Reflections on Los Niños

February 18, 2026

By: David Alvarez ’27

On February 5th, 2026, a sunny Thursday morning, a group of Cate students gathered to endure a five and a half-hour drive to Mexicali. Before arriving in Mexicali, we found ourselves stuck in what seemed to be a never-ending line in Calexico, where the SUVs the group was traveling in were going to be parked. Once we reached the end of the line, we were met by Alonzo.

Alonzo is one of the people who makes this program successful, and he is truly its heart. Alonzo has played an enormous role in the program for 30 years, picking up students at the border, housing guests, organizing transportation, and, most importantly, ensuring that all the organizations we support have their needs met. I have heard many great stories about Alonzo, but when I met him for the first time, I knew they were true. On the first night at the Los Niños house, we were greeted by Alonzo’s wife, Teresa. She had cooked dinner for us. The food was delicious; nothing is better than homemade quesadillas made with love after a long drive. After we ate, we had an orientation on the program and what we would be doing during the three days we were staying there.

The three days in Mexicali were spent making concrete for a special needs school and a school that was understaffed and needed a sidewalk. We were also able to visit a migrant shelter for women that was called El Albergue del Desierto. Monica, the director of the migrant shelter, gave us a tour and showed us the dormitories, the kitchen, and the kids’ school. She explained that the school was for mothers who weren’t ready to send their children to schools in the community, since most mothers were migrating with their children to escape street violence in their home countries. Once the tour was over, we were all seated in a conference room where we met Adriana, a migrant from El Salvador who shared her powerful story with us. She was very vulnerable with the group and explained to us the hardships of the migration process. It took her two whole years to make it to Mexico City, then to Mexicali, finally. The group’s full attention was focused on Adriana, and we were all impacted by her story.

The day after we visited the Albergue, Alonzo took us to the Empowered Women’s Committee, run by women who wanted to raise money for their communities. When we first arrived, they invited us to lunch and made us tacos, which were also very delicious. After we finished eating, the committee explained their cause and why they formed this group. Once they finished introducing themselves, they presented their soaps and candles, which were handmade by the hardworking women. But this wasn’t the only thing they were offering; they also sold us honey they had harvested. The Cate group had bought half of their inventory, which is truly super helpful to them. With the money raised, the committee is investing in buying more beehives to produce more honey and generate more income for their community.

Overall, being my first time on a Los Niños trip, I encourage those who haven’t had the chance to participate to consider it seriously. This is an excellent opportunity to lean into service and a new culture. This experience wouldn’t be possible without the support of Alonzo and Teresa, who took care of us and guided us through Mexicali. Thank you to Mr. Holmes, Mr. Harvey, and Mrs. Dorion, our outstanding faculty who were our faculty chaperones on the trip.