1MISSION is a community development organization giving people in poverty the opportunity to earn a house by serving their community. The nonprofit works to raise the “water line” for entire communities in Mexico, El Salvador, and Nicaragua through a holistic model that addresses housing as well as health, education, job skills, gardening, and more.
When Jason Law saw poverty up close in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico for the first time at age 14, it rocked his view of the world. He had no idea that so many people lived in these conditions, just a short drive from his comfortable suburban Phoenix home.
He knew he had to do something about it. So he did. Returning to this same community on service trips over and over for a decade, he helped build some 30 houses for families in need.But eventually he started asking hard questions about the long-term impact of these projects.
Was he really making a difference? Was this community actually being changed for the better, or did serving just make him feel good? Wrestling with these questions and searching for better solutions ultimately led Jason to start 1MISSION in 2008 with headquarters in Phoenix.
Traditional charity is about making a one-to-one impact. A donor gives $100 and it provides clean water, medicine, or schooling for one person for a certain amount of time. And those are wonderful things to provide.
But with 1MISSION’s model, every donation is leveraged for greater long-term impact. By helping to fund a house for a family that has earned it, donors are investing in so much more. 1MISSION purchases construction materials locally and hires local labor, which means local economies are strengthened.
And since every family that earns a house serves hundreds of hours in community initiatives – planting community gardens, doing health screenings, teaching job skills – the ripple effects go far and wide.
While there would be ways to build more houses more quickly, 1MISSION is committed to building community one house at a time.1MISSION’s work is supported by the generosity of faithful partners like you.
Best of all, with overhead costs covered by a private group of committed supporters, 100% of public donations go directly to projects and programs in the field. Every donation is tied to an actual family in need, and once a house is complete, donors receive a proof report.
