Soup Kitchen Set Up Next to Tijuana River

Tijuana residents who live in the Tijuana River canal north of the border crossing’s pedestrian bridge have long been a familiar sight to citizens and tourists. From below the bridge, the indigent frequently beg pesos from passersby. It is a hardened man who can walk by this scenario every day and not, on occasion, reach into his pocket and find a few coins to toss down.

Saturday, February 11, was a day of relief for these down-and-outers, when a church group pulled up in a couple of trucks and set up an impromptu soup kitchen. With soup cauldrons aboil, the homeless gathered around and respectfully listened to the message delivered before settling down to a bowl of soup and a sandwich.

While one of the homeless washed up in the fetid waters of the canal, another impoverished wag could not resist the opportunity to pick up a few pesos by soliciting dinero from the curious crowd that had stopped on the bridge above.