Through this letter, I would like to tell you that our Nuevo Milenio community, as everywhere, is experiencing an economic crisis. Many of the participants of Corazón are unemployed, due to the government's order to close most non-essential sources of work.

As promised, we present a letter from a member of one of our families, Marisol Huerta Lopez, who lives in the Nuevo Milenio community of Tijuana. Marisol has provided her perspective on life in México during the pandemic. She and her family have been active in the Corazón program for over 15 years, helping with house builds.

Dear Corazón Community,

Through this letter, I would like to tell you that our Nuevo Milenio community, as everywhere, is experiencing an economic crisis. Many of the participants of Corazón are unemployed, due to the government's order to close most non-essential sources of work.

However, this situation affects all of us. Some survive on only half of their normal salary, and others are limited to their meager savings. The general population is panicking, since the state of emergency continues to expand and there is no fixed date to resume work. We recognize that while the quarantine is a security measure for our health, it is also affecting all of us financially.

With no work, our money is running out. At the same time, basic necessities are becoming more expensive and certain things have a purchase limit in order to prevent hoarding. We are hoping for the government to support us with food aid.

In my situation, I work at the courthouse. The courts have been closed due to the pandemic since March 20; I have been unemployed for six weeks. Likewise, my father and brother are waiting to resume their work. As a result, my family is surviving with the little savings that that we have set aside.

We are concerned that soon we will be forced into debt and have to start selling our household items. We pray that this situation ends soon and that our work activities will be reactivated.

I understand that many of you are in a similar situation. But if you are able, I appeal to you to contribute, to provide badly needed food for my community.

Marisol Huerta Lopez

Nuevo Milenio Community
Tijuana, Baja California