Web posted
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Pilgrims find food and shelter
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Photo by Alex Gambill
click image to enlarge
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Immigrants enjoy a touch from home
By FOSS FARRAR
Traveler Staff Writer
reporter@arkcity.net
A Creekstone Farms Premium Beef worker celebrating a pre-Christmas
meal Tuesday shared the story of his journey to Arkansas City and his
life here the past five years.
He said he found it difficult to make ends meet because his work
hours had been cut.
Close by, a dozen or so fellow members of the Hispanic group, Sin
Fronteras, sang in Spanish a song about "Las Posadas." It is a
traditional Spanish celebration of the search of the Holy Family for
shelter so that Jesus could be born.
Tuesday's meal and gift give-away was the first Christmas
celebration in Ark City for Sin Fronteras, to celebrate the journey
of immigrants "in faith and hope," said group organizer Frances
Pressnall.
Just about everybody in the small building where the Sin Fronteras
Christmas meal was being served could relate to the "Las Posadas"
story of two poor pilgrims seeking an inn. In a way, it matches their
own, said a leader of the group.
"Most of the people here are families with parents who got laid off
or had their hours cut," Pressnall said. "But we are a family and
we're going to make it."
The dinner event included the giving of groceries to adults and
stuffed animals to the children. It was organized to help these
families, she said.
"I think it's nice for people who don't have much to have this
dinner," said a volunteer and Pressnall's daughter, Betty
Halverstadt. "Otherwise, they may not be able to have a Christmas
dinner."
Among those at the event were volunteers who had brought in groceries
and toys and prepared the food. Most of the volunteers said they
didn't want their names to be used in this story.
The Creekstone worker whose work hours were cut also asked that his
name not be published. A coworker of his stood nearby and nodded his
head.
Speaking in Spanish, they said they hoped their work hours would be
increased after the first of the new year.
The first man who spoke said it is difficult for a family of seven to
make ends meet when he works only 24 hours a week. He said his work
hours had been cut from 38 to 24 about six weeks ago.
He only gets a small amount of money in his check, he said.
Before he, his wife and five children moved to Ark City five years
ago, they had spent eight years in Emporia. Before that, they had
emigrated from Mexico.
Two of the children were born in the U.S. and the older three in
Mexico, he said.
"Sin Fronteras" means without borders. "We are a Christian
people who get together," Pressnall said. "We contact to help
people."
Pastor Jack Dickson, of St. Paul United Methodist and Grandview
United Methodist Churches, said the blessing before the group of 25
people helped themselves to tamales, fritters and a hot chocolate-
type drink.
"This day we thank You for the most wonderful gift that can be
given -- given for strangers much like us," Dickson said, referring
to the Nativity story.
The Creekstone worker said he thought the celebration that he and his
family had attended that night was very beautiful.
Above: Frances Pressnall, above, welcomes people to Las Posadas, a
traditional Hispanic celebration of the Christmas season on Tuesday
in Arkansas City.
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