Date Build: Saturday 24th - Sunday 25th, May 2025
FAMILY INFORMATION
MOTHER: Carmen
Age: 37 years old
FATHER: Victor
Age: 42 years old
Job: construction worker
Salary weekly: $125 US
CHILDREN:
Manuel - 17 years old
Victor - 13 years old
Cristian - 8 years old
LETTER FROM THE FAMILY:
Dear Homes of Hope team, Greetings from the Tapia Pérez family. We are originally from Michoacán, a state in southern Mexico, and have been living in Tijuana for the past four years. Our family consists of five members: my husband, Víctor Manuel Tapia Cervantes, who is 42 years old; our three sons, Ángel Manuel Tapia Pérez (17), Víctor Alexis Tapia Pérez (13), and Cristian Alejandro Tapia Pérez (8); and myself, María del Carmen Pérez López, currently 37 years old. We made the difficult decision to leave our hometown due to the violence and drug trafficking that turned it into a dangerous place. We were charged fees just to live and work, criminals would break into our home to hide from the police or rival groups, and we lived in constant fear for our lives. They even threatened to take our children away to force them into working for them. These conditions drove us to seek a safer future. A neighbor who fled before us told us about Tijuana and the possibility of seeking asylum in the United States. We arrived in Tijuana in August 2021 and were welcomed by her. Unfortunately, we did not have the necessary support to continue to the United States, so we decided to stay and start over in Tijuana. We arrived with nothing but a change of clothes and a strong will to rebuild our lives. Thankfully, we found a place to rent, and the landlord kindly lent us some furniture, as we were initially sleeping on a board with just blankets. Currently, my husband and my oldest son work in construction to support the family. Sadly, my son had to leave school to help with expenses. A year after arriving in Tijuana, I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and anemia, which damaged my lungs due to my previous agricultural work and poor nutrition. I sometimes clean houses, but my health limits me. Most of my time is spent taking care of our home and walking my younger sons to and from school every day, despite my condition. About a year and a half ago, my husband and I purchased a piece of land, which we are paying off in monthly installments, with the hope of one day building a decent home for our children. This has placed a heavy strain on our finances, forcing us to cut back even on necessary medications for myself. Still, we remain motivated to move forward. That is why we are reaching out to you, Homes of Hope, with faith that you might help us build a home. It would be an enormous blessing for our family.