The Dinner Hour

Sometimes things fall apart, but then you can pick up a ministry and help thousands of people.This is what happened to Eloy Sanchez .In this interview, Fr. Mike asks Eloy about his story. At age 11, he had a bicycle accident, was seriously injured and had a 50% chance of living. But a doctor operated and saved him. He then became a marine and served for 25 years. On a roundabout journey, he ended up in southern California, working for the railroad as a communications lineman. Once again something happened and he developed a serious heart problem. This kept him from following the railroad to Kansas.
He began helping his friend, Rudy, pick up five boxes of bread to give out. Twenty years later, Eloy is giving away over 15,000 pounds of bread, serving dinner every Tuesday to over300 families. At Thanksgiving he served 800 meals. The Dinner Hour Ministry which Eloy manages also gives out food baskets to the needy and toys to children at Christmas. He trains dozens of volunteers to help with the ministry, including young people who have to do community service for a misdemeanor. He has never had a problem with them. He attributes this to treating them with respect. The young people, in turn, treat the needy with respect. It is a win-win all around.