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It is 10 p.m. when a line of vans and cars turns past the city jail and into an adjacent parking lot, dark and empty except for the group of homeless individuals who are waiting and hungry.
In a matter of minutes, the group of volunteers descend from their vehicles and set up tables and organize the trays of food they have brought to distribute to the group of men and women who have patiently formed a line without being asked.
Every Saturday for the last 15 years, members of the non-profit organization Rescate 2000 have visited he indigent population in downtown Atlanta to provide not only meals, but words of hope and encouragement as well.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s hot or cold or raining, or if it’s Christmas or New Year’s Eve, there are people who are waiting to be fed and we can’t fail them,” said Miguel Araya, pastor and founder of Rescate 2000, a Christian ministry which began in Gainesville in 1999.
At that time, the group was comprised of just four people, including Araya, who delivered small plates of sandwiches and coffee. Now, more than 20 people –among them adults, teenagers and children, all Hispanic– accompany Araya in his mission to feed over 100 homeless individuals.
“I’ve been doing this for years, and I never get used to seeing the suffering of all these people who live in the streets,” said Araya, who is a native of Chile. “That’s why we’ve never stopped coming, nor will we ever stop.”
Before the distribution of food, which is mainly of Latin American variety and prepared by the volunteers themselves, either Araya or another volunteer always greets the crowd and does a short Bible reading because, as Araya noted, “man does not live on bread alone.” After a brief prayer, the feast begins.
Danny Mendoza, a volunteer who has worked with Rescate 2000 for seven years, explained what a rewarding experience it is to not only cook meals for those in need but even more so to see the looks of satiation and gratitude on the faces of those who receive it.
“We bring them food when they need it most, and we always show them care and affection,” said Mendoza.
For Araya, there is no greater satisfaction that helping those in need, despite the risks that occasionally arise in order to carry out that mission. “It’s a charge we receive directly from God and we can’t give up due to fear,” said Araya.
Around midnight, the volunteers of Rescate 2000 join hands, sing a couple of worship songs in English and then pray and prepare to return to their homes.
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