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June 26-July 2, 2020 Facebook @FloridaCatholic
YOUR PALM BEACH COMMUNITY
WENDY DWYER
Florida Catholic correspondent
INDIANTOWN The village of Indiantown is less than 35 miles from the booming metropolis of Palm Beach, but the two commu- nities are worlds apart. The atmosphere of Indiantown is decidedly rural, slower in pace, with less flash and wealth than its nearby neighbor. The village has only about 7,000 permanent resi- dents, and its estimated house- hold income is far below Florida's median salary. Because of Indiantown's prox- imity to agricultural job opportu- nities, many migrant workers call Indiantown home, making the area as diverse as it is beautiful. For the past 45 years, Holy Cross Parish has been cognizant to the needs of the Indiantown com- munity, adhering to the Gospel of Matthew 25: 35-46, which re- minds the faithful that whatever is done to the least of our breth- ren is done unto the Lord most high. Holy Cross Service Center is the parish's nonprofit organiza- tion, staffed by five employees and five volunteers. It provides a wide variety of services and resources to members of the In- diantown community. Its mis- sion is to strive to "minister to the financial and spiritually poor of the Indiantown commu- nity, providing material goods, and services to all, regardless of race, religion or ethnic group, in an atmosphere that seeks to pro- mote the peace and well-being of the individuals who come to us for assistance." Each month, more than 300 families benefit from bags of groceries that include nutritious foods, meats, proteins, grains and fruits. During the COVID-19 pandemic, food insecurity has been an issue for individuals and families throughout the diocese. After schools closed campuses to transition to virtual learn- ing and now for summer break, families who rely on free break- fast and lunch programs for their children's nutritional needs face coming hardships for the sum- mer months. Add to this the num- ber of families whose already small income has been wiped out or seriously depleted through un- employment. The center also assists Indian- town families with rent, utility, and medical costs - needs which have increased sharply during the pandemic as well. We assist families, of course, but we also have a number of cases which involve confined in- dividuals who are unable to work
Center lives out Gospel of Matthew in dire times
William E. Boyes John Farina Peter Matwiczyk
Wills, trusts and guardianship litigation Estate and trust planning and administration
bboyes@bfmlaw.com jfarina@bfmlaw.com pmatwiczyk@bfmlaw.com
3300 PGA Blvd., Suite 600 Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
561-694-7979
11202-0629
Above, the unusally empty Holy Cross Service Center struggles to remain open during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Below, a volunteer attaches tags to donated clothes at the thrift store. (PHOTOS BY JESS MIGUEL FC)
HOLY CROSS SERVICE CENTER
because of their illness and who rely on the aid the center gives them," said Juan Carlos Lasso, director of religious education at the Holy Cross Service Center. Because Indiantown is home to many undocumented indi- viduals, many of the Indiantown residents work in essential jobs, including cleaning, construc- tion, golf course maintenance, landscaping, and nurseries - ar- eas which have been hard-hit be- cause of the pandemic. Providing food, shelter, cloth- ing and medicine is a costly en- deavor, and Holy Cross Service Center relies on personal dona- tions and grants, as well as sales from its small thrift store. The thrift store offers low-cost food, used clothing, small appliances, household and other items do- nated by generous individuals. All sales from the thrift store ben- efit the mission and services pro- vided to local residences in need. Lasso shared that the center has recently applied for grant aid, but money is hard to come by due to the prioritizing of larger agencies who reach more expan- sive communities and have more staff available to stay on top of the complicated grant process. Lasso said the center relies on donations of food and other items from Publix, Walmart and local churches just to stay stocked. As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, continued Lasso, sales at the Holy Cross Service Center thrift store have declined by 60%, which has put the center itself in a financial tailspin. We are in the very difficult position of trying to sustain the center's expenses," Lasso said. We have reduced our operating hours and services and now find ourselves to be in need of assis- tance from the community we serve in order to survive." Despite being in a time of dif- ficulty and much stress, Lasso, staff and volunteers continue to do as much as they can to help the community, but they send an appeal to anyone who is able to make a tax-deductible donation to help keep the doors open and the lights on. We are looking for grants and donations, small or large, and we want people to know that each and every donation made will help ensure that we can continue our work and service to the com- munity. It is difficult, to be sure, but we are humbled and want everyone to know that, at this moment in time, we are 'the least of our brothers,' and we hope that others will help pave their way into the kingdom of God by choosing to live the Gospel of Matthew with us, too."
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Donations to Holy Cross Service Center in Indiantown can be made directly to Holy Cross Catholic Church Service Center, 15939 SW 150th Street, Indi- antown, FL 34956, or online at holycrossindiantown.org. Dona- tions should include "Service Center" in the memo. Call 772- 597-2798 for more information. Services are provided in both English and Spanish.
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