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CRF partners with churches of south Texas to help poor families in colonias. . .
Above: When temperatures drop to freezing in the Rio Grande Valley the poor suffer. Multiple families live in unheated shacks; children have no shoes and insufficient food . Right: The only heating available in this home are these coals; this home was lacking insulation and the barest necessities.

Left: This family had nine children. The smallest, two one-year- old twins, were very sick with pneumonia.

Right: Home for a family of seven.

• Left: A family of twelve lived in this house.
  
• Right: A family of 5 lived in this bus.
  

Left: A typical bathroom. About half the homes have outhouses; about ½ have septic systems which are too large for the lots. The result of this is raw sewage which contaminates the lots, especially during times of rain when proper drainage is not available. This is the source of much of the third-world diseases found in these areas.

Colonias in South Texas
In Spanish the word colonia means a neighborhood.However, in the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, it has come to mean a substandard slum. Some of the worst living conditions in this country or even in most third-world countries are found in these colonias.

• The average annual household income of colonia residents is $6,784.
• Over 47% are unemployed. Of those employed, 48% work for minimum wage or less.
• Two-thirds of adults did not finish high school.
  
  Why Do Colonias Exist?
  The Rio Grande Valley is populated mainly by poor Hispanic families - migrant workers or recent immigrants from Mexico - who can neither pay cash nor obtain conventional financing. Landowners sell them parcels of land for a small down payment, on a contract-for-deed basis, financing over a period of time at high interest rates. If payments are missed, owners can resell the land to other buyers. Formerly, developers were not required to furnish water, sewage, electricity, or drainage systems. Building codes were non-existent. In spite of recent legislation prohibiting this type of unrestricted development, the practice remains.

You can sponsor one of these children. $25 per month provides food, clothing, blankets, shoes, medicines, sanitary items, and school supplies. You receive pictures, background information, and the opportunity to develop a meaningful relationship with your child through correspondence and visits to the area, a great advantage of sponsoring in the South Texas program. Your future and that of your sponsored child will never be the same. Click on HERE to help . . .