The Jayuya Pueblo Church of the Nazarene in Puerto Rico held a grand opening for a center for Nazarene Compassionate Ministries on 26 March 2022. 

The church hopes this will improve the functioning of the ministry and the availability of resources to serve their community.

Equipment such as wheelchairs, stretchers, and wardrobes, as well as food and basic necessities, among other donations that the church received, will be stored on the premise. The center, which previously functioned as a parking lot but was remodeled and adapted, is located on the property of the church.

"Since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of families seeking help for different needs has been increasing," lead pastor Noel Roman said. "So I presented the project to the local church board, hoping to prepare the premise to accomplish the project."

The center was named after Norma Rodríguez Rivera, in memory of Pastor Román's wife, who passed away eight months ago. Pastor Norma had a great passion for helping families in need, both in the church and in the community.

Compassionate ministry has been an essential part of the faith community in Jayuya for many years, where the church has served the needs that have come up in their community. They have shared food, donated to supply basic needs such as water and electricity for different homes, and given contributions to buy medicines, among many other expressions of love for their neighbors.

Also, the church offers guidance to families about other citizen-assistance services provided by the government and non-profit agencies, serving as a link and support to the community. 

--Church of the Nazarene Mesoamerica Region