Grace Cathedral

Grace Cathedral

Article | May 29, 2018

May Days at Bayview Mission

Blog|Tracee Zyla

“The world’s favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.” – Edwin Way Teale

All things seem possible this May over at Bayview Mission! Our volunteers gathered on May 15, as we do every second Monday of each month, to serve our local families with infants and toddlers in addition to our neighborhood seniors.

First, a special shout-out and thank you to the donors of St Luke’s Episcopal Church and St Matthew’s Episcopal Day School for their assistance. We hosted forty-eight families with their infants and toddlers. (Six grandparents came with their grandchildren.) Our senior neighbors also came by to take part in the activities.

On special duty was Sundi from Healing Circles Massage offering chair massages to those most in need as a special treat. One of the recipients dedicates herself to caretaking for her senior mom. She stopped by for supplies but wanted to hurry back and attend to her mom’s needs. The Rev. Canon Nina Pickerrell insisted she take a small break to make sure she was also taking care of herself that day. After some gentle persuasion, she agreed to a chair massage and, for that small space of time, Sundi was able to caretake the caretaker.

Another story that day, related by the Rev. Canon Nina, articulates a sad story about a family in need. “I was called over by Luz, a volunteer, to speak with a woman with three children. Long story – short version – the mother is being deported on June 5. Her husband and three children can stay, although she has to leave. The family made the decision to have the three children go with their mother. This is heartbreaking. We loaded two suitcases with infant/toddler clothing, along with shoes, sandals, blankets, and wipes. The family will come by next Monday and we will pack a suitcase with diapers.”

At Bayview Mission, we witness and experience the highs and the lows of those in our community whom we care for and about. We strive, amidst both pain and joy, to offer our service and support, lifting each other up in the best of times, and holding each other close in the harder times.

By the Rev. Canon Nina Pickerrell & Tracee Zyla

To learn more about Bayview Mission and how to get involved, please visit gracecathedral.org/bayview.

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