Lifeline for pregnant migrant mothers: Vehicle donation on Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
CV NEWS FEED // On the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a young woman managing shelters for pregnant immigrant mothers received a lifeline — a reliable vehicle to help her continue her mission at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Operating two shelters—one in Juarez, Mexico, and another in El Paso, Texas— Karina Breceda provides essential support to migrant women facing immense challenges.
“We offer a pro-life initiative for a migrant cause,” she told CatholicVote. “We accompany pregnant migrants to ensure their medical care is taken care of, that they have housing, and a safe, dignified living space.”
Her mission reflects a “consistent life ethic” approach, embracing the belief that life is valuable from conception to natural death, and that this belief extends to the vulnerable migrant as well.
The recent donation of the truck was facilitated by Jason Jones, the founder of The Vulnerable People Project, an organization dedicated to “defending the vulnerable from violence by promoting human dignity and inspiring solidarity.” Through an extensive network of supporters, the project secured the much-needed vehicle.
“It is a great privilege that on Dec. 12, the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, where we have the miraculous image of the Blessed Mother – the only time we see her miraculously presented pregnant – as an Indian woman,” Jones said, “we get to deliver this truck to a pregnancy center that in the name of Our Lady, serves young, pregnant, migrant women and young women with toddlers.”
“I used to have a little Toyota Camry,” Breceda said, describing how the aging car felt unreliable and unsafe for her work involving transporting vulnerable mothers, children, and people with disabilities.
In addition to having significantly increased space in the vehicle to transport critical supplies, “I’ll just feel more secure and steady,” she said.
Not only enhancing safety and capacity, the truck will also significantly improve Breceda’s efficiency. With eligibility for a “fast-pass,” she will save hours of time every day.
Living so close to the border that the wall is visible from her house, Breceda still faces hours-long waits every day to cross into Juarez and reach her shelter. “It’s huge that I can apply for the fast pass now,” Breceda said.
Breceda heard about Jones due to his active involvement in various humanitarian efforts. She shared that he is more politically conservative than she is, which led her to reach out to him for discussions.
“I would call him and he would debate me, and that would be [how] I would learn to be better able to communicate, and how to find that middle ground where both sides come together,” she said.
“I reached out to him about the needs on the border, and how a truck would be huge,” she said, “and he jumped on board and got us a truck.”
The truck’s delivery on Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, carried deep significance for Breceda and her mission.
“Most of the women we serve are indigenous,” Breceda shared. “To know that Our Lady is seeing us and remembering us and she’s taking care of us … we really feel that.”
Donations to the Vulnerable People Project can be made here.