How can you help? By being concerned about the people and problems, by getting informed about the situations, by volunteering your time and resources, and with your financial gifts. Who does the work? Construction is done through the combined effort of US volunteers and local Mexican program participants. Upcoming recipients of housing work together to lay the concrete slabs and help the US volunteers to build the houses. Latrines are generally built by the house owners themselves; the materials and plans are provided by the corporation. The Project Mercy program is operated on a sweat equity basis. Volunteers with home construction skills are desperately needed. Where does the money for the program come from? Backing for the program comes from several major sources and many individual donors. Major donors to date have been: Eastman Kodak, Sempra Energy, Boney Family Fund, Hasbro Inc., Everhealth Foundation, and the Guadalupe Fund. Groups such as individual Rotary Club and USD students have provided money and manpower. The bulk of our donations comes from private citizens. What can you do to help? Each house costs $3,500*, and a latrine costs $750. Monetary donations are always appreciated no matter how small. The Project is constantly in need of skilled labor and assistance. People with trucks and trailers are urgently needed to carry either building materials or more often basic furniture. In the winter months we collect blankets, sleeping bags, baby blanket sleepers, and basic foods. *(Costs have risen dramatically in the past year especially since we are now having to purchase our doors and windows in Mexico. Therefore, regretfully, we have to raise the cost of one house to $3,500 and one latrine to $750.) Volunteer questions Do I need to bring food on construction day? Yes, Project Mercy does not provide food or drink. There are a few snack shops in the area in which you will be working where you can purchase chips and sodas, but you should bring your own packed lunch. What else do I need to bring? Bring any tools you have. Essentials are a framing hammer, tape measure, and pencil. Also bring your own drinking water. What should I wear? Blue jeans and sturdy shoes are recommended, as are working gloves and sunglasses to protect the eyes. A hat and suntan lotion are recommended in summer. Please remember the areas in which you will be working are dirt, which can become very muddy in winter months. There is also a fair amount of litter. Are there bathroom facilities? Sanitary outhouse latrines are few and far between but they do exist and you can be directed to the nearest one to your work site. What about insurance? Mexican car insurance can be purchased on E street or at the border. However, the border insurance does not open until 8.00AM and so it is better to try to obtain it the day before at some other location. Can I carpool? As long as you advise us well in advance there is not usually any problem in carpooling. Should there be too many people wishing to carpool and not enough drivers, we will do our best to work out a ride for you. Suppose I am detained and late getting to McDonalds? Call Paula Claussen on her cell phone, Number: 858.231.0318 Where does Project Mercy build; and how do I get there? We are currently building in and near Ojo de Agua. This is the same general area east of Tijuana as in previous years, but the route has changed and the journey has become shorter thanks to a new, recently opened road. Cross the border and go south over the bridge, past the park on your right. Stay in the left hand lane and at the traffic lights turn left. This will take you through a commercial and then an industrial area. Stay on the same road. After the road crosses another bridge drive approximately 3 miles following the signs to Tecate Cuoata (Toll) road. Just before the toll road gates there is a branch to the right to M. Matamoros: take this turn. Note:There is also an earlier turn to M. Matamoros as you leave the industrial area and cross the bridge. DO NOT TAKE THIS ROAD. Continue to travel the three miles to Tecate Cuoata, as described above. Continue south on the dual carriageway for about five miles. The road will go under another highway traveling east-west, about half a mile further. After the concrete median barrier ends, there is a dirt crossing over the median: take this, do a U-turn and come back to the highway over the bridge. Take a right ramp to the highway and travel east (right), past the Pemex station, over the hill, past two more Pemex stations, to a Container yard and recycling yard to your left. There is a dirt road immediately past the recycling yard on the left: take this road directly into the colonia Ojo de Agua, also known as "Colonia el Trabajo" road. What problems do you have coming over the border? Sometimes entering Mexico vehicles are pulled over by inspection. This is frustrating but normal, we will have made sure you are not carrying anything that would create problems for you. Tools for personal use are acceptable. Returning to the US can sometimes mean a long wait at the border. Try to use the time to relax. We usually leave the construction sites around 4.00-5.00pm, so in either case you should be back in the US by 6.00pm. The wait can be anything from 20 minutes to an hour. A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT: You may come back from your house building experience weary and in need of a hot shower but the experience of seeing what a huge difference you can make to the lives of these very needy families will remain in your heart forever. Thank you for volunteering. Paula Claussen