PAPER HOUSES ACROSS THE BORDER

I asked, “What do you want for Christmas?”

The little child sat on my lap and replied, “Do you think it is O.K. for me to pray to the baby Jesus for a pair of tennis shoes?”

I glanced at her feet. As always, she was wearing a discarded pair of dress shoes that were two sizes too large for her little feet. I told her that I was sure it was O.K. to ask for tennis shoes.

She jumped off my lap, but then ran up and whispered, “Do you think it is O.K. to ask for a pair of socks, too?”

Many of the children we help are worse off than the little girl in the shelter. Some share a single room in a cardboard shack with their parents and siblings. Some cannot go to school because their parents cannot earn the $75 needed for books and supplies. Most that do attend school are hungry all day long.

They live within walking distance of the U.S. border, but remain in Mexico. Families work long hard hours to bring home $65 per day. They live in a city with a cost of living that rivals Houston, Texas.

Most ask for nothing. Most are happy and filled with hope, faith and love. Americans we’ve taken to the colonias ask one consistent question, “Why are these people so happy? They work so hard and it seems that life constantly cheats them and throws another obstacle in their path!”

Relationships with these people are fulfilling. For the cost of a dinner and a movie, you can send a child to school for a year. For 12 cents per day you feed a little child in school, every school-day.

Many times we meet a child that can't hear or can't walk or who is about to undergo an amputation. Often, we seem to meet these children by accident. Often we change their lives, the lives of their family, and the lives of future generations.

The poor families accept whatever a doctor says, without question. Because of their poverty, they have no thought about the possibility of a costly medical procedure and most are unaware of alternatives.

We visited the house without any knowledge of Sergio. He was 6-years old and his mother carried him everywhere. He was unable to stand erect or to walk.

His classmates were accustomed to seeing his mother carry him into school and place him in his little chair. We arranged for a private surgeon to perform an operation.

Within a few weeks, Sergio returned to school with the aid of a walker. His teacher said,

“He arrived a few minutes late and the other children were in their seats. Their mouths dropped open in disbelief as Sergioo stood in the doorway, holding on to his little walker. Then, he straighted up and made himself as tall as he could be. He tipped over the walker and continued to stand! He broke into a huge smile and shouted, “Look at me, now!”

What We Do & How We Do ItWe are searchers. We go door to door and help where we can. There are many problems in the world that we can’t fix. It is foolish to ignore a problem that we can fix. like Sergio.

We know that providing help in ways that provide dignity and a sense of self-accomplishment is very important. We are not establishing a welfare system and we cannot solve problems for others. We have faith in the ability of families and communities to solve problems and we help them to succeed.

Providing help to hard working people trying to solve their own problems makes sense to us. When parents skip meals and try to raise money to pay for their child's medical needs, we help.

When parents can't pay for school materials and uniforms because the cost is equal to a month's take

home pay, we offer opportunities to earn additional money by painting or performing other tasks at the school.

We support institutions that care for children, enabling parents to work and build a house and ensure that their children receive love, food, shelter, and an education.

We provide seed money for a family to sell food plates that raise money so their child can receive medical help.

We provide educational assistance and building materials for school improvements.

We walk the streets and visit families in their homes, visit children at shelters, visit the hospitals, visit shelters for the elderly and share meals at school cafeterias.

Why Help the Poor in Mexico?Many of our supporters and all of our board members perform volunteer work in the United States at local charities and churches. We also work in the colonias of Mexico.

Mexico is our neighbor. The people of the colonias live near our border and remain in Mexico, trying to build a better Mexico. Helping them to succeed is the best way to stem the tide of unauthorized entry into our country.

Jesus demonstrated and told stories that clearly tell us the value of the outcasts and foreigners. We learn more and receive more from the people of the colonias than we can ever teach or give to them. Helping these people makes us become the people we always hoped we would become.

If you want every penny of your charity to reach the people in need – we are here for you. We take no salary, have no office, and we exist to help others. Period. The good hard working

Mexicans struggling every day to survive deserve our help.

How to Help?EMAIL and call friends and families about joining you in support.

Give a Christmas, birthday or anniversary gift by making a donation in the name of someone.

Ask friends to donate to Paper Houses in lieu of sending you a gift for a special occasion.

Organize a yard sale, cake sale, or simply invite friends into your home to discuss Paper Houses. We will gladly provide video and photos to help.

Encourage a family, group or business to sponsor a table of 8 children to eat at our cafeteria for a full school year.

We depend on a grass-roots campaign. We need every donor to be excited and to encourage friends and relatives to jump in.

Volunteer your help. Become so involved that you become a board member.

Paper Houses Across the BorderMSC 980

P.O. Box 980San Antonio, TX 78099-2954

EMAIL: paperhouses@sbcglobal.net

We are an IRS approved non-profit charity and are on the web at Paprehouses.org.