Colossians 3:13
“First-year University student Anayeli, 17, and her mother came to Casa de los Pobres very worried to ask for help, so she may continue her career at the University. Anayeli lives with her mother, father, and brothers, 15 and 11 years old. Her father works at a car wash and earns less than the minimum each week. Her mother cleans houses two days a week earning a few pesos. These small earnings don’t cover the rent, electricity, water, transportation, or school fees and supplies. Anayeli works half-time as a receptionist earning about 32 pesos a week. With the help of the Casa, her parents, and her own earnings, Anayeli hopes to continue her education at University, so she can become a Child Psychologist to specialize in disabilities.”
This young lady is obviously bright, realizes the importance of education, and is willing 
to work for it. Thank you scholarship donors! Can you help support a student with a monthly donation?
Your regular donations help to provide for the needs of the destitute who come to the Casa seeking food, clothing, and medical care. Jesus says in the Gospel, “The poor you will always have with you.” The thousands of people the Franciscan Sisters feed and care for at the Casa are these poor. Many cannot help themselves because of sickness, deformity, or old age. The Casa is their lifeline. Some who come to the Casa need only a few months of temporary help, while others are totally dependent. The destitute who come to the Casa do not choose this life! “There but for God go I.”
How You Can Help
Sister Armida writes, “Prayer is our strength to keep our faith deeper in God, who provides for us all.” Greatest needs now are:
- Bedding, towels, personal and laundry soap
- Staple food items, bottled water.
The need for food is always great. The women appreciate donations of fabric, threat, and yarn to make items they can sell. The Sisters always encourage the people to help themselves. Your donations help to accomplish this.
The children of St. Patrick’s Parish Religious Education Program donated and assembled 112 very large plastic bags containing food, socks, treats, and useful items — plus a written note for the family who will receive the gift. This is for Bodega Day. THANK YOU!
The Sisters not only provide food and medical attention, they treat every man, woman, and child with the utmost dignity, and provide jobs that enhance self-worth. The jobs provided are for the “volunteers”, and they work very hard at the Casa — in the kitchen, cleaning up, driving the trucks, sorting clothing, etc. These men and women are paid small wages and a weekly bag of food for their labor. This helps them to sustain their families while maintaining their respect.
PLEASE KEEP THE SISTERS IN YOUR DAILY PRAYERS. Prayer is an important part of this mission where God provides through us all.
May God bless you for your goodness to his poor during this Holy Easter Season
EVERY donation helps. This month, we sent $13,939.43 to the Casa from 61 donors. Thank you! Your donations to the Casa go farther, because we have no overhead, other than PayPal and credit card changes.
What can donations accomplish in a month? In March:
- 32,660 persons of all ages served hot meals in the Casa Dining Room
- Many people received handouts of food daily
- 525 General Medical Clinic visits and prescriptions filled
- 1,810 bags of groceries were given
- 1,210 families obtained clothes and house supplies
- 470 people personally attended to in the Social Service Office
- Free haircuts were given by groups who came to donate their time
- 26 scholarship aids
- 3 Lenten Retreats for children, youth, and the Medical Group — Annual Women’s Day Prayer Celebration