Elijah’s Table (La Mesa de Elias)
At the parish of Transfiguración del Nuestro Señor in Torreon, Mexico, the Carmelites support a community project that brings freshly prepared food to the home-bound members of the community. Our hard-working parish members report on the success of the program below.
The comedor (dining hall) of the Transfiguración parish serves 35-40 diners three days a week. The majority of the recipients are elderly. Many of these live alone and often times they have neither gas or electricity in their homes. Some receive a pension from the government of $100-150 a month. However, the majority who receive the food do not even receive such pensions.
A group of volunteers, with a driver and a small pickup truck, are able to deliver some food to those who cannot make it to the parish dining hall.
Because most of these people do not have medical benefits, the dining hall is able to provide some medicines as well.
Sometimes these elderly have children living with them. We are able to provide some food for the children as well. Many grandparents live with their children and grandchildren. While their sons and daughters go off to work, the grandparents and children stay home. So in some cases, we are feeding a number of people from one family.
Once a week people bring food to the dining hall and a bazaar is organized which allow people to donate items. The government helps by providing some of the basic food. However, the need requires additional resources.
If you’d like to help the Carmelites with their work, please visit our donation page.