Lou and Leon: “We hate injustice”

Every time Lou and Leon head back from a weekend of volunteering for El Refugio, they vow to retire. The 2.5-hour drive is long, and between visiting people at SDC and helping at the hospitality house, the experience is tiring.  

But their resolve always melts away, and Lou and Leon return to the hospitality house in Lumpkin, where they visit people at SDC, prepare meals at the house, wash sheets, and do whatever is needed to bring comfort to people visiting loved ones at SDC. 

Lou and Leon recently volunteered for what we expected to be a quiet weekend. Instead, the hospitality house was busy and full. “I was so glad to have Lou and Leon there,” said Executive Director Amilcar Valencia, who was serving as house coordinator during the unexpected influx. 

Lou and Leon have been with El Refugio for many years, adding their volunteer work to a lifetime of service. A retired nurse, Lou spent decades caring for those in need, including nearly two decades at a health clinic serving people without insurance, who were often immigrants from Latin America. During his career, Leon worked as a church pastor, adult ESL teacher, and addiction counselor. Together, they also served as missionaries in Portugal.

Lou and Leon first learned about El Refugio around eight years ago through an announcement at Oakhurst Baptist Church. Because they had been a part of a program sponsoring Cambodian refugees though Brook Valley Church and a program welcoming Chen people from Burma at Oakhurst Baptist Church, they were ready to provide some radical hospitality.  

“We’ve long been involved with people from other countries,” Lou says. “And we hate injustice.”

Like most volunteers, Lou and Leon’s experience volunteering in Lumpkin has been one of sadness and joy. “I also remember visiting a trans man at the detention center who had been in the process of transitioning but had to stop when he was locked up,” says Leon. “That was hard.” 

But there are also happy times: 

“I also remember in the old house, when we managed to cram in 14 of us at one time,” said Leon. 

Lou also finds joy amid the pain of immigration detention. 

“I enjoy playing with the kids,” says Lou. “And my favorite thing to do is to cook for everyone.”

Lou and Leon at our hospitality with guests during an unexpectedly busy weekend.