Tijuana hospice facility gets a boost from Solana Beach organizations

A Tijuana-based hospice facility for men received several renovations to its sitting room, made possible by a $4,000 gift from the Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary to the Solana Beach nonprofit Hope Without Boundaries.

Campamento de Fe, which houses men who are battling illness or injury, now has a new door, roof and wheelchair ramp. With the money from the rotary for materials and equipment, a team of volunteer builders from the U.S. constructed the roof in two days. Another group of volunteers completed the rest of the work in the three days after that.

Lesley Sagar, president of Hope Without Boundaries, said the work is part of the assistance the nonprofit provides to multiple facilities in Tijuana. Her trips across the border started more than 10 years ago when she began helping to provide monthly breakfasts for low-income Tijuana residents. Following the formation of Hope Without Boundaries, she’s helped over the years to provide support for Tijuana’s elderly, disabled and students who need money for costs such as school uniforms. A group of up to 18 volunteers still meet at Solana Beach Presbyterian on the second Saturday of each month to travel into Mexico for the breakfasts, which include 360 eggs to serve the hundreds who attend.

Other organizations in Tijuana supported by Hope Without Boundaries include El Refugio, which houses about 170 elderly and disabled people, and Camino Vivo, which provides support for about 70 low-income children.

“I do feel it’s the relationships we’ve been able to build that I’m most proud of,” said Sagar, who regularly communicates with the leaders at each facility through the smartphone app WhatsApp.

Many of the Tijuana residents who receive assistance from these organizations would not have any other means to address their health, food insecurity or other issues. Hope Without Boundaries raises approximately $50,000 per year, with all contributions used for the services it provides in Tijuana, according to the nonprofit’s financial disclosures.

Many of its contributions come from friends of Sagar, a Solana Beach resident of 40 years, who have made the trip into Mexico with her. Her husband, Paul, serves as the nonprofit’s chief financial officer.

“When you see the need, if you have the means, it’s very hard to say no,” she said.

The funding helps support needs such as electricity, gas and food at El Refugio, and water, medication, food and electricity at Campamento de Fe, where some of the faces remain the same for years.

“It’s been a long time, and they’re family,” Sagar said. “They’re friends.”

For more information, visit hopewithoutboundaries.com.