After heavy rain, 8-year-old Paulo swept mud out of his house—made of wooden pallets resting on a dirt floor—where he lives with his coal-miner father, mother, two younger brothers and sister.
They sleep on wooden pallets on the floor, while the wind and rain howl through large gaps in the walls. Rats and mice run in and out, helping themselves to what little food the family has. A lone cooking pot sits outside on an open fire for their usual meal of beans. The same pot will be used to heat water on laundry day.
Paulo and his family arrived at Cornerstone Children’s Ranch in Quemado—about two miles from the Texas/Mexico border—because they had no food. Thanks to funds from the Texas Baptist Hunger Offering, Cornerstone had plenty of food available to share with Paulo’s family and others like them.
“We have watched these children change from very thin, shy children to ones who have a bright twinkle in their eyes and smiles on their faces—and a little tummy, too,” Director Lori Mercer said.
Hunger is a way of life for children in colonias along the border, Texas Baptist leaders note. The needs are great and increasing, and each of these children, like Paulo, is some mother’s child. Each of them should have food on their tables and nourishment in their stomachs.
This Mother’s Day, through Texas Baptists’ “1 Day. $1 Million” campaign, Christians across the state are attempting to honor their mothers and mothers everywhere by raising $1 million for hungry children throughout the state—including those in colonias, like Paulo.
“Please do not forget the border. Even though violence is great, we are standing in the gap for the children,” Mercer said.
For more information about the Mother’s Day offering, click here.
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