Harsh Winds Cause YLM Campus Damage

For over thirty-seven years, people have been lining up along the side of YLM’s Dormitories every Saturday morning to pick up their food baskets, hoping for a little extra, such as milk or fresh fruit and vegetables. During the summer, the sun hits this very side of the building as early as seven in the morning; this is when many of those receiving these necessary food baskets start to line up. By the time the distribution officially starts at 10 a.m., the sun is in full force, and over three hundred people are doing their best to find some relief by creating some shade with boxes, newspapers, or even a piece of cardboard found on the ground.

Earlier in March of this year, a Servant Event team, Family of Christ Lutheran Church from Ham Lake, Minnesota, came down to El Paso to use their talents and resources, not only to build a house for a young family in Anapra, Juarez, but also to build an awning alongside the Dormitory Building, providing much needed shade from the sun and shelter from the occasional rains. The awning was put to use the very next day after it was completed, with many people expressing their appreciation for the relief from the hot sun.

Unfortunately, due to harsh winds this past Memorial Day weekend, not only was the awning torn apart, but extensive damage was done to the Dormitory roof and AC unit. With the coming hot summer days, not only is exposure to heat a worry regarding those who wait for hours to pick up their much-needed foot staples, but we also have a full Servant Event summer calendar, where many of these teams make use of YLM’s Dormitory.

These repairs are an urgent need, as are the need for the funds of $7,500, the estimate Alonso Gonzalez, Servant Event Project Facilitator and Maintenance Director at YLM, gave to Rev. Dr. Karl Heimer, CEO at YLM.

Donations can be made by clicking the donate button and choosing the designation YLM Campus Repairs. All contributions, no matter how big or small, will go a long way towards helping YLM continue with its mission of changing lives through simple acts of kindness.