The children of Ellen Snyder, faithful member of St. Gabriel the Archangel Episcopal Church in Cherry Hills Village, Colo., recently devised a great way to support her unusual ministry.
For years, Snyder has been active in community outreach, including a ministry to the homeless. She regularly combs local thrift shops for used jeans, which she donates to the St. Francis Center for distribution to the guests. St. Francis, an urban ministry with the homeless of Denver, is sponsored by the Diocese of Colorado.
On her recent 80th birthday, Snyder's children delighted her with a special gift -- 80 pairs of jeans. "I received two gifts that day," Snyder said later about the dungarees and the chance to give them away. It took her three days to distribute them. The best part, she said, was seeing the excitement of the guests as they got the gifts for her birthday.
"Ellen has set a wonderful example of compassion for her family and for her wider church community," said her priest, the Rev. Robert Lundquist.
