La Casa group tries to plan new trip despite obstacles

CORNWALL — A volunteer effort to help the poor in Mexico may be endangered by fears of violence south of the border as well as concerns about the H1N1 flu virus.

Although this is a national project, many Northwest Corner residents participate each year. One group is trying to rally support and continue the tradition of traveling to Baja, Calif., and then travel south to build houses for the poor in Tijuana.

In addition to concerns about events in Mexico, the Northwest Corner contingent had another blow: Organizer Jimmy Whiteside, who has been leading the local group for the past couple years, is taking a break.

Whiteside has been studying to become a paramedic and though he has made the trip annually for 20 years, this year he will remain here and continue his efforts to become certified.

Organizers in Southern California are continuing to coordinate volunteers. They say they make the trip weekly, and feel confident in their safety, even traveling with their children. And the Centers for Disease Control is continuing to say that H1N1 is no more dangerous or contagious than the seasonal flu.

The La Casa group flies into San Diego and then drives over the border to Tecate. The volunteers stay at a ministry center,  similar to a hostel. They then travel to Tijuana for three days to work on building sites.

When the volunteers arrive at a job site, there is a concrete slab and all the materials needed. In three days, the group builds a 16-by-20-foot, three-room house with a loft, basic electicity  and a latrine.

Recipients of the houses are families who may have been living in cramped quarters with relatives, or in a shack with a dirt floor.

Although many La Casa volunteers also do volunteer work here in the United States, they find the money goes much further in Mexico, where $6,000 or less can provide a family with a solid floor, a sturdy house, a roof.

Many of the Northwest Corner volunteers who have participated in past La Casa projects are trying to put together a new group. They are trying to contact potential volunteers and let them know that the trip is still on if they can get enough help and raise a little more money.

But it all must be done by the end of May.

At least 15 volunteers and a few thousand dollars are needed, to build one house and one latrine, and to cover this year’s costs. Volunteers pay their own travel expenses and room and board.

Everyone from pre-teen to octogenarian is welcome, and no particular building skills are required. The team works under the guidance of an experienced builder.

A group from Seattle, Wash., also makes the trip so if a large group from here can’t be formed, volunteers can join that group in building four houses the week before Independance Day.

Anyone interested in making the trip or contributing financially can contact Ed Duntz at 860-671-1425 or e-mail erduntz@hotmail.com. The Northwest Corner group travels from June 19 to 23, the Seattle group from June 30 to July 5.