By Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist
Haven for Hope sent out a call for help ahead of the cold weather expected this past week. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints answered the call. Fifteen members of the Church’s San Pedro Ward, including 4 Sister missionaries from the Texas San Antonio Mission went to sort donations and hang up warm weather clothing ahead of the dropping temperatures.
San Pedro Bishop Bruce Baillio said, “We only knew that we were going to work in the warehouse sorting donations. When we got our assignment, it turns out that we were tasked with opening bundles of warm clothing that were donated by the Church last year.”
They opened up the bundles and hung them on to rolling clothes rack to make the clothing more accessible to those who will come seeking the warm clothing. Bishop Baillio said, “They still had 30 or 40 bundles from the original donation. Out of the five bundles we sorted, we estimated that there were around 250 – 300 coats, jackets and sweaters for all ages.”
Bishop Baillio also noted that as the group of volunteers from the San Antonio North Stake, were serving, they had to work around six pallets of food from the Church’s local Bishop’s storehouse. The pallets of food are a part of the $60,000 grant the Church gave to Haven last year. The food and cleaning supplies donated by the Church’s grant provide Haven for Hope’s “graduates” with a move out box to aid them in their transition into the community.
Bishop Baillio said, “Our Haven volunteer coordinator, Yvette, was really wonderful and appreciative that members of the Church were there to volunteer.”