Holy Cross Ministries seeks food for children's programs

IC photo by Laura V. Sausedo

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Socorro Méndez of the Holy Cross Ministries arrenges the coats that they received as a donation.

SALT LAKE CITY - In Salt Lake City there's a ministry with a very special feature, to help the needy.

The Sisters of the Holy Cross Ministries have a variety of programs, all of which focus on building communities that are based in justice and love, to eradicate poverty and to eliminate discrimination against women.

In Utah the ministry has two particular programs for kids, one in Park City and the other in Wendover. This Christmas season, they are trying to "get plenty of candies, turkeys and jams for the families in need, as well as food such as cereals, cookies, juices, rice " and other nutritious food for families, said Socorro Méndez, who is in charge of the programs.

Already this winter the ministry received a unique gift: a donation of coats, hats and snow boots for kids. These will be distributed by a team that will visit homes to evaluate the families' needs, Méndez said.

Other holiday events are in the works. "Right now the kids in Wendover are going to have a Christmas party in which we'll give them candy and gifts, we are going to give each kid a toy," Méndez said. The kids that have been helped in Wendover attend Ana Smith School.

In Park City, the ministry works Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Besides Méndez two volunteers travel to Parleys Elementary School, where they teach after-school programs to the kids. These programs include activities such as arts and crafts and sports.

"In the morning we visit the families to ask them about their particular needs. Talking to the parents, we discover how can we help their kids to improve in school or to provide them with material stuff such as food or clothes, or even computers," Méndez said.

In Park City Méndez has scheduled a Posada on Dec. 17; the children will present a Christmas program with songs, dances and a play for their families. In addition to food, there will be a piñata and candy will be distributed.

All these activities are done through the help of volunteers; some are social workers who need to fill community hours; some are just people who want to help.

The families in need can go to the Holy Cross Ministries to ask for help, even though for now their main focus is to help the kids that are enrolled in the Wendover (20 kids) and Park City (an estimated of 110 kids) programs.

To make donations, visit www.holycrossministries.org, or contact Sister Suzanne Brennan at 801-261-3440 ext.23.