Volunteers arrive at 6:30 every Saturday morning to assemble over 200 food boxes

2020 has been a year full of constant changes and struggles for so many families in El Paso and Juarez, especially the Lower Valley area where a large percentage of families are living paycheck to paycheck.  Through the generosity of supporters of Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM), partnering mission-churches in El Paso and Juarez have been able to reach out to their surrounding communities to offer help in so many ways, and for young children, the annual Joy Distribution has helped make Christmas extra special.

“When the choice is paying the rent over buying toys for their kids, there’s really no choice at all,” Rev Dr. Karl Heimer, CEO of YLM and Senior Pastor at San Pablo Lutheran Church, shared as planning took place, “So we are making it possible for them to be able to provide a gift for their child or grandchild.”

Toys in black bags and jackets were distributed to all who registered

Many who register to receive jackets and toys for children are grandparents living on supplemental checks or just enough social security and retirement to scrape by.  For them, giving a gift to their grandchild is very important, and it’s a blessing to be able to do so through the help of YLM’s partner mission-churches.

December 19^th was the day toys were distributed at the YLM/San Pablo campus, with cars driving through to receive food baskets and boxes loaded with produce, the line splitting off towards one side of the campus if they were picking up jackets and toys while those who weren’t kept going through the campus and around the warehouses to exit into the street.

Volunteers are invited to join in prayer before the Drive-Thru Food Pantry begins

“With the dedicated volunteers we had, we were able to ensure no traffic incidents in or outside the campus,” Maritza Muñoz, Missions and Ministry Facilitator and Office Manager for San Pablo Lutheran Church, explained the process, “We practiced distance by asking people to stay in their vehicles.  Volunteers brought their food boxes, jackets, and toys and loaded them into the vehicle.  It worked well.”

Just like every other Saturday, by 7:30 in the morning, cars were lined up all the way around the corner, patiently waiting as volunteers, who arrived at 6:30am, assembled produce boxes, set up stations, and went over the day’s process.  Before the gates opened and the first car was waved in, all volunteers were invited to round up and pray for a successful day of God’s love can shining through their generous service and joyful voices.

Pastor Benito greets people as they drive up for food boxes

As the sun got higher in the sky, car after car came through.  Pastor Benito from San Pablo Lutheran greeted every single vehicle, letting them know how San Pablo serves its community –church on Sunday mornings, a prayer ministry, Bible classes for an opportunity to learn of God’s love for them, and acts of kindness in partnership with YLM.

“There’s a lady who comes every Saturday,” Maritza shared one afternoon, “She always shares with me her struggles and she cries and I remind her God is in control.  I saw her at church last Sunday for the first time…I went up to greet her and told her how happy I was to see her there.  This is why we do what we do.”

This Joy Distribution was unlike others, as not many children were with their parents to pick up their toys.  Yet, joy was obvious throughout the morning as voices rang out, numbers got called out, thank yous and God bless yous yelled out as people waved and drove off.

By ten in the morning, over 200 vehicles had come by for food boxes, over 200 toys and jackets were picked up, and the dedicated volunteer team cleaned up before leaving to continue enjoying their Saturday after having brought kindness into the lives of so many through the simple act of serving their neighbor.

What a distribution of joy December 19, 2020 was, and all because God loved us first!