November 2004 - Sister Marlene Kochert, O.S.F.
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Sister Marlene Kochert, O.S.F. reflects on them all the time, as she operates St. Elizabeth Food Pantry at the St. Mary Mission in Tohatchi, high in the desert of New Mexico, in the Diocese of Gallup. When asked about the increased demand for food around Thanksgiving time, Sister says that there are indeed more requests from people who want to be "put on the list," this time of year, but unfortunately, with the area's economy as it is, she is only able to help make Christmas meals a little more special - and limit the food disbursements to "staples only" at Thanksgiving.
"It would be wonderful to be able to offer something a little extra to people for both holidays, but as of right now, Christmas is all we can do," Sister Marlene said.
And so, on Thanksgiving, many of the struggling Navajo parishioners who live in "hogans" (Navajo for "holy homes," or six- or eight-sided structures of mud and logs) will get their allotment of stone ground whole wheat flour and other basic food items and make do with whatever is donated by the community, the local grocery store, and the results of a food drive coordinated by Sister Marlene.
"Unemployment and underemployment are the big problems here," Sister Marlene said. "People have such a hard time stretching their small budgets to the end of the month, so we generally see a bigger demand toward the last week of the month."
And with Thanksgiving coming at the end of the November, Sister expects to see a bigger spike than usual. She hopes to be able to accommodate the additional requests.
On occasion, Sister Marlene will bring some boxes of food to aging Navajo living in hogans with dirt floors, and no insulation or running water. "I like to go and assess the need and ask if they need the food I've brought," she said. "So far, I've never been turned away." If the home happens to have electricity and perhaps a small microwave oven, Sister makes sure that easy-to-heat microwaveable foods are given. The open-and-heat cereals such as oatmeal are very popular items, as are boxes of macaroni and cheese. "Nobody has ever asked for anything fancy," she said. "They're so grateful for any help at all."
Sister Marlene is in her seventh year at the Navajo mission. She stays so busy with her missionary work that she rarely gets a chance to go home to visit her 90-year-old mother back in her hometown of Lanesville, Indiana, near the Kentucky border. Her loving thoughts will surely be with her mother on this Thanksgiving, as she disburses whatever food she has available to the Native Americans here in Tohatchi, New Mexico. Her mother was an early inspiration and role model of Christian charity for Sister Marlene, who began her working life as an elementary school teacher in Indiana and Ohio.
What she has found most gratifying in her 14 years as a missionary (apart from the smiles on the faces of those she visits) is seeing young people who are willing to pitch in and help her with her work. Of particular help are the middle school kids who volunteer their services and lift the heavy boxes of canned goods into the car and help deliver them to families in need.
"It's wonderful to see them pitch in and participate," Sister Marlene said. "They really step up and help one another - they help the community - and that's what everything is about."
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