seeing the supplies. This change made possible by Tradition Capital Bank. … [Read more...] about Soap and Paper

The biggest priority at El Jardin, the LGBTIQ shelter for asylum seekers in Tijuana, is making their casa self-sustaining and eco-friendly. The community is very invested in making sure that the shelter runs to be the best of its ability while not ruining the environment. Last time we visited the shelter, we noticed the community had installed solar panels and a water heater on the roof. Now we’re back and we have one final piece of the eco-puzzle to fit into place. To make the shelter even more of an eco-friendly space, we installed an electric stove in the kitchen to avoid excessive use of energy. Thanks to this new eco-tool, the residents are now able to cook their favorite meals and share it with the other residents. The stove allows for better and more rationed use of electricity and thus lowers the levels of gas consumption of the casa! El Jardin de las Mariposas is doing its part towards a greener footprint in the field and improving the quality of its resident's … [Read more...] about A Greener Eco-footprint

Back at the US- Mexico border in Tijuana, Jaime and his mother Yolanda have made tremendous strides in professionalizing their services at their shelter El Jardin de las Mariposas and making the space as clean and safe as possible. The shelter, once a rehabilitation facility helping people with substance addiction, opened their doors to LGBITQ+ asylum seekers waiting to cross the border and claim asylum in the US. El Jardin has become a resting point for those who had to flee. A space where they can take a breath and have the facilities to properly rest and prepare for their asylum process. As the shelter must comply with the civil protection unit regulations in Tijuana, Jaime came up with the idea to purchase fifteen smoke detectors, two mop buckets and twenty signs for the guests. The shelter is proud to be self-managed and a collaborative house, where each resident does their part to keep it clean, tidy and safe. It’s a real community! Jaime told us "We work to be a … [Read more...] about Spring Cleaning Along the Border

We’re back at Casa de Luz today working with our partner ORAM in the amazing LGBTIQ shelter in Tijuana. After spending some time in the shelter, we became aware that many of the residents had some minor health problems and were in need of a quick check-up with a medical professional. Good oral and eye health is important for overall health and well-being while they wait to cross the border. Access to LGBTIQ-sensitive health care and dental services becomes particularly challenging for LGBTIQ asylum seekers during their journey to safety. Many either choose not to visit medical care or to conceal their sexual orientation and gender identity for the fear they might be targeted and marginalized. For some, they had never sought care for oral and eye health issues. While recognizing the specific medical needs of LGBTIQ asylum-seekers, CM365 and ORAM decided it was crucial to offer and provide these residents a place to go with verified LGBTIQ friendly health services. Five … [Read more...] about Smiles all around in Tijuana

We’re back in Tijuana at Casa de Luz, working with our partner ORAM to do the doable. Caza de Luz is a growing vibrant LGBTIQ collective of LGBTIQ asylum seekers who are waiting to claim asylum in the U.S. After brainstorming with the community, we soon became aware that the house was in desperate need of a computer and printer so they can stay connected with the outside world. So we jumped straight to it and created a printing station, installing a new computer and printer. This solved three main issues in the shelter. Number one, the residents have been able to print important documents for their asylum cases and partake in ORAM’s weekly legal assistance services, so they can be the best prepared for their asylum cases. Number two, the residents can now regularly stay in contact with their friends who have already crossed over to the U.S. through video calling. This allows them to continue checking in on one another, share information and support one another on their … [Read more...] about Connecting with the outside world

Meeting people's basic needs is never a small thing. But people are more than the basics - like you and me, the people we serve are complicated and deserving of joy and dignity. Today, we’re back with El Jardin de Las Mariposas, helping them find that joy too. When we spoke with them about what they wanted to do together, one idea that came up was attending the Gay Pride Parade in the capital of Baja California, Mexicali. They were able to arrange a float that they could present in the parade, but they needed a car to get there - it’s about a three hour drive from Tijuana. So, to help them with this last piece of the puzzle, we were able to rent a car for the group to drive to and from Mexicali! They had a great time, and even had one of the house members dressed in a crown and Ms. Mariposas sash to help represent the house! This crew had made all the arrangements...they just needed an extra push to help them cross the finish line. And the happiness and joy sparked … [Read more...] about Pride and Joy

As migrants and asylum seekers arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border, looking for a better life, many of them are assigned a number. And that number holds the key to your destiny...the sooner it's called, the sooner your case gets heard by immigration officials. But the wait can be heart-breakingly long, and spirits can run very low. We met with one group of LGBT migrants that we've been working with over the past few days, we talked about what might make them feel a little happier, a little more joyful while they wait. They came up with an idea...what about a trip to the beach? The beach idea was an instant hit! Everybody voted for it. So we got all the beach essentials — beach blankets, sunscreen, playing cards, uno, bubbles, soccer balls and beach balls. After packing into cars, we headed to Playas de Tijuana, where people pretty instantly started running into the water or playing soccer . We grabbed snacks, sodas and pizzas so that returning soccer players and swimmers could … [Read more...] about A Day in the Sun

We’ve done some house repairs at Casa Arcoiris for the past few days — a broken counter, rotting floorboards, bugs creeping through the floor. The residents don't know how much longer they’ll be living here, whether it’s because they'll find another house they can buy, or because they can no longer afford the rent. Even so, we wanted to make their stay at the house as comfortable and difnified as possible - no matter how long they'll call it home. Thinking along those same lines, it was easy to find our next project - new mattresses. Now that the house had been patched up and fumigated, we could safely replace some of the old, beaten down mattresses with new ones! This was an especially exciting development for residents who had been living in beds that had become the homes of bugs. Having a comfortable place to lay your head at night can make such a dramatic different in the quality of your sleep, and even the quality of your days. Having a new mattress not only helps … [Read more...] about A Soft Place to Sleep

We’re spending another day doing the doable with Casa Arcoiris, an LGBT migrant house in the heart of Tijuana. Today, we’ve focusing on getting everyone here a good night’s rest. The residents of the house live in a dorm-room style, with bunk beds tucked against the walls and a little bit of room in the middle for people to walk. We were happy to be able to fund the construction of several bunk beds when we met with Casa Arcoiris the first time in September. Living in such close quarters can be hard, but the residents all seem to take it in stride. But, some of the beds have bugs. We weren’t sure if they were bed bugs or fleas, but as soon as they showed up in one room, they started to spread. It was uncomfortable for the residents using these beds - something we couldn’t even imagine having to deal with long-term. Now that the counters had been fixed and floors repaired, making it harder for other insects to make the house their home, we decided to have everything … [Read more...] about Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite