Homes of Hope

Homes of Hope: Building Lives

In early 2002, Morrow member Sarah Cherry served on a building crew with Homes of Hope in Tijuana, Mexico. Her husband, Doug, was to have been on the trip with his family and friends, but after he was killed on September 11, Sarah went in his place. Her experience on the trip led her to encourage others in the Maplewood/South Orange community to build homes for needy Mexican families, in Doug’s memory.

Morrow Church has had several participating members since the 2003 community trip. In February 2008, over 60 people served from our community and Morrow Church was represented by Doug and Sharon Buechler; Beth, Jesse, and Johnny Daugherty; Peter and Janna Zimmerman; and John and Emily James. The group was divided into three teams of about 20, in order to build three homes. Since Sarah’s visit in 2002, 21 homes have been constructed in memory of Doug.

Tijuana, Mexico is only an hour south of San Diego, but it is a world apart and the families served live in a third-world environment. Many of them have never had a home and have been living in an old car or a cardboard box. With the limited finances they have, they have managed to make a down payment on a small plot of land. Then they apply to Homes of Hope for help in constructing a house. Homes of Hope prepares the site by laying a concrete slab so when the visiting teams of volunteers arrive, they are ready to begin construction.

The houses are small and rudimentary, with no running water, very basic electricity, and no toilet facilities. However, at the end of two full days of construction, the concrete slab has become a two-room house with an asphalt shingle roof that is painted and furnished. The visit ends with a dedication ceremony to turn the house over to the new owners. This is always a very moving moment, since the families are so appreciative to have a home of their own.

The Homes of Hope project is an outreach program that works on a number of levels: honoring the memory of a friend, providing for the most basic of needs for a family and seeing the huge impact it makes on their lives, serving as part of a larger community (Maplewood/South Orange) and empowering people as citizens of the world. John James, who just completed his sixth trip, said, “It is an honor to serve in Doug Cherry’s memory, and it is a testament to his family that they were able to take such an horrendous event and convert it to a positive outcome for so many families in need.

If you are interested in serving on next year’s trip (Feb 26 – Mar 1, 2009), please let Doug Buechler know: douglas.buechler@comcast.net. or at 732.899.1340. He coordinates the local volunteers and is always eager for more participants. It can be a life-transforming event for you, your children, and the new home owners!

Visit the Homes of Hope website for more stories and information.