Orange County Branch Newsletter

October 2016

Community Service

Younger Member Forum Members Participate in Corazon Home Build


By: Roxanne Follis

On Saturday, August 27, a group of about 20 YMF members and CSUF and UCI students went to Chula Vista, CA and met with other Corazon volunteers. Corazon is a non-profit organization that develops communities in Mexico by building homes and encouraging support within the community.

The lead Corazon builder gave a safety briefing and described the day’s plans. From Chula Vista, volunteers drove in a caravan to the Cerro Azul community in Tecate, Mexico. The group arrived at the Cerro Azul community center, which consists of five partially constructed structures that will serve as community rooms for the residents of Cerro Azul. The main objective of the day was to hang drywall and lighting fixtures in the rooms, construct decks around the structures, and paint all the structures’ exteriors.  Upon arrival, volunteers were divided into different groups based on the tasks they were doing. Most of the volunteers had minimal to no construction experience and had to learn on the spot. The Cerro Azul community members cooked and served a hearty lunch consisting of fresh, local food. After lunch, volunteers immediately returned to work with the goal of completing as much work as possible before the day’s end. At around 4 PM, volunteers cleaned up the site and headed back to cross the US border.

This trip was the first for many volunteers and most of them stated that they thoroughly enjoyed their experiences. Many stated that they were eager to go on another build. They enjoyed the construction activities while also helping families in need.