Mil Gracias, Centro San Edmundo! - Recently volunteers, parish staff members, and pastors of local churches gathered in the beautiful, wooden-arched, second floor gymnasium of the Saint Edmund School building to share memories, bid farewell to Centro San Edmundo, and bless the beloved community of volunteers that had formed there through the Migrant Ministry. Yes, we can talk about number of migrant visits (over 20,000), immediate needs met (distribution of clothing, shoes, bedding, and toiletries), and services provided (immigration support, ESL, and social services), but that won’t capture the magic and the LOVE experienced over the past 22 months since the center opened in January 2024.

Volunteers shared memories of little girls twirling in pretty dresses, boys clutching new soccer balls, women selecting warm puffy coats, and men standing straighter and prouder in their new clothes. The center embodied donations with dignity. We celebrated holidays with homemade Easter decorations, a Halloween parade of happy children in costumes, and a Christmas toy “free store.” Centro San Edmundo was a place of joy.

Among the volunteers, a tight community was formed. Brought together from different faith centers with a desire to serve migrants, volunteers developed close friendships. They supported each other through different life events, including the birth of a child and the tragic death of another volunteer.

Although Centro San Edmundo is closed to migrants, store rooms are available and volunteers will be filling special orders for coats and clothing until we are able to move to our new location at Boulevard Presbyterian. Meanwhile, immigration support services, ESL, and social services continue in Murphy Hall. We are pausing all but financial donations now, and will alert you when we can accept donations again. Thank you for your ongoing support of the Migrant Ministry.

For more information, email [email protected].