“My daughters took me to different places, and we liked this one on the outside, and we came in and liked it better than any of the rest of them. This is mostly a Spanish-speaking area, and I do not speak Spanish, but I’ve learned moving in I connected with several people right off. As I got to know more and more people—even those that speak Spanish only—all you have to do is hug somebody, and you don’t need no language. There is no language barrier there, so that’s how I got to know a lot of them too. They…

“I really like the people that I’ve met here. All of [them] are really cool, so I really enjoy that. I think the cause is really good as well—coming in and making these bags to give to people who so desperately need it. I think those are two really good things that I’ve gotten from this place. It’s really nice to understand different people from different backgrounds and the differences between them. I think it’s mostly just the experience of interacting with different people. I’m in a middle class home, so I for most of my life have been—not isolated—but…

“I learned that there was a way to get some assistance over here, and they put God first, so I was also drawn by that. I received help with the immigration paperwork, that’s the main thing, also with food assistance and some assistance with the access program (Department of Children and Families). I also received a referral for adult education. In terms of my interactions here at Catholic Charities, I have seen how the people, when they are touched by God, you can feel that in the interactions that we’ve had here. There are different religions and different ways of…