|
Salvation Army volunteer Pedro Ahumada moves a barrel holding goods distributed to residents during Tuesday¿s Christmas Day lunch. (ALEJANDRO DAVILA PHOTO / December 26, 2012) |
Hundreds of people and various dozens of volunteers shared their Christmas Day with others Tuesday at Adams Park during the annual lunch hosted by The Salvation Army.
It was mostly homeless men and women, low-income families and the elderly of El Centro who were served by 78 joyful volunteers who distributed meals and toys, blankets and groceries to the needy.
Volunteering “(is) a hobby of mine and it keeps me out of trouble,” said Steven Stumbaugh, 24, who proudly notes he’s served about 1,500 hours with The Salvation Army so far. There’s a satisfaction in volunteering and serving others, he said: “It’s the smile you see on their faces.”
Service to others is clearly important to Stumbaugh, who stopped a fellow volunteer shortly afterward, just to fix that person’s name tag.
Meanwhile, volunteers came out of The Salvation Army kitchen carrying trays of food to people like Ronald Prett, a 52-year-old man with a tattoo on his arm that reads “paranoid kingpin.”
As Prett waited for his meal, he played guitar and then the harmonica.
“Play it man, play it,” said John Anderson, who was sitting nearby. Anderson said at first that he was an El Centro resident only to correct himself. “I live in a tent at the edge of town,” said the 50-year-old before expressing how appreciative he was.
“I really want to say thank you to all the people,” said Anderson and clarified that his appreciation even goes beyond The Salvation Army and its volunteers.
“I panhandle,” he said, “and I really want to say thank you to all the people that give me money. I really appreciate it, because without it, I wouldn’t eat.”
Salvation Army Capt. Jerry Esqueda came up to Anderson moments later and offered him a blanket.
“It’s going good,” Esqueda said about the event, and agreed that there appeared to be fewer people this year compared to last.
But Esqueda didn’t think a better economy is the reason for a drop in numbers. Instead, he sensed that more people are going to Mexicali and, “I really sense that more organizations are doing things as we are, so a lot of people are going to different locations now. … It’s a good thing, I’m glad they are doing it.”
Capt. Vicky Esqueda, who this year was organizing the event with an injured leg, noted this luncheon is different from previous years in that the centerpieces are cans of food tied to helium balloons, and people could take them if they wanted to. “It helps with the cleaning, too,” she said jokingly.
As the morning went by, more people came to the event, particularly for the giveaways. These people were greeted and served by volunteers like Kimberly Enriquez, 27, Isabel Duron,13, Marcos Delgado (seen wearing a cowboy hat with a Salvation Army logo taped on it), and many others who, like El Centro resident Terry Jones, said they volunteer every year simply because they like to serve those in need.
“All these people are wonderful. People like these are unforgettable,” El Cento resident Maria Dueñas, 63, said in Spanish. Dueñas, a mother of a 26-year-old woman with Down syndrome, has been struggling to take her daughter to her doctor’s appointments lately because her car broke down. Two tires and the battery need to be changed, said Dueñas, who is unemployed, “but I don’t have money.”
“I don’t know where I would be without them (The Salvation Army),” she said. “I’m so thankful.”
Abraham Ayala Alatorre, 75, was also thankful; and made it evident by praying out loud before he had a bite of his beans, mashed potatoes and barbacoa plate.
“I prayed today for this food, because the Lord gave me another day to live, and I prayed for Capt. Jerry and Capt. Vicky. … I hope God continues giving them food, because they share it with the needy,” said Ayala in Spanish, and added that as far as 2013 goes, he prays for young people who may be dealing with addiction.
“That’s my Christmas prayer and wish,” he said.
Staff Writer Alejandro Davila can be reached at 760-337-3445 or adavila@ivpressonline.com
To comment on this story click here to be directed to Facebook.
