About

About Proyecto Abrigo

Proyecto Abrigo was founded in 1996 by Rev. Jose Luis Portillo in Tierra Nueva, Mexico. Since then, over 7,000 homes, two churches, a medical clinic, and a vocational school have been built to serve the poorer communities outside of Juarez, Mexico. The houses, built of cinderblock, measure 12′ by 24′ and have a cement floor. Each team is aided by maestros, who show the team how to mix the mortar and cement and lay the blocks. The family, when able, often helps the team with the building of their new home. At the end of the week, the team and family participate in a house dedication. Teams stay in cinderblock dorms located within an enclosed compound built similarly to the houses they are constructing. Bunk beds with foam pads line the large sleeping rooms. Running water, toilets, and showers are available in each dorm. (However, please note that you should not ingest the water. Also, toilet paper should not be flushed due to fragile sewage system). Bottled water is also provided for the teams. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the dining hall at the dorms everyday. The food is well prepared and safe for consumption. Wireless internet is also available at the Proyecto Abrigo dorms.

About Jose Luis

Rev. Jose Luis Portillo is 1 of 10 children born and raised in Juarez, Mexico. He raised money for his family when he was a child by selling cigarettes and cigars on the streets of Juarez. He and his sister, Juana, received scholarships to go to Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, TX (a United Methodist high school owned by the South Central Jurisdiction which has a lot of children from Mexico coming to go to school). There he learned English and heard God calling him to be a minister. He graduated from John Wesley Seminary in Monterrey, Mexico and was appointed to a church in Juarez. While he was there he invited volunteers to come and help build the church building. Those volunteers saw the people living in cardboard houses and asked how they might help. Through the help of Volunteers in Mission, Jose Luis began Operacion Hogar (Operation Home) in 1992 which used teams of volunteers from the United States to build concrete block houses for families living in cardboard houses. Most of the houses built are in Tierra Nueva, a community on the outskirts of Juarez. Jose Luis left Operacion Hogar in 1996 and founded Proyecto Abrigo, doing the same type of home building. Between these 2 organizations, Jose Luis has been responsible for building over 1000 houses since 1992.