Gabriel’s Long, Inspirational Walk Across Tijuana-San Diego Border
With great courage, 17-year-old Gabriel crosses the San Diego-Tijuana, Mexico International Border on foot every day so he can go to school. Gabriel’s time with Lincoln Leaders, an Esperanza National Programs partner, provides him with the loving support and important resources that help him navigate the complicated challenges he faces.
Six days each week, Gabriel wakes up at 3:00 AM to walk from his home to Tijuana, Mexico, where he then takes a cab to the US-Mexico border. Gabriel waits in the pedestrian line to cross over, and can never count on how long it will take him to arrive in San Diego, CA. After he crosses, he takes a trolley from the border into downtown San Diego and transfers by bus to his school. Many days, he runs late and misses his first class, but continues to return to school despite these many challenges.
Esperanza, through Lincoln Leaders, continues to provide inspiring mentors to Gabriel who support and encourage him. “We have seen (Gabriel) grow at Lincoln Leaders and we can’t wait to see what he will achieve in the future,” said Gina Montijo, Gabriel’s mentor.
As Esperanza faces federal cuts to programs like these, we hope you’ll continue to aid our work so that young people like Gabriel can achieve their dreams. Make a gift to our Esperanza network today!
Esperanza National Programs Celebrates the #GoAndDo Campaign
Esperanza recently celebrated more than 47,000 views of the #GoAndDo campaign video since December 2017. When we live out the gospel through service and kindness, we create a powerful testimony about what God is doing in the world and encourage others to go and do the same.
The #GoAndDo campaign encourages people to act as the hands and feet of God in the world by performing acts of service and kindness in our communities. Esperanza will also embark on a three-day #GoAndDo tour of local churches and organizations from April 20 – April 22. We’ll encourage others to perform 102 random acts of kindness across 10 church communities during the tour, in the name of Psalm 100:2 (“Serve the Lord with Gladness”).
We hope you continue to support our initiatives like these, view our video, and #GoAndDo in your own lives!
Your Dollar Snapshot: Barrio Youth Initiative Hosts “Invade the College” Event
The Barrio Youth Initiative of Esperanza, in partnership with Esperanza College of Eastern University, hosted our “Invade the College” event last month. More than 100 youth from nine churches in the Esperanza Network attended. The event included a scavenger hunt, snacks, and more information about attending Esperanza College for high school students.
The Barrio Youth Initiative of Esperanza is a collaborative leadership development organization that provides educational opportunities and resources for Latino youth and beyond. You can read more about the initiative here: www.barrioyouthinitiative.org
Esperanza Partnership Spotlight: DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative
Esperanza makes a difference in the lives of so many because of the incredible support of our amazing partners. The DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative has been a strong advocate of Esperanza and the Barrio Youth Initiative and we are so thankful to have them support our work! Thank you, DVULI!