Arms of Hope Update
by Leslie Salinas, Marilyn Flores, and Patrick Lemmons
The partnership between Impact and Arms of Hope continues to affect lives in many ways; here are a few short but powerful stories to illustrate that.
Ms. Betty, who has survived cancer twice and also a divorce, is one of the strongest women I have met. She is on a fixed income and with so many dietary restrictions caused by her cancers she is unable to sustain her budget. Ms. Betty came into contact with us in 2021 at the Impact Garage Sale, but it wasn’t until months later that she found herself in need of our program. Through the assessment, she obtained access to the Impact Resource Center food pantry, but most importantly she was able to visit and be in fellowship at a Sunday worship service at Impact. Ms. Betty is such a joy to visit with, her faith and love for Jesus is enchanting. We continue to provide support for Ms. Betty as she shifts back into the workforce as a medical assistant, a job she held for many years before she fell ill. She is eager to do what she loves in life, which is helping others.
Arms of Hope also had the pleasure of working with Juana Vega. She is an amazing woman who loves God dearly. Ms. Vega is a senior citizen and works part time baking desserts at a local restaurant. She relies on her adult children to help her financially, and came to us when they were unable to do so and the restaurant where she is employed was closed for a few days. She received an eviction notice, something she had never experienced before, and was very nervous and scared. Ms. Vega was such a pleasant client to work with and took advantage of all of our community resources, the Resource Center, and was very encouraged to receive Faith 101, something that she said was going to help her grow in her faith.
Ms.Julia Quintero is the mother of a beautiful 16 year old girl and works as a housekeeper. Her weekly wages have been inconsistent, and her health has deteriorated since being diagnosed with diabetes. Her husband Jose suffers from gout, and after going weeks without being able to work he was recently let go. Ms. Julia is looking for income at a restaurant but is awaiting call backs, and Mr. Jose does odd jobs when he is selected from The Home Depot parking lot, where he goes every day. Ms.Julia has the added stress of trying to raise a teenager daughter, who is very important to her. She wants to instill God in her life and makes every effort to encourage her daughter’s participation in church. Arms of Hope became a resource for this family during this time by providing her resources and connecting them to a minister at Impact. Let us continue to pray for this family to stay strong through these hard times and for them to grow stronger in their faith.
