Category: News

By: Peter Hightower, Area Media Specialist

Once a person decides to serve their neighbor, often times they don’t get to choose how that service will be manifest or who will be most in need of that service. When Pastor Becky Ballou of the First United Methodist Church in Eagle Pass, Texas started the non-profit Mission Border Hope several years back, she imagined that her coordinated outreach efforts would focus on victims of domestic violence and the homeless in her community. She had no idea at the time that her humble project would soon become a critical partner in caring for thousands of refugees and asylum seekers flooding the international border that runs through her sleepy little town. 

So far in 2019 record numbers of asylum seekers have arrived all along the Southwest Border between the United States and Mexico, but the tiny town of Eagle Pass was hit particularly hard. Neither the Border Patrol nor city officials were adequately prepared for the sudden increase in traffic. The official numbers published by Customs and Border Protection^[1] report that 432,838 total Family Units^[2] were apprehended on the Southwest Border from October 2018 to July 2019 (FY19TD JUL) compared to 77,794 from the same period of the prior year (FY18TD JUL). In the Del Rio Sector, which Eagle Pass belongs to, the numbers surged from 2,109 in FY18TD to 26,904 in FY19TD, a 1,176% increase in apprehensions of Family units. The sheer number of asylum seekers overwhelmed Border Patrol stations large and small all along the border. 

Border Patrol stations by nature are intended to be short-term processing facilities designed to securely hold an apprehended subject for only as long as it takes to identify the individual and determine their legal fate after crossing the international boundary. Under ideal conditions, a person will spend only a few hours in the Border Patrol station before being released or turned over to a separate agency for long-term care and disposition. Large influxes of migrants such as that experienced this year complicate a normally smoothly run system and strain the resources available to the stations. Once the Border Patrol started releasing Family Units due to the overwhelming numbers, border communities from San Diego to Brownsville suddenly found themselves responsible for the care and transport of thousands of people. Unprepared local governments were quickly overwhelmed and turned to faith-based organizations for assistance. This is where Pastor Becky and her group, Mission Border Hope, discovered they were perfectly situated to fill the sudden critical need. Continue reading “A Mission of Hope on the Border”

By Marci McPhee, JustServe Specialist San Antonio East Stake

“My granddaughter just got out of prison and we could sure use the food,” said an elderly woman with a large multigenerational family under her roof.

That family was one of many families helped on Saturday, October 12, thanks to the ongoing partnership between Catholic Charities and the San Antonio East Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The partnership supports a monthly visit of the Mobile Food Pantry called “Hope Mobile” at the Las Palmas Building of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 655 Castroville Road. This month, a team of members from the High Country Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ and the Catholic faith volunteered alongside college students from local schools, who were there to help and to gain valuable community experience.

Some visitors knew about the pantry because of signs in the neighborhood; others heard about it through social media and word of mouth, especially from members of the Church who worship in that building, who reached out to neighbors and friends. One sister even provided warm rice pudding for the volunteers on that chilly autumn day. Continue reading “Help on Wheels: The Mobile Food Pantry”

By Ken Jarvis, Area Media Specialist

The buzzer sounds as the ball goes into play. Both teams scramble for control but instead of shoes squeaking on the hardwood, the crowd hears the sound of metal creaking and straining under the stress of players grappling and colliding.  

This isn’t your average basketball game.  It’s a match between the San Antonio Para Sports athletes including wounded veterans and the O’Conner High School varsity basketball team. Everybody is in a wheelchair.  

O’Conner varsity player, Jackson Vaughn, organized this game in order to raise money to buy a sports wheelchair for another teenager who loves basketball.  The wheelchair will be a gift for Izaiah Merritte, a 14-year-old basketball player who outgrew his old sports wheelchair.  Vaughn said he loves playing basketball and wants other kids to have an opportunity to play as well, no matter how they get around.  Continue reading “Eagle Project Raises Funds for Sports Wheelchair”

By Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the newest participating member of the Helotes House of Neighborly Service. Helotes House is an ecumenical organization in the Archdiocese of San Antonio.  Helotes House provides food, toiletries, clothing, school supplies, and “make pledges for utility bills and emergency rental assistance … to our brothers and sisters in need” said Joe Beach, President of Helotes House.

The Presidency of the Church’s West Stake wrote a Humanitarian grant for Helotes House, asking for assistance from the Bishop’s Storehouse. It was approved and this morning they toured the Storehouse to get an idea of the commodities available for their food pantry and learn how it all works. The Humanitarian grant will allow the Helotes House to work with the headquarters for the San Antonio Bishops Storehouse, located in Colorado. They will order food items that will then be delivered to the Storehouse and set aside for pick up by the Helotes House. Continue reading “Joining Hands in “Neighborly Service””

By Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

Today marks the 25th anniversary of Mobility Worldwide and it has never been easier to join them in bringing the gift of mobility to others. Mobility Worldwide is now listed on JustServe in San Antonio as a monthly service opportunity. On the last Saturday of each month, volunteers can go to the small San Antonio workshop to help build and assemble some of the three-wheeled vehicles.

The hand-cranked three-wheelers are great on rough terrain and have blessed the lives of more than 80,000 people over the last 25 years. The skills needed to help build these carts are easily taught to volunteers and a great deal can be accomplished during the three-hours.

Continue reading “Mobility Comes to JustServe”

By Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

Residents of Haven for Hope’s Courtyard will enjoy sleeping on clean mats this evening thanks to volunteers from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint’s San Pedro Ward. Seventeen folks answered Haven’s call for help this morning. Working with Haven’s Volunteer Coordinator, DJ Jackson, two separate projects were accomplished.

The first project was to clean the mats that residents sleep on. They organized into three teams. The first team pulled the mats out out of their storage area and laid them out on the cement for cleaning. The second group wet the mats with a hose and scrubbed them with brooms and a cleaning solution. The third group then moved in and wiped the mats dry with a whole laundry basket full of towels. The clean mats were then re-stacked in the storage area. Due to security concerns for the residents, no pictures were taken in the Courtyard. The group cleaned 190 mats in an hour, which Jackson mentioned was an impressive amount accomplished. Continue reading “Clean Up at Haven for Hope”

By Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

“These baskets mean someone is caring for them, even when they’re not there….  it’s no longer just their problem,” said Lisa Whitman, a registered nurse for the Hospice Team.

Relief Society sisters from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Evans Ranch Ward have been busy collecting, crocheting, sewing and baking items for the past two months to fill 47 baskets full of love for hospice patients.

Continue reading “Baskets of Comfort”

By Ken Jarvis, Area Media Specialist

By nine in the morning it was already getting hot and the humidity was stifling. But underneath the pavilion behind the San Antonio West Stake’s Helotes Ward building a group of about 20 volunteers tried to ignore the heat as they prepared to help Eagle candidate Brayden Chatland accomplish his goal of building beds for San Antonio area children. Brayden’s team was working to support the Sleep in Heavenly Peace organization.  

He admitted that the fundraising was a hard but good experience for him.  “Honestly, I’m not a super outgoing person. I’m a little shy so it was a really good experience to go and talk to people.”

According to Scoutmaster, Jeffery Steffen, Brayden is one of 15 boys preparing to receive the Eagle award this year. “About six of them have completed an Eagle project and are waiting on a final board,” said Steffen.  “That includes two young men who are not members of our Church.” The rest of the boys are moving swiftly toward completion.  

Continue reading “Helotes Ward Has 15 Young Men Preparing to Receive Their Eagle This Year”

By Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

The newest member of the Catholic Charities Mobile relief fleet was introduced today. “Faith” the Mobile Shower Trailer will travel around San Antonio and surrounding areas. It is equipped with two shower and restroom stalls along with a washer and dryer. It will provide much needed services from refreshing bodies, reviving spirits and renewing dignity.

Elder Carlos Villarreal, Area Seventy, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spoke at the press-conference to introduce the Shower Trailer. He said, “It is great to partner with the Archdiocese of San Antonio and Catholic Charities. It has been a wonderful team effort, to be able to work together to bless the lives of many.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has recognized the wonderful services that Catholic Charities provides to the underserved in our community and has partnered with Catholic Charities on several service opportunities. Catholic Charities’ CEO, Antonio Fernandez, who had envisioned the benefits of a shower trailer, shared his vision last year with local leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ. Shortly after the CEO’s vision was shared with the Church, a check for the cost of the truck and trailer was presented by Elder Villarreal. 

Continue reading ““Faith” Joins “Hope” in Mobile Relief Efforts”

By Leisa Parsons, Area Media Specialist

Going “back to school” became a little less painful for kids and for their mother’s wallets with a Community Clothing Drive. The drive, sponsored by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in conjunction with the Colonies North community served hundreds of people today.

The donations began pouring in yesterday at Colonies House, Colonies North’s Community Center. Fortunately, along with the donations, volunteers showed up in force to help set up. Racks of clothing, organized by size, began to fill along with table after table each with mounds of clothing. For Debbie Walker, President of the Women’s organization for the Church’s San Antonio North Stake, and the event’s organizer, it was gratifying to see the efforts of so many work together to bless the underserved in the area. 

Continue reading “Back to School Clothing Drive”