Donation effort aids those struggling in Wendover

Friday, May. 08, 2020

WENDOVER — Early morning Aug. 25, the Cathedral of the Madeleine’s plaza was home to a sight not usually seen. Trucks and vans were lined up as volunteers, working in an assembly line, filled them with things that in this pandemic are like gold for many. Soon, the vehicles, packed with donations, headed out for the 120-mile drive to Wendover, where the goods would be distributed to those in need.

“The idea to start collecting food for our brothers and sisters in Wendover came alive because of the current situation due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Deacon Guillermo Mendez, who with his wife, Socorro, organized the donation effort.

The Mendezes previously had worked with the Wendover community through Holy Cross Ministries of Utah, when they traveled there every Monday to support the after-school program.

“We met so many wonderful families, but we also learned about their needs,” Deacon Mendez said.

The Wendover community relies heavily on the area’s casinos and hotels for jobs, but with the pandemic, these businesses were hit hard.

“We thought that because of that many families would be struggling ... so we talked with Father Martin [Diaz], who is the rector of the cathedral, and shared the idea of starting the collection, and he immediately supported us,” Deacon Mendez said.

The deacon also contacted Maria Cruz Gray, director of the diocesan Office of Hispanic Ministry, who coordinated donations from the Hispanic Commission, the EMAUS group of lay ecclesial ministers and the V Encuentro delegates.

“With the help of all those people and also some catechists from the cathedral, we collected a good amount of food to take to Wendover,” Deacon Mendez said. “Now more than ever, in these hard times filled with despair and confusion, as Catholics we need to support each other.”

He worked with Father Oscar Hernandez-Hernandez and Deacon Daniel Carrillo at San Felipe Parish in Wendover to organize delivery of the donations, which were distributed to about 120 families.

After seeing the need, Deacon and Socorro Mendez joined forces with The Madeleine Choir School for a second round of donations of food and necessary items for the Wendover community. The delivery is scheduled for May 9.

“Our target is to really fill up one of our buses and support these families,” said Gregory Glenn, the cathedral’s director of Liturgy and Music and pastoral administrator of the choir school.

To explain why the school is helping with the “social distanced” bus, Glenn referred to Pope Francis’ March 27 message: “You are calling on us to seize this time of trial as a time of choosing. It is not the time of your judgment, but of our judgment: a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not. It is a time to get our lives back on track with regard to you, Lord, and to others.” 

Glenn said that many people might feel powerless in the current pandemic “and struggle with what we can do to help others. During this time of choosing, our Holy Father invites us to prioritize our lives and choose what is really important. Our solidarity with our sisters and brothers in Wendover is a very small way we may start to get back on track,” he said.

Several of the volunteers who participated in the first delivery agreed with Glenn, saying they were donating items and their time out of Christian charity.

“We all need to help each other, always thinking that we are here to help each other, to serve each other, and all we do is for the glory of God,” said one of the volunteers, who asked to remain anonymous.

“Helping each other as one Church is what make us a more united Church,” Deacon Mendez said. He added that God’s love is reflected in each donation, no matter its size.

“We are profoundly grateful to all and to Greg and the school families because all together we will be able to help more families,” Deacon Mendez said.