{"id":8793,"date":"2025-02-06T14:46:03","date_gmt":"2025-02-06T14:46:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/?p=8793"},"modified":"2025-03-05T17:24:34","modified_gmt":"2025-03-05T17:24:34","slug":"feeding-the-hungry-strengthening-community-the-lasting-impact-of-dee-and-steve-perez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/feeding-the-hungry-strengthening-community-the-lasting-impact-of-dee-and-steve-perez\/","title":{"rendered":"Feeding the hungry, strengthening community: The lasting impact of Dee and Steve Perez"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”full_width_content” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” bg_image=”8801″ bg_position=”center center” background_image_loading=”default” bg_repeat=”no-repeat” scene_position=”center” top_padding=”20%” bottom_padding=”8%” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” color_overlay=”#4d748b” overlay_strength=”0.8″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” gradient_type=”default” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”padding-12-percent” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”left-right” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid” column_padding_type=”default” gradient_type=”default”][vc_custom_heading text=”20 Years of Faithful Service: Honoring Dee & Steve Perez\u2019s Legacy at St. Elizabeth\u2019s” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:center|color:%23ffffff” use_theme_fonts=”yes”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” top_padding=”5%” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” shape_type=”” gradient_type=”default”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”right” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”8795″ image_size=”full” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][nectar_single_testimonial testimonial_style=”basic” text_color=”#008166″ quote=”We met so many giving people, and it\u2019s been so amazing the connections we\u2019ve made. It\u2019s been a God thing, how it all started and how we\u2019ve gotten here.” name=”-Dee Perez”][\/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”padding-2-percent” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”left” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”3\/4″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]For the past 20 years, Dee and Steve Perez have been a steady presence at the St. Elizabeth of Hungary sandwich line in Denver. Multiple times a week, they prepare and hand out meals to the homeless, embodying a quiet, steadfast commitment to service. Now, as they step away from their regular volunteer duties, they leave behind not just a legacy of generosity, but a community deeply touched by their kindness.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Their journey to St. Elizabeth\u2019s was not a straight line but a full circle. For Dee, the church holds childhood memories of sisters answering the bell to hand out food to those in need. Her parents were also part of the legacy of service, taking in women who had nowhere else to go. When she and Steve returned decades later in 1993, they found a mission that resonated with their hearts.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSt. Elizabeth\u2019s was way ahead of its time,\u201d Dee said. \u201cIt was a welcoming, thriving community.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For Steve, the connection to service was personal. His parents, both immigrants from Mexico, had faced hardship, and for a time, he and his mother experienced homelessness.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI could identify with these men,\u201d he said. \u201cMaybe it wasn\u2019t altruistic or even about faith. It just felt like the right thing to do. For me, it comes down to Christ speaking in the Gospel about \u2018What you did for the least of my people you did for me.\u2019\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don’t actually know how long it’s been a formal lunch line, but we think the tradition started at least during the Depression in the 1930s. We know at that time the campus was a Hispanic neighborhood, and the church and school were a Franciscan friary,\u201d Steve explained, recalling that men \u201criding the rails\u201d would stop in for a meal. Back then, the sisters would rush out at the sound of a bell, offering sandwiches and a little bit of hope.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Years later, the couple\u2019s work at the soup line started small but grew into something much bigger. Steve was the first to volunteer, but one day, when they were short-handed, he \u201cdragged Dee in to help out.\u201d She never left.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the next 20 years, they built relationships not only with those they served but also with the many donors and volunteers who support the effort. Dee became the heart of the operation, organizing donations and sourcing supplies \u2014 sometimes from unlikely places, like airline catering leftovers or discount stores selling bulk socks and underwear.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe met so many giving people, and it\u2019s been so amazing the connections we\u2019ve made,\u201d she reflected. \u201cIt\u2019s been a God thing, how it all started and how we\u2019ve gotten here.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As they worked together to serve the sandwich line patrons, they found themselves\u00a0 strengthening their bond as a couple.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt brought us closer,\u201d Steve said. \u201cSometimes I thought she was doing too much, but I couldn\u2019t let her do it alone,\u201d he joked.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After more than two decades of service, the decision to step back was not easy.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe lunch line still tugs at my heart,\u201d Dee admitted. Though they won\u2019t be there every week, they will continue to support the mission behind the scenes. \u201cThere are so many people who rely on us, and we\u2019ll still help where we can.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For Steve, stepping away feels more natural.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was getting tired,\u201d he shared. \u201cPeople say I\u2019m irreplaceable, but graveyards are full of irreplaceable people.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, the couple looks forward to spending more time visiting their grandchildren, an opportunity they cherish after years of long-distance grandparenting.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Their story is not one of grand gestures or dramatic sacrifice. It is something quieter but just as profound: two people who saw a need, stepped in and stayed for 20 years, living out the Gospel message: \u201c<\/span>Truly, I say to you,\u202fas you did it to one of the least of these\u202fmy brothers,\u202fyou did it to me,<\/span>\u201d (Matthew 25:40).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In recognition of their humble service over many years, Dee and Steve have been recognized as this month\u2019s Archbishop\u2019s Catholic Appeal Disciples of the Month. Their love for their neighbors serves as an inspiring testament to Christ\u2019s own love for his people.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Congratulations, Dee and Steve, for being named the Archbishop\u2019s Catholic Appeal Disciples of the Month!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information about volunteering with St. Elizabeth\u2019s daily sandwich line, click here<\/a>.<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20px”][nectar_btn size=”large” button_style=”regular” button_color_2=”Accent-Color” icon_family=”none” text=”GIVE TODAY” url=”https:\/\/give.archden.org\/”][divider line_type=”Full Width Line” line_thickness=”1″ divider_color=”default” custom_height=”40″][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20px”][vc_column_text]Do you know someone who is an exceptional steward?\u202fNominate them here<\/a>, and they could become the next Disciple of the Month![\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][vc_column_text]The Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal supports a wide range of ministries that are sharing the Gospel every day.[\/vc_column_text][divider line_type=”No Line” custom_height=”20″][nectar_btn size=”large” button_style=”regular” button_color_2=”Accent-Color” color_override=”#f58320″ icon_family=”none” text=”NOMINATE A DISCIPLE” url=”\/give\/nominate”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From Friendship to Faith: Behold Your Mother Ministry travels northern Colorado. Through a chance meeting at a Prayer in the Square event, Mike Phelan and Tom Morrini formed a friendship and ministry that has profoundly impacted Northern Colorado. United in their devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, they encourage deeper prayer in parishes and communities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":8796,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","content-type":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-everydaydisciples"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8793","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8793"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8793\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8882,"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8793\/revisions\/8882"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archden.org\/give\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}