Arca de Noé is a shelter located south of Ciudad Juárez that shelters dozens of people who suffer from mental illness or who are in vulnerable situations.
Alberto Rosales Espinosa, with the support of his wife and children, founded the shelter, which began operations in 2005.
Rosales Espinoza narrated that after being in jail he decided to look for a different direction in his life and chose to help people living on the street.
“Generally they arrive with various health problems, hungry, or with addiction problems… it’s sad to see that nobody takes care of them, but here we try to raise their spirits,” said the person in charge of the place.
There are currently 65 people in this space, 20 of them are older adults, another twenty who have alcoholism and drug addiction problems, 10 suffer from mental illnesses and the rest are there because they have had problems with domestic violence, or suffer from Immunodeficiency Syndrome. Acquired (AIDS). It is mostly men who live in that place, and five of these people are women.
People arrive at the shelter who are channeled by the Municipal Police, or who are abandoned by their relatives, where they are provided with food three times a day, provided with clothing and spiritual support, said the person in charge of the place.
When there is a medical emergency, he must pay the expenses in a hospital in the city, so in addition to being aware of the site, he performs various jobs, said the interviewee.
He mentioned that when people enter for the first time, they are given the opportunity to stay for a few days –depending on the case–, but if the recidivism is continuous, they are left in place until they improve. Some of them must be there for long periods, and to improve the economic situation of the people they are supported to find a job.
“Hopefully the community sees that there is a small but gigantic place helping people who really need it,” said Rosales Espinosa.
Noah’s Ark was built on walls that little by little were raised, and they do not have kitchen furniture, they need mats, blankets and food support. The family’s house also serves as a refuge and they have a temple where they gather people to give them religious services, the person in charge of the place mentioned.
The shelter is located at Calle Loma Negra 405, in the Buenos Aires neighborhood. If you want to help you can call (656) 215-4767.
