A woman named Sofia came to see us at the Food Bank last month wondering if we could help her. On her own initiative she had started a community center where she focused on helping single moms with children, and the elderly. She relies on donations but with the economy in Juarez like it is, the donations have stopped coming in. Unemployment is high and jobs are very scarce. “I’ve asked all around trying to get help for the people in need who come to the center, but no one has responded. Can you help us?”
We went to visit her center and found a run-down adobe room with chipped paint flaking off the walls. In the corner were some small cabinets where supplies are normally stored but which now stood empty. As we were talking to Sofia, some people helped a weak, elderly lady into the room. We learned that she was 87 years old and had not had anything to eat for 7 days. She had been abandoned by her relatives and some neighbors had found her in bed. The electricity and water were about to be cut off at her little house because she had no money to pay the bills. Sofia asked those present if they had any food to share and everyone pitched in from the little they had to provide some groceries for this poor widow. We gave Sofia the money needed to pay the woman’s utility bills for the month.
Sofia’s center is in a different area than our Food Bank, and we are going to start supplying them with rice, beans and potatoes each week to distribute to those in need, like the 87 year old widow we met that day.
Thank you for helping us help them.
May the Lord bless you with a happy, healthy New Year!