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Thirty years ago, three Orange County residents felt a need to help the poor in several villages surrounding Tijuana. They provided food, clothing, basic supplies and spiritual help. In 1978 they officially formed Corazón as a nonprofit organization.
During the early years Corazón helped by meeting the immediate needs with food, clothing and shelter. Volunteers repaired some of the “homes” (actually shacks of pallets and cardboard) of the residents. This “repairing” quickly turned to building complete houses.
Over the next five years Corazón developed a turnkey construction system for a 12’ x 20’ house with a wood floor and foundation. Using this system, a volunteer sponsor group on a one-day contribution event could build a complete home for a family.
From 1983 to 1996, Corazón grew from building 8 houses a year to building 8 houses in a day. In 1995, the familia Corazón program was conceived and developed as an overall approach to help families escape poverty while building a stronger community.
In 1998 a five-year operational plan was adopted to provide the framework for the familia program and to coordinate all facets of Corazón. In 2003, a second plan was created to give us guidelines and goals for the next five years.
“Feed me today, and I’ll be hungry tomorrow. Teach me today, and I can feed my family forever.”
Today, Corazón has built over 800 new homes and repaired hundreds more. We have profoundly affected the lives of over 1,000 families, provided annual scholarships to thousands of students and have witnessed several of our students graduate from college. The familia program works as these students are returning to their villages to teach and help, giving back for what they have received.
Currently Corazón has over 150 students in elementary school, 50 in middle and high school and five in college! The Familia program is currently assisting over 500 families in 5 communities in Baja California.
We at Corazón are encouraged by the progress of the families we have worked with and proud of the students’ achievements. With your help and support we can do even more. Please consider making Corazón a vital part of your life.
