MEXICO

HUNGER IN MEXICO

Pre-Columbian pyramids, delicious cuisine, blue agave, colonial architecture, bold colors, and exotic locales symbolize the festive atmosphere found throughout Mexico. While most of us think of tacos and tourism to places such as Cancun and Cabo, many of our neighbors to the south live in poverty. In fact, by national standards, more than half of the population is lacking in proper nutrition, access to clean water, adequate housing, suitable education, and general social services.

Cities such as Tijuana and Mexicali are diverse cosmopolitan areas. With the hopes of economic opportunity, families migrate toward cities making Tijuana one of the fastest growing cities in Mexico yet creating sprawling areas where squatters live in make-shift houses. Underemployment is estimated to be 25 percent with 86 percent of the workforce finding employment in service and industry. With poverty effecting 52.3 percent of Mexicans, not having enough to eat is robbing half the population of their God-given potential.

Outside the Bowl’s kitchens in Mexico are meeting real needs. Ministry partners are accomplishing more because of the meals cooked in Tijuana, Mexicali, and Juarez. Children are thriving from having their basic nutrition needs met.

JUAREZ

The Juarez Super Kitchen was constructed in partnership with Agua Viva church in Juarez, Mexico, and Christ’s Church in Roswell, New Mexico. Construction was finished in 2021 and the kitchen is currently providing daily meals at churches and Christian daycares in Juarez, as well as producing food for large 300-500 person street outreaches to reach people with the Gospel. OTB is seeking additional ministry partners in Juarez to reach more children with daily meals.

TIJUANA

The Tijuana Super Kitchen has become the model of efficiency and self-sufficiency. With its school contracts to supply food to 25,000 children daily, its revenue is sufficient to pay for its staff and operating costs. With multiple shifts every day using 4 steam-jacket kettles, it runs at peak performance to produce 4 million meals each year. In addition to school feedings, the Tijuana and Mexicali Super Kitchen partner with 15 Christian ministries to provide hundreds of thousands of meals each year to enable them to reach more children with the love of Jesus.

The Tijuana kitchen has been operating since 2012. It is a container kitchens and utilizes three shipping containers as part of the building including one 40 foot refrigerator container, one 40 foot dry store container, and one 20 foot modified office container. This Super Kitchen has the capacity to cook 4,800 servings per shift. The food for all meals produced in this kitchen are sourced from local suppliers and distributors.

MEXICALI

The Mexicali Super Kitchen began producing meals in 2014. It follows the same blue prints as the Tijuana kitchen utilizing three shipping container. Also part of the school contract with the Tijuana kitchen, the Mexicali Super Kitchen produces 23,000 meals every day for children. In partnership with the Children’s Hunger Fund, the Mexicali and Tijuana kitchen are also able to provide thousands of grocery packs to families throughout the year.