By Elena Macias
The Department of Life, Dignity and Justice organized a day of outreach services to the communities in the Low Desert on Dec. 2 at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mecca. The Lestonnac Free Clinic provided nearly 180 medical, tele-medicine, dental and vision services in their mobile clinic. In addition, medical personnel from the University of California Riverside provided free diabetes screenings. The Knights of Columbus distributed nearly 500 jackets and cooked hot meals for anyone in need from 9 am- 2:30 pm. Nearly 600 personal hygiene kits were also distributed. The Riverside County Departments of Health and Public Utilities were also present to help educate residents on various county programs, services and helped with registering the residents for services.
Other sponsors included Catholic Charities San Bernardino-Riverside, the Nicaraguan Consulate, and the American Heart Association. Director of the Department of Life, Dignity and Justice, Sister Mary Chilee Okoko, DMMM said that the outreach event was so successful that the community and Low Desert Vicariate has already asked for the event to be held again next year. In addition, the department is working on a similar outreach event that will be held in the High Desert Vicariate in early 2024.
Elena Macias is the Managing Editor of the Inland Catholic BYTE.