In July of 2006 a group of 12 volunteers went to the Emmanuel Orphanage in Tijuana, Mexico to rebuild part of the building that had collapsed. Not only were repairs made, but the vision for Building Hope International began. The vision – to help those in need using our construction skills.
Before
After
5 days later, phase 1 is complete
Since that time the vision has grown. We don’t want to be limited to construction, so we have expanded our vision to include other ways to help. In the future we will be planning trips that include delivering food staples, water filters and well drilling. This will be mostly in foreign countries, but we also want to build a disaster relief team that we can call on to help in areas that are hit by natural disasters in the U.S.
Construction
Our primary focus is to help existing organizations that are on the front lines working with orphans, children’s shelters and families living in extreme poverty with construction services. Our projects will vary from basic maintenance and upkeep, to remodeling, to building complete buildings. Each trip requires an evaluation of the needs of the organization, the services they are providing and how our help will benefit the work they are doing.
Humanitarian Aid
Part of every trip will include helping families living in the area. This help includes providing some basic necessities. BHI gathers donations or purchases basic hygiene items and food staples to make “family care packs” that are delivered to families living in extreme poverty. Additionally, we provide coloring books, crayons, toys, shoes and clothing. In the future we hope to offer medical and dental assistance, and household water filters.
Disaster Response
Every year thousands of natural disasters occur around the world. We are working on plans that would enable us to respond to disasters and help families during a traumatic time. Our help within the U.S. would not only include helping with cleanup and temporary protection of structures, but also providing basic services necessary for families, the community and emergency workers. We also plan to respond to natural disasters overseas.