 "I tell them not to be embarrassed. We all need help at some time in our lives. Thanks be to God that other people have brought things that we can share with them." Hope Esquivel was the volunteer manager of the Clothes Closet at Manos de Cristo until this year, when she stepped down for health reasons. In that capacity, she saw many people in desperate need over the past several years. She and other volunteers have always tried to give comfort as well as clothing. A long-time member and an elder of El Buen Pastor, Hope has served as a church representative on the Manos Board of Directors and is currently active with the Outreach Committee at Manos. HHope Esquivel believes it is important that Manos continues to be a faith-based organization and that her church, El Buen Pastor, remains involved. "A lot of people who come to the Clothes Closet are looking for a place to go to church," she says. "We invite them to visit us." For sure, the Clothes Closet serves as more than a place where people in need can come for clothing. It is a place where they may hear the word of God, receive information on health care or housing, or tell their problems to a caring volunteer. The Clothes Closet is often the first point of entry into Manos for people who need a variety of support services. Our basic needs program affords us the chance to get to know our clients, discover their needs, and help them. Sometimes this aid comes directly from Manos de Cristo, but sometimes client needs are outside the lines of what we do. In these cases we contact one of our many partner agencies to ensure everyone receives the help they need. Hope remembers countless clients who come to Manos looking for help. People like the 76-year old woman from Chile, whose house burned down, along with the houses of two of her sons. She was taking ESL classes at Manos and had come to the Clothes Closet because she was cold and had no blanket. And people like the woman with several children who had come to Austin looking for her husband. All she owned were the clothes on their back. And people like the young men who come across the border looking for jobs, but have no money and no place to stay. Many of them struggle with substance abuse and live on the street in dire conditions. Unfortunately, these are typical stories and painful stories. Stories that reflect the real lives of people fighting to survive. For Hope Esquivel, these are the people who give her the incentive to come back to the Clothes Closet, and to continue to volunteer, year after year. "I tell them not to be embarrassed," says Hope. "We all need help at some time in our lives. Thanks be to God that other people have brought things that we can share with them." Hope says that as she assists clients with clothing, they will sometimes open up and talk about their problems. "You can tell a weight is lifted from their shoulders," she says. "They really appreciate it. And sometimes we're able to help them with other things." Part of Hope's work at the Clothes Closet is to keep statistics on the number of people who come. She and other volunteers ask clients their name, address, age, and other information, including how they found out about Manos. ("Mostly it's word of mouth," says Hope). A visit to the Clothes Closet is allowed only once every three months, so the date of the last visit is also recorded. "I wish we could do more," says Hope. "We especially need more children's clothing and men's clothing." Most of those who come to the Clothes Closet are families with several children. There are also quite a few homeless people as well as singles. Clients come from Mexico, Chile, Cuba, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and the U.S. "The majority are Hispanics, though we get a lot of African Americans and Anglos," says Hope. "We also get quite a few inmates and folks from halfway houses who are referred to us." Hope's grandmother was a member of El Buen Pastor so the family connection stretches across many years. Like many members of the church, Hope maintains extremely close ties to El Buen Pastor, and was among the members who at first opposed Manos. She says she was concerned about the plan to bring Anglo church representatives onto the Board and feared that El Buen would not have a major voice about decisions relating to Manos. "It was a control issue," she admits. Once Manos was established, however, Hope became one of its most committed volunteers and eagerly fills in as the need arises. Hope could appropriately be called the "Volunteer of All Trades." In addition to her work at the Clothes Closet, she answers the phones in the office, registers people for ESL classes; in essence, does whatever is necessary whenever she is asked. Executive Director Lydia Hernandez calls Hope "an absolute jewel." Admiration flows both ways. "We've had a wonderful director in Lydia," says Hope. "She brought Manos back from the brink of bankruptcy." Due to health problems, Hope retired from her job with the Texas Railroad Commission more than ten years ago. However, she manages to come to Manos whenever she can. While she often sees people who are in tremendous need, she remains hopeful for what Manos can do. She would like for the Clothes Closet to be open again on Saturdays, as it once was, but that would require more volunteers. She hopes a new crop of trained volunteers will emerge from the clients themselves. "It's great when they come back and volunteer," she says. "And others, even though we don't ask for money, give a dollar or so when they can, just to help us along."
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