December, 2013-Serving Hands International Annual Christmas Tradition Program continues to generate joyous and lasting memories for our partner organizations and their communities. One such story, retold by Father Francisco Javier of a Tijuana Parish, is evidence of that fact. His story, translated into English, demonstrates the happiness and relief felt by those who are elected to participate in the SHI Christmas Tradition Program. “After the main distribution of Serving Hands International food bags donated to my parish, there were 6 food bags remaining which I planned to deliver. I drove to an underprivileged area close to the water dam. It was now past 6 p.m. and quite dark outside when I saw a very small humble home with a faint light. I sounded the horn and a man with extreme caution peered out of the doorway. He asked ‘May I help you?’ I told him I was Father Francisco. I shared that I had brought a food bag to deliver to the less fortunate families in the neighborhood. As I spoke I delivered such bag into his hand and asked him to share with his family. In that moment, the man dropped to his knees and raised his arms to thesky saying, ‘I thank God for this gift, this was going to be the saddest Christmas of my life – not having anything to feed my family.’ He then stood up and went quickly inside his house screaming, “Family, God sent us dinner!” I could hear his wife and children cheering. “This was truly one of the unsurpassed moments of mylife,” shared Father Francisco to Serving Hand’s Field Officer Joaquin Hernandez. “This experience has been a compelling motivation to continue to undertake this beautiful project in order to provide a Christmas dinner to just such less destitute families!” With humble thanksgiving we acknowledge the generosity of Serving Hands International donors and our Sponsor, A-1 Self Storage without whom Serving Hands International Christmas Tradition Program would not be possible. Through your generosity families in Tijuana were fed this year and for the past 31 years when the program began.
