ASUNCIÓN DE MARIA SENIORS' HOME: Volunteer Help

Asunción de María Seniors’ Home and How the Good People of Mexico Help

Originally posted on Thursday, December 11, 2014

In my first blog page for Asunción de María Seniors’ Home, I introduced you to Apostolic Missionary of Charity Sr. Felisa and the current activities at Asunción de Maria Seniors’ Home, which serves up to 20 senior women in extreme need because they have no one to care for them. The page includes photos of the day-to-day routine and my experience among the women. In this page, I will show you the amazing ways that the good people of Mexico provide very special material and volunteer help, including some special programs happening during the Christmas season.

Christmas tree and angel at the Seniors' Home

I’ll begin with the food, most of which is donated. When Sr. Felisa goes out to the nearby merchants of small shops or stands, she is always prepared to pay, but 9 times out of 10, the merchants refuse to charge her. More free food and supplies are delivered right to the house.

Donated bananas

Donated vegetables

More donated food bags arrive at Sr. Felisa's home

A precious milk donation

Sr. Felisa and Jaime check the donated food and supplies to see what's missing

The Mexican community also donates clothes and other items for the house. Sometimes they are so generous that Sr. Felisa has more than she needs for the care of 20 women. For new items, administrator Jaime looks for ways to trade for other new items that are needed. When there is a surplus of new items, Sr. Felisa calls for volunteers to help with garage sales after church.

Sr. Florentina, another Apostolic Missionary of Charity, helps at the sale

Choosing something made by hand for their granddaughters--I actually made this sale!

There was soooo much stuff!

Our volunteer Pancho found a great seasonal treasure

As the garage sale continued, Sr. Felisa was not shy about asking for spare change to help the Asunción de Maria Seniors’ Home.

The people of the parish try hard to be generous with the seniors' home

The priests from the local parish also help out. As can be expected in a seniors’ home, two of the ladies passed away while I was in Mexico. It’s very difficult for the ladies to attend a funeral Mass for their friends, so the priest came to Asunción de Maria Seniors’ Home. Even though there is some sadness, the ladies still pray and sing with joy.

Mass at the seniors' home

These ladies miss their friends

There are a number of professionals who also help out free of charge, including a dentist who visits weekly. Administrator Jaime is also currently making arrangements to take the ladies for free eye exams in preparation for donated eyeglasses which are coming soon.

A very nice dentist discusses medications with the seniors

Asunción de Maria Seniors’ Home has many wonderful volunteers. Every Friday evening, a group comes to prepare food and spend precious time with the ladies. They bring their kids to help.

Volunteer talks to Sr. Felisa as he prepares food

Some sweet bread brought by volunteers

There is nothing like a big hug from a small child

And a kiss from a senior is pretty nice, too!

The volunteers help the seniors a lot

Leg massages really help the aches and pains

The seniors have a lot of fun with the kids

And the kids have fun, too!

Last Friday, we were also celebrating a birthday with our volunteers!

Our birthday girl

There is another really big group that sends someone to visit every Saturday evening; however, because of Christmas, the whole group turned up for a special party called Las Posadas. It starts with singing, and then the group gathers all the upstairs and downstairs ladies together for a fun visit with food!

These are young professionals who speak English at work

Upstairs or downstairs, these volunteers keep the seniors together

Volunteer shares a laugh with the seniors

Volunteers also bring food to share

The visit is really appreciated

Asunción de Maria Seniors’ Home is also receiving extra visitors during the Christmas season. One family group came with their teenagers, who were a little shy at first, but when the dancing started—wow!

Teen volunteers greet seniors

Getting more comfortable talking with the seniors

With the group

One morning during breakfast, a special group of kids arrived from an organization very familiar to all of us in the US and Canada, where we often see them dressed as Santa and ringing bells outside of shops. These kids, however, had come with hugs and gifts:

They were upstairs and downstairs, making sure everyone had a visit

These kids were adorable!

And the smiles--wow!

And they especially came with the gift of song and dance!

Let the music begin!

Another way that people help the Asunción de Maria Seniors’ Home is simply by coming to see what it’s all about and spreading the word. After my time in Querétaro with the kids in Proyecto de Vida, founder Eduardo came to Guadalajara to visit me, to meet Sr. Felisa, and to learn more about the seniors’ home. What a joy it was to have him with us!

Eduardo meets the ladies

He was such a gentleman

The ladies were really happy to have him with us

For more information about Proyecto de Vida, you can visit their webpage in Spanish at proyectodevida.org.mx, or their Facebook page (Proyecto de Vida Facebook). If you haven't seen it yet, you can also check out my Proyecto de Vida Blog at Kathy's Proyecto de Vida Blog.

However, the Lord wasn’t finished blessing us with visits, because the next person to come and see me was my old roommate from Vancouver, Leslie, who is from Guadalajara. In fact, Leslie brought members of her family to meet Sr. Felisa, too!

Leslie and her brother with Sr. Felisa

The seniors loved Leslie!

She had lunch with us

Me with Sr. Felisa and Leslie

I continue to be amazed at the ways in which God continues to make the world smaller and smaller, reminding us that we are all brothers and sisters. Thus, you are all welcome to visit Sr. Felisa and Asunción de Maria Seniors’ Home.

Sr. Felisa’s vision is not limited to her current home for senior women—her faith and her heart are much larger than that. She was given some land nearby, and construction is approaching completion for a huge home for 110 seniors, both women and men. Eduardo and Leslie were treated to a tour of the new Asunción de Maria Seniors’ Home, and, like me, they were very impressed. I’ll share more with you about what’s happening on the construction site in my next Asunción de Maria Seniors’ Home Blog entry, coming very soon!