By Joe Robledo, East Stake Director of Public Affairs
Today’s mobile food pantry, held the second Saturday of every month at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Galway building, presented a couple of unique twists. The Catholic Charities’ Hope Mobile, usually present, is down in south Texas helping with the recent flooding. With the Hope Mobile noticeably absent, large bins of food commodities were brought inside the building for distribution.
from members of a local Baptist Church
Members from San Antonio East Stakes’ 1st Ward and Mission Creek Ward, as well as volunteers from other denominations, combined to support the Catholic Charities Mobile Food Pantry Self Sufficiency Program.
The other unique twist arrived with another mobile unit. The San Antonio Public Library’s Literacy Caravan was on hand at the Church’s Galway building to promote it’s message of family literacy and its role in a child’s future success.
James Steward, along with Literacy Caravan Coordinator, Cheryl Iglehart Conley, described the different items and benefits that are available in the Literacy Caravan. The Caravan has different work stations inside where families and children can get experience in education topics like math and science.
They related the positive and inspiring experiences they have had in the 11 years the program has been in existence. Conley said that her best experiences always involve the children. “They have such an enjoyable time, and they are reluctant to leave.”
Since its inception, the Literacy Caravan has impacted more than 125,000 children who all take home a free book to promote continued literacy in the home. “Fostering a love of reading, increasing the number of library card holders in the San Antonio community and creating a connection between families and the library” is part of the Literacy Caravan’s mission statement. The Literacy Caravan’s visit was coordinated by Kathryn Robles, the Relief Society President of the Church’s 1st Ward. The Caravan is booked with visits through November, it focuses on those districts in town with a lower literacy rate.
East Stake’s 1st Ward with her children