About SLRC (San Luis Rio Colorado)
San Luis Rio Colorado Sonora Mexico (SLRC) is located on the United States/Mexico border about three hours east of San Diego and 20 minutes South of Yuma, Arizona. SLRC is a blue collar town with a population of 160,000.
South of town, across the canal, is an area referred to as “Cardboard City”. People live South of the Canal because they cannot afford to live anywhere else. Many make their living by selling tamales, donuts, pastries, cleaning houses, working in
construction, agriculture, or many times just recycling what they can find.
Families live in structures made of cardboard, scraps of wood, sticks, open pallets, and scavenged materials. Their homes provide little protection for the severe weather of the Sonoran desert. They walk great distances to reach public transportation to pick up needed supplies. The children walk across the canal to attend school. Many live without electricity, running water, and indoor plumbing. The City of San Luis delivers non-potable water to the people South of the Canal once every 14 days. Their only other source of water is the canal which many times has no running water in it.
We were a part of a Christmas Outreach South of the Canal in December 2010. Upon returning to the Bay Area, we knew God was calling us to help the people who live in these impoverished conditions. In November 2011, a team built the first wood framed house for a family in SLRC. Since then, teams have helped us build and provided funding for homes for more than 50 families.
It is a very difficult to get building materials across the border. In most cases, we do not receive permission and must make a three hour, 150 mile trip to Mexicali and pay a 16% tax. Lumber purchased in Mexico is one-third more expensive, of lesser quality, and in many cases it is not available.
South of town, across the canal, is an area referred to as “Cardboard City”. People live South of the Canal because they cannot afford to live anywhere else. Many make their living by selling tamales, donuts, pastries, cleaning houses, working in
construction, agriculture, or many times just recycling what they can find.
Families live in structures made of cardboard, scraps of wood, sticks, open pallets, and scavenged materials. Their homes provide little protection for the severe weather of the Sonoran desert. They walk great distances to reach public transportation to pick up needed supplies. The children walk across the canal to attend school. Many live without electricity, running water, and indoor plumbing. The City of San Luis delivers non-potable water to the people South of the Canal once every 14 days. Their only other source of water is the canal which many times has no running water in it.
We were a part of a Christmas Outreach South of the Canal in December 2010. Upon returning to the Bay Area, we knew God was calling us to help the people who live in these impoverished conditions. In November 2011, a team built the first wood framed house for a family in SLRC. Since then, teams have helped us build and provided funding for homes for more than 50 families.
It is a very difficult to get building materials across the border. In most cases, we do not receive permission and must make a three hour, 150 mile trip to Mexicali and pay a 16% tax. Lumber purchased in Mexico is one-third more expensive, of lesser quality, and in many cases it is not available.