History of Casa Hogar Alegre

The story of this special place began when Mamá Liz was 13 years old.

Her family decided to move from Mexico City to the city of Tuxtla Gutiérrez in Chiapas. Her father was a missionary and a deeply committed Christian called to leave Mexico City and preach the word of God in the Chiapas area of Mexico.

Upon arriving in Chiapas, he found a place to live with his family in a part of the city where women worked in the cabarets.

Mamá Liz and her mother saw that the children of these women were living together in toxic environments. These were unacceptable conditions for minors. Mamá Liz's family, specifically the generosity of her mother, sent Liz to take care of their children when they were gone and working. Liz and her mother were able to temporarily protect the children from fights, drunks, and violence.

And so it began that Mamá Liz wrapped herself up in the lives of these children to understand their needs from her exceedingly early years.

She and her mother cared for the children initially for a few hours a day. Those hours gradually increased as these single mothers realized that their kids were in a safe place and being cared for. In most cases, parents left their children for weeks and months, some subsequently returning, others leaving their children orphaned.

These situations occurred frequently enough to impact Mamá Liz's heart forever. It made her aware that these children needed love, help, and a positive influence that would give them a desire to create a life change for themselves and those around them.

Organically, people began to bring children once again to Mamá Liz's house. Knowing that she would not be able to serve two groups of people with such different needs, Mamá Liz decided to focus on her original calling - the children. Since 1993, Mamá Liz, her family, and the Casa Hogar Alegre team have been able to help more than 900 children. But this story does not end here. Our mission is to help as many children as possible through this initiative. We know that the benefit for these children is direct. Their future is no longer uncertain, like when they were brought to Casa Hogar Alegre. Here, they find someone who lends a hand to leave dysfunctional situations, have the opportunity to achieve positive change, and attend school. Our children can become honest and responsible adults, capable of going to school and learning skills to take care of themselves in the world.

As a result, Mamá Liz’s heart grew a desire to open a space for children like the ones who she had taken care of during that time with her mother. Her life mission soon became to build a place that would safeguard children from conflicts and help them feel love and acceptance. As she worked, her goal was to teach these children to break the vicious cycle they were born into, take responsibility, go to school, and make decisions that would lead to productive lives.

It would not be until many years after this experience that Mamá Liz could fulfill her desire to return to work with children. She learned through that experience that helping the needy was her calling in life. Several years later, after going to school and having a family, Mamá Liz decided to open the doors of her house to the elderly who needed care and had nowhere to live. In much the same way, she cared for and attended to the elderly who depended on someone else.

History of Casa Hogar Alegre

Elizabeth Castelazo

Merari Cisneros

Jaime Trujeque