Christian Shelter services location on Broadway.
Photo by Lisa Morton
By Lisa Morton
The Van Horn Community Christian Shelter is giving back to the youth in the community this summer through a Kids’ Lunch Program, High School Scholarship Search program, Emergency Food Bank, and food sharing from the El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank.
All of this is going on while still providing shelter, meals, clothing, hot showers, and fellowship for the needy, both local and out-of-towners. Manpower hours are still needed to sort through donated items and for maintenance.
Beginning Monday, July 10 through Friday, August 25, the Shelter will be providing lunches for area children and teens from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday at 203 E. Broadway in Van Horn. Many youngsters who depend on school meal programs have gone hungry once those meals have finished for the summer. In order to provide these kids’ meals, as well as a future senior citizen evening meal program, the Shelter has been inspected by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services and the El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank not once, but twice. All three inspections passed with no deficiencies.
Next on the agenda, the Shelter will be sponsoring a scholarship search program for High School Seniors who want to go to a college, university, or trade school after graduation. Parents will be asked to be more active with their teens in applying for scholarships to help to pay in part or in full for their child’s secondary education. The scholarship participants will meet in the evenings at the Shelter to explore and apply for unclaimed scholarships worth millions of dollars. If students have laptop computers, they should bring them along; otherwise, the Shelter has a few computers. Wi-Fi is available to participants.
During the month of June, Mrs. Clark delivered shredded cheese, peaches, nectarines, and milk that were donated by the El Pasoans Fighting Hunger Food Bank. Many local citizens were able to receive these foods at no cost to them. At no time will the Shelter ever charge for foods such as these or for the emergency food boxes which have been given out at the Shelter; however, donations to cover the cost of fuel to retrieve foods from the El Paso Food Bank are needed.
The Shelter works on a very small budget, and all donation goes to worthy causes that help our community and the needy who come inside our town’s city limits. Any donation of money, foods, clothing, and other expenses are totally tax deductible, and proof of donations is available upon request.
Many local citizens have taken advantage of the monthly donation system available through the Town of Van Horn Utility bills. The City cuts monthly checks for the Shelter for the donations received in participants’ utility bills. Citizens and businesses who participate in the utility bills donation program are asked to contact Mrs. Clark so she can provide them with proof of donations for their tax returns and personally thank them for their generosity. Mrs. Clark’s phone numbers are 432-283-8461 and cell 713-447-4413, and she can be friended or messaged on Facebook.
Finally, this Saturday, July 8, there will be a Bake Sale in front of Porter’s grocery store, 1805 W. Broadway, to support the ongoing Shelter programs. Donations of baked goods would be greatly appreciated and you can bring your donations or volunteer at the bake sale at 9:00 a.m. If you have any questions, please call Mrs. Clark at 432-283-1631. Continued support of the Shelter is necessary and greatly appreciated.
