Prior to El Buen Samaritano’s Thanksgiving food distribution at the annual “Hands of Hope,” the Rotary Club of Austin-Southwest donated and installed two Peace poles with languages appropriate for El Buen’s client base. The installation is in the highly visible round-about from which food is distributed every week of the year as well as at the “Hands for Hope” Thanksgiving food event.
It was a wonderful group effort coordinating the design for the Peace Pole garden with El Buen Samaritano’s Youth interns and the landscape installation donated by Lowe’s Home Improvement. Part of the process was the installation of the poles by our Club.
More than 2500 families picked up their Thanksgiving food at the “Hands of Hope” event November 22 and drove by the Peace Pole Garden. It was officially blessed that day by an officiating priest at the event.
The Rotary Club of Austin-Southwest has volunteered at El Buen Samaritano for several years to help fight food insecurity through their food pantry; supported literacy through their English as a Second program during Covid; participated in the annual “Hands of Hope” food distribution and at the El Buen Community Garden. The CEO of El Buen Samaritano, Dr. Rosamaria Murillo, along with one of her designees, became the Club’s first corporate member, a new concept for Membership Development for our Rotary Club. El Buen Samaritano has been the recipient of the Club’s District Assistance Program (DAP) grant funds partnering with the Rotary Club of Austin-Southwest for several years. Through the DAP grant program of District 5870, the Club has provided a much-needed shed in the El Buen community garden, complete with a large Rotary emblem AND a Peace Pole. Also, the Club and the DAP grant provided critical equipment for the food pantry such as rolling carts, shelving, and coolers. When Covid shut down face to face ESL lessons, a volunteer from the Club zoomed in every week to assist the ESL instructors. Our DAP grant provided equipment for that program that year. Every month, Club volunteers provide hands-on assistance in the food pantry and parking lot. The food pantry serves over 300 families on average distribution days.