TIJUANA (KGTV) – The doors to the main community kitchen and shelter in Tijuana that feeds migrants and the homeless could close soon, according to our media partner Televisa.
Project Salesianos in Tijuana is asking for local authorities and the community to help them to avoid closing due to the lack of volunteers.
The organization says the Padre Chava Salesianos Breakfast Room and Don Bosco Shelter for women and children in Tijuana's Mariano Matamoros neighborhood had to cut down on volunteers.
"We had to go from nine employees to five employees in one shelter. In the other, we had four, we already needed more, but instead of covering the employment needs, we had to come to less," Tijuana Salesian Project Director Agustín Novoa tells Televisa.
Some of the challenges include ensuring their utility bills are paid and cutting back on staff wages.
"First, we lowered salaries which is the most demeaning thing that can be for a person, and they accepted because these people are committed to us," said Claudia Portela, Padre Chava Salesianos Breakfast Room Coordinator.
The organizations has seen a rise in people living on the streets needing their services following the pandemic, further depleting their resources.
"The need increased in the post-pandemic," Portela said. "We opened a shelter for women and children because more and more women and children arrive in the city in a context of mobility."
"We are budgeting our resources, but like the administrator always says, one month, but I have faith that we may have two more months," Novoa said.
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