LETS GIVE THEM THE DIGNITY THEY DESERVE

This year the first stone of the new Hogar de Cristo inn in Calama was installed. This modern building located at Calle Valdivia 974 will have capacity for 85 people and has a significant investment of 2,980 million pesos from the regional government for its construction.

After several years of negotiations, this Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. the ceremony to lay the first stone of the new Hospedería del Hogar de Cristo in Calama took place. The event was attended by the governor of the Antofagasta region, Ricardo Díaz; the mayor of Calama, Eliecer Chamorro; and the executive director of Hogar de Cristo, Juan Cristóbal Romero.

“For the most excluded and needy, this new hostel means a new and better quality of life. Specifically, it will be possible to have modern and adequate meeting spaces with better accessibility. It will also be a Hostel with a gender perspective because it will allow homeless women to be accommodated. In Calama, at least 300 people live excluded, therefore we cannot remain calm, it is urgent to improve their living conditions and social inclusion,” says the executive director of Hogar de Cristo, Juan Cristóbal Romero.

The current Hospedería de Calama is divided into two buildings –Hospedería and offices– located on different lands that are distant from each other. For this reason, the new project will consider the demolition of the existing structures and the construction of a two-story building that will comply with current accessibility regulations and all provisions of the urban planning law. The new construction will accommodate 55 homeless people and will serve 30 vulnerable older adults from the Home Care Program for the Elderly (PADAM) of Hogar de Cristo in Calama, providing a safe, modern and adequate space for all of them.

The mayor of Calama
Eliecer Chamorro highlights: “The importance of this milestone will imply a complete replacement of Hogar de Cristo, not only in infrastructure, but also in equipment. This will allow those welcomed to receive the support they deserve and in the appropriate conditions. It is a good sign of the work that the municipality is doing and, of course, of those who support the poorest and most vulnerable in a self-managed and free way, like Hogar de Cristo.”

The ceremony was not only attended by authorities, it was also attended by Hogar de Cristo workers, volunteers and foster children, who joined in this symbolic activity to share their experiences and words of hope.

HOME OF CHRIST IN CALAMA
In Calama, where nearly 300 people face homelessness, the Hogar de Cristo plays an essential role. This organization manages the Hospedería Calama, providing shelter to 30 homeless people. Additionally, it operates the Home Care Program for the Elderly (PADAM), offering crucial services to older adults in the community. In the educational sector, the “Nido de Nuri” kindergarten and nursery school welcomes 25 boys and girls, thus reinforcing Hogar de Cristo's commitment to comprehensive support for the inhabitants of Calama.