A team of Carlsbad Rotarians, friends and family members built a house in a day for a deserving young family.
Rotarians build a home—and a future—for a young family in Tecate
Over the weekend, a team of Carlsbad Rotarians, friends, and family members traveled to Tecate, Mexico, to take part in the club’s latest House Build service project. Led by Bastel, the group came together to construct a home in a single day for Yessica and Kevin Coronado, a young couple raising two daughters—Camila Guadalupe, age 2, and Alaya Dánae, age 1—under extremely difficult conditions.
Until now, the Coronados had been living in a tent on their plot of land, without electricity, running water, or sewage service. Water had to be purchased from tanker trucks. Light and communication came from cell phones—charged wherever a power source could be found. Despite these challenges, the couple has remained committed to providing a better life for their family. Kevin works full time at a tequila factory, and Yessica stays home to care for their daughters.
They met in school, grew up in the same Tijuana neighborhood, and have been together for four years. Recently, they were able to acquire their own piece of land—a major step forward after years of housing insecurity. But without the means to build a home, they continued to live in unsafe, uncomfortable conditions.
That’s where Rotary came in.
Bastel rallied a group of volunteers that included his wife Amy and their daughters, Laura Mitchell and her husband Nick with their two boys, Bill Jensen, Bill Baer, Rachael Hopkins and her children, and our exchange student Coco. Longtime Rotarian Ed Scarpelli was in his element, spending the day on the power saw, cutting lumber like a pro. By the end of the day, a sturdy, simple home stood on the family’s lot—walls, roof, windows, and a door that locked.
“Having a decent house will help us be more comfortable as a family,” Yessica said. “And our daughters will have their own space and a safer place to grow up.”
It was a day filled with sweat, teamwork, and shared purpose. More than that, it was a powerful reminder of how a single day of service can change the trajectory of a family’s life.