“We came fleeing from a country that was already in ruins. We had had many political setbacks because my husband was a party leader. In 2016 and 2017, trying to get out of a dictatorship, he formed groups of neighbors. We would meet every night to find a way out. There was an invasion of…

“I was shot in my head by a stray bullet while sleeping at home back in September 2019, and of course, that has affected my job. I have been out of work for over two years because of the injury. I had my surgery in January 2020 to remove the bullet. It was a risk…

“I was in Chile, and I passed through 10 more countries and arrived in Mexico. After Mexico, I crossed the border and came here. Catholic Charities helped me a lot, like when I got here, I didn't have anything. I had no money. I had nothing, but you helped me sign up for food stamps…

“Since COVID hit, I lost my job. I was an aid, and a lot of patients had passed. I recently just got two jobs, so still trying to pick things up before I can stop coming here, but they are always a blessing. A little bit goes a long way. Instead of having to go…

“I come on Tuesdays. I do the packing! We don’t see anyone. I am the ‘fruit division.’ I think of Christ and giving the first fruits. I was just looking to give back. I lost my husband a couple years ago, and I had all this time, and God has been so good to me…

Connie turned 100 last week, so we threw her a birthday party!   “This means a lot because I know they went through a lot of trouble. I didn’t expect anything like this. I used to attend events [hosted by Catholic Charities of Central Florida’s Senior Wellness Services], but I can’t anymore. It’s hard for…

“I saw a lot of families, and I think it’s always of a reminder of how pain is universally human. My pain is differently than these people’s, but they’re still in pain, and if I can do something to alleviate that, then I want to do it. Hunger is such a basic human thing—most people…

“I spent seven days sleeping in the jungle in Panama. It was very hard for me because I never went through this. I had to sleep on the floor with the ants biting my skin. You try to be calm because you cannot move. If you move, basically any animal can bite you—like a snake.…

“I see agape in the distribution of food freely without any return. That is an expression—a manifestation—of agape, and it’s beautiful. I think what you’re doing here is a wonderful service to the community, and I tell people about you. During the pandemic, I relied on the food pantry very heavily because I’m a musician,…

“During the pandemic and during quarantine, we were all just at home pretty much not doing anything, and it was the same endless cycle over and over again. My mom was the one who told us about this, and she was telling us like, ‘We should do more. We have so much, we should be…