Maryknoll Affiliates

The following is from Kimberly Bautista, the daugther of Maryknoll Affiliate Kathee Bautista:

I returned from Guatemala to Los Angeles a little over a week ago feeling overwhelmingly satisfied with our dating/domestic violence prevention campaign throughout 60 communities: we reached over 2300 audience members in Guatemala!Justice for my Sister resonated with all different types of audiences, from UN representatives to youth, to indigenous communities and religious women, to feminists, and foreigners. The protagonist Rebeca attended several screenings and it was very emotional for audiences to meet her. "We must all be Rebecas!" one audience member in Escuintla passionately shouted after a screening. The film is inspiring audience members of all walks of life to break the culture of victim-blaming and impunity.

Manny and Lyn drove their mini van filled with clothing, John Hernandez and Sr. Lucy. Tim and John began walking from the Gold Line station, the others following in the van, stopping as we always do, at Union Station to visit the restrooms, then continuing on to the skid row district. The Sierra Club hike leaders admonished us not to drown the first people we come upon with goods, there are plenty of others further on. Sr. Lucy and Lyn both eventually got out and handed out items, Manny driving behind and resupplying us as we ran out of items. Later, we passed out our items to the other walkers who were now empty handed and eager to help disperse the goods. Because of the one-way streets in the skid row area, we had to go around the block to re-position ourselves with the fast moving volunteers walking down the streets. We lost track of them eventually with items still in the back of the van, mostly children and women's clothing, so we decided the leftovers would be donated to one of the missions, and headed back towards home. Our annual Skid Row walk always ranks as one the highlights of our year.