On Friday, April 27, 2023, Council Member Dr. G (Dr. Luis S González) presented the CITY TALK “Community Impact Award” to Bruno Gutierrez, long-time Colton resident, Veteran, and major supporter of the Immaculate Conception Church Dinner Hour Ministry.
This presentation was made in recognition of the numerous contributions by Bruno Gutierrez, who through his generous support, has allowed the Dinner Hour ministry not only to thrive, but sustain itself over several years. “Without Bruno’s help, we would not be able to continue,” commented Eloy Sanchez, Coordinator of the program.
30 years ago, the Dinner Hour Ministry began by providing meals to individuals needing a good meal to sustain themselves with no other means available. Over time, the Dinner Hour evolved into a public dinner that was open to anyone who not only needed a meal but wanted to come for fellowship and social networking.
When the pandemic started in 2020, everything changed, and the continued service to those in need had to change as well. After many discussions and a re-working of the process, Eloy and his volunteers eventually transformed the Dinner Hour into a food distribution operation, which in turn evolved into a full-blown drive-thru service. This is where Bruno Gutierrez stepped up to help.
As the changes were happening, the need for larger quantities of food was growing, and subsequently, the need for transportation, hauling, storage, and refrigeration was becoming a necessity. With Bruno’s help, the program acquired a truck to haul produce, canned goods, and dry goods from the Food Bank. Then, as dairy products, meat, and vegetables became available, additional refrigeration became necessary as well as the need for several freezer units.
To date, Bruno Gutierrez has not only provided funding for the purchase of a truck, but several refrigerators, freezers, and ice machines as well, including, all of the needed maintenance. As it stands, the Dinner Hour Ministry has grown today to a full-blown food distribution operation. This includes approximately 30 volunteers, food donations from several sources, a walkup service for individuals to pick up food bags, and a very popular drive-thru service that not only is the core activity of the program but generally serves 200-300 cars each week.
“The door is always open,” explains Eloy who expects the program to continue to grow, and more volunteers to step up. Doug Blinkinsop, one of the leadership team volunteers, added, “Bruno has helped make this food distribution possible, and continues to be a respected member of our team of volunteers.”
With his help, Bruno is not only regarded as an official sponsor of this event but is still one of the working volunteers who work each week to sort, package and distribute the food. Because of his efforts, and strong support, Bruno is also recognized as a valuable community partner in receiving the CITY TALK “Community Impact Award.” The purpose of this presentation was to officially recognize Bruno’s support, not only to the Immaculate Church Dinner Hour but to the community.
The CITY TALK “Community Impact Award” was established in 2020 by Dr.G to recognize the great efforts that people make “behind the scenes” to make our community, the City of Colton, a better place. Mr. Bruno Gutierrez is a great choice for this recognition. His effort in supporting the Immaculate Church Dinner Hour Ministry, and thus the community, is exactly what this award is about. Dr. G is a Council Member and well-known community advocate.
For more information about CITY TALK, various community groups, Colton history, the trash clean-up project, the G-Team, prayer list, history briefs, Veteran Spotlight, Church Spotlight, Business Spotlight, U.S. flag watch, neighborhood meetings, community projects, and events, or the online live-stream programs, contact Dr. G @ 909-213-3730. Questions and comments are always welcome.