Lorena (Rotary Club of El Paso) helps every Saturday morning with the Food Pantry Drive-Thru

Like many non-profits, volunteers are the heart of the work being done through Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM).  With the multiple areas of mercy offered at YLM, from the Food Distribution on Saturday mornings to the annual backpack distribution, and the cleaning of the different buildings, volunteers pour their heart to maintain the ministry momentum at YLM going.

Yolanda helps fill backpacks with school supplies

Several of the volunteers are members of San Pablo Lutheran Church, such as Mrs. Yolanda, a retired teacher, dedicates her Saturday mornings to helping fill up over 200 boxes with a variety of produce.  She also helped, along with other ladies from San Pablo, to fill up over 300 backpacks with school supplies.  For Mrs. Yolanda, not only is this her church, this is also her community, and she is always willing to give of her time and pour out her heart to share God’s love through simple acts of kindness.

Lorena, a member of the El Paso Rotary Club, first volunteered to help during the 2019 Joy Distribution.  She was one of the firsts to respond to the urgent need for volunteers when the Drive-Thru Food Pantry was implemented after COVID-19 shut-downs, and now, she’s the first to arrive every Saturday morning, overseeing the distribution of produce, ensuring the freshest of the donated fruits and vegetables are given out, and given plentifully.

“I love doing this,” she shared with one of a Servant Event members from Faith Lutheran Church in Pierre, SD, who joined the core Saturday morning volunteer team to help before flying back home, “It’s my way of sharing God’s love with other people, dedicating my Saturday mornings to helping here.”

Gloria helps a mother buying toys for her two little girls

Bertha, along with her friends Sharon and Margaret help clean the church every week for the Sunday services.  “This is my church,” Bertha shared after they finished, “And I like helping make my church inviting so it can become someone else’s church too.”

Mercedes and Romelia, members of San Pablo Lutheran Church, are also part of the volunteer team who clean the other buildings, such as the Dormitory Hall and the Kitchen.

Sharon, Bertha and Margaret help clean the church and other buildings every week

Over at the Food Warehouse, Lucy and Rosario spend several hours on Thursdays and Fridays, assembling over 200 food bags filled with the staple items given out on Saturday mornings.  Together, they organize an assembly line system, successfully achieve their goal with the help of volunteers from other churches, but during the COVID-19, the two of them have been putting in extra hours to ensure enough food bags are available every week.

Then there’s Gloria—for years, she has been helping oversee the Cornucopia Thrift Store, where donated clothes, shoes, and furniture are sold Tuesday through Saturday.  She is always cheerful and greets all who come to buy or donate with beautiful smiling eyes.  As a member of San Pablo Lutheran Church, she too feels this is a small way for her to give to others in response to what she has been given by God.

“If it weren’t for our volunteers, it would be immensely difficult to get the help people need out to them,” Rev Dr. Karl Heimer, CEO of YLM and Senior Pastor at San Pablo Lutheran Church, shared with the staff, “There’s so few staff members, and they work hard to do multiple jobs, but every single one of us is beyond grateful for each and every volunteer that help ministry happen.”

With God as the soul of the ministry, these permanent volunteers, along with the monthly, quarterly, and annual volunteers who serve through YLM, are the beating heart giving life and zeal to the areas of mercy at this mission.  The hearts of these beautiful volunteers, their love for God, is shown through the hard and dedicated work of their hands and feet.  They are truly servants of the Lord, faithful and good.