Alex understands the importance of a good home. Along with working as a Realtor® at Seven Gables Real Estate, he has dedicated his free time to building homes in Mexico for 17 years.
Alex first heard about the trips through Mariner’s Church in 2007 from a friend working at Baja Christian Ministries. That first trip sparked a lifelong passion and since then, Alex has gone almost every year, often multiple times a year. He estimates that he has helped build between 25 to 35 homes.
Alex divides his time between two organizations: Baja Christian Ministries and Kingdom Builders. With both non-profits, homes are constructed and gifted to families living in makeshift homes, often without electricity or adequate safety measures.
Alex explained that while the groups he travels with change year to year, the goal is the same: help construct safe homes for those who need it most. In May, he worked alongside 30 students from Crean Lutheran High School, and during his most recent trip in June, he and a team of volunteers constructed three homes.
Each trip follows the same path. Alex and the group stay at a hotel in Tecate, a city near the California-Mexico border. Early in the morning, they drive an hour to the construction site in the outskirts of Tijuana. Once they arrive at the building site, they meet with the group of builders and are introduced to the family.
Each home he helps build has the same layout: a 16×20 home with three rooms below and a loft area above. These homes start as kits, with everything precut but the shingles and drywall – and this is where the volunteers come in – painting, cutting drywall, wiring the electrical outlets, putting up walls, installing windows, and nailing down the roofing – the volunteers get it done.
By the end of the first day, all of the walls are up and most of the outdoor plywood is done. The second day includes outfitting the electrical outlets and sheeting the roof. After hours of hard work, the house is finished on the second day. The home is then presented to the family in a heartfelt gifting ceremony. Everyone in the group gathers around to see their hard work and the change it made in a family’s life.
Alex said he initially began going as an experience he could share with his daughters. As the child of immigrants, Alex said he wanted his daughters to think beyond their Southern California bubble. Not only was this trip a way to spend time with his family, but Alex talked about how he wanted to give back by using his carpentry skills. As a skilled carpenter, his father taught him a lot about building. Alex recalled helping build homes and condominiums with his father as a young man during the hot summers in Southern California. He learned not just the physical skills for building, but the joy of turning a pile of materials into a home.
These trips are not easy. Often in the sweltering heat, Alex and his team combat heat stroke and building accidents. When asked what drives him to go year after year despite the challenges, Alex said he gains as much from the experience as the families they build the homes for. To Alex, there is nothing more rewarding than transforming building materials into a home a family will cherish for years. Along with spending time with his friends and family, he has the chance to use his carpentry skills to completely change someone’s life for the better.
His charitable acts don’t stop there. In addition to selling and building houses, he actively supports in five other organizations: Teen Leadership Foundation, Mosaic Church, Mighty Oaks Warrior Program, Victor Marx – All Things Possible, and Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
