Cristina Franco
Interim Director and Social Worker

Cristina Franco Abundis joined Casa Arcoíris in August 2019 after several years of working with migrant youth at the YMCA shelter, and teaching in the migration program at Ibero University.

As the social worker and interim director of the organization, she is always busy at work with administration, projects designs, developing working relationships with local organizations and institutions, and providing resources to house residents.

Edsel Gpe. Mosqueda Mtz.
Staff Psychologist

Edsel joined Casa Arcoíris in summer 2019 after working  at Casa del Migrante, Tijuana’s longest-standing shelter. She is dedicated to providing spaces for LGBT+ migrants to express themselves and be accompanied during their difficult journeys to safety and stability. She provides group and individual therapy to many residents directly, and also connects them to additional mental health resources.

Betania Fuentes
Shelter Coordinator and Programming

Betania has been a shelter coordinator at Casa Arcoíris since its opening, and worked supporting LGBT+ migrants before the organization’s founding as well. She organizes day to day function of the shelter, from meals to cleaning to conflict resolution, and also coordinates workshops, recreation and cultural activities for shelter residents.

Karen Fausto
Shelter Coordinator

Karen has worked as shelter coordinator on weekends since September 2019, and is founder of “Plumas Sororas,” which creates and promotes women-led conferences, writing projects, and zines. She leads workshops at the shelter around creative writing and self-publishing. She is also a musician.

Chris Chambers – Treasurer, Fundraising and Legal Support
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Chris has lived in Tijuana since 2012 and has co-founded several community projects in the area since then, including Casa Arcoíris. They work in fundraising and administration for Casa Arcoíris, and collaborate in the LGBT+ legal support project

Sara Amelia Espinosa Islas
Consultant and Volunteer

Sara has been a tremendous support to Casa Arcoíris as part of our board of consultants, as well as a volunteer administrator and organizer. Her extensive history of both grassroots and institutional work includes representative of the Tijuana Migration Program to the SJR-LAC, creator of the University Gender Affairs Programme, member of local local lesbo-feminist collective Lavanda CLIT, and organizer in many other networks and projects. She holds a Master’s degree in women’s studies and sociology from UAM and is pursuing her Doctor’s in education at Ibero.