Guadalupe’s story began in 2007, when she first sought the help of Catholic Charities’ San Gabriel Region’s San Juan Diego Community Services Center in El Monte for food and clothing for her and her family.
April 2014 – English
Families in Need: Catholic Charities Responds
San Juan Diego Center Helps in Crisis
Guadalupe’s story began in 2007, when she first sought the help of Catholic Charities’ San Gabriel Region’s San Juan Diego Community Services Center in El Monte for food and clothing for her and her family. Last year, Guadalupe became pregnant with her second child. Born prematurely, the baby needed extra medical care and had to remain at the hospital for over a month. During that time, Guadalupe would visit her ill child daily with the help of Catholic Charities, which provided bus tokens for her travels.
After a month of hospital visits, Guadalupe finally brought her baby home. Filled with joy and delight, she returned only to discover that her husband had abandoned them. Disillusioned and desperate, Guadalupe returned to San Juan Diego Center. There, Elena Guzman, Client Resources Coordinator, immediately provided Guadalupe with diapers, clothing, hygiene products and food sufficient for a few days. Elena helped Guadalupe apply for public benefits and other subsidy programs.
Through one of Catholic Charities’ partnerships with other businesses, Guadalupe and her children were adopted at Christmas by the employees of Macy’s Logistics and Operations as part of their GIVE BACK adopt-a-family program. She said, “I do not know what to say. Thank you very much for being so kind to me and my children. Thank you for making Christmas for us.” Guadalupe quickly put on the pair of tennis shoes she received to replace the pair with holes that she had been wearing. “I am grateful to Elena and Catholic Charities for helping me deal with my difficult situation. Here at San Juan Diego Center, I am always treated with kindness and respect. Thank you too, Macy’s,” she concluded.
Through the generous donations of individuals, organizations, and businesses, such as Macy’s Logistics and Operations, Catholic Charities is able to respond to the needs of children, women, men, and the elderly who are marginalized, hungry, homeless and poor. For more information, please contact Mary Romero, San Gabriel Regional Director, at mromero@ccharities.org or (323) 266-3130.
Reprinted with permission from February 2014 issue of The Sage quarterly newsletter of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc.
Catholic Charities provides compassionate social services that respond to the suffering of the vulnerable and those in crisis in our local communities. For information on Catholic Charities programs in your area, go to www.catholiccharitiesca.org and click “find help.”
Links:
www.cacatholic.org
www.la-archdiocese.org
www.catholiccharitiesca.org