Love is the Legacy: A Grandmother’s Story
Elvia Dolores Apodaca is a regular guest at our dining hall, the Mesón de Jesús, which translates into the “Table of Christ.” Typically, she comes to receive breakfast and takes food home afterward for her grandchildren. We know her as Lolita, and at 59 years old, she has been dining with us for more than 14 years and lives in a neighborhood near Casa Franciscana.
Lolita has two children, Patricia and Antonio, who are adults. Antonio is married, and Patricia is single and has three children. Unfortunately, Patricia fell into drug addiction and does not properly care for her children: Ivan, 17, Paul, 13, and Itzel, eight.
When she was younger, Lolita worked in restaurants and fish processing plants. She works anywhere she can: cleaning houses, caring for the sick, or as a street vendor. She is the one who has to bring food home and cover her grandchildren’s needs. Her life is difficult and the little money she makes is not enough. Going to the Meson often is her only way of finding the help she needs to bring food to her family.
Her family receives monthly food boxes and they are also supported with medical services. Lolita suffers from diabetes and chronic pain in her shoulder and bones, and she receives medication from our free clinic. Despite her considerable challenges, Lola is cheerful and likes to talk and joke with the other ladies who come to the Mesón. When she is absent, everyone misses her because the Meson is like her second home.
To us, Lolita is an example of strength and love. She is a daily example of not letting yourself be overcome in the face of adversity. She is a proud Mexican grandmother with an unconditional love for her grandchildren, who know that, with the help of God and Casa Franciscana Guaymas, there is hope. She is determined to build a better life for her family. Elvia Dolores Apodaca is one of many grandmothers who head up a family. In our vulnerable community of Guaymas, this is quite common. On their behalf, we thank the donors who help these beautiful women continue their legacy of love.
