Kris Laufer with several of the parish children who frequent the "Comedor Popular"
The Comedor Popular
Every day, about 60 of the poorest students from the parish gather in a newly-constructed building several blocks from the church, which is known as the "Comedor Popular" - the people's dining room. Here the school children are fed a hot meal at around 1:00 o'clock prepared and served by volunteers from the parish. Some of the food has been donated by local supermarkets (generally left-over foods from the day before). This will be the only hot meal the kids will have on a given day. After the meal, the students are assisted with their homework. This is the only appropriate place they have to do their homework, as their homes (simple one-room sheds with dirt floors) are either overcrowded or unlit at night. Occasionally high school students from the city travel to Jaime Roldos (the area where the Comedor Popular is located) to tutor the children. Our recent contributions assisted in the construction of this new Comedor Popular which was dedicated early in 1998 to replace a smaller, inadequate one across the street from the church.