ANGELS IN THE AIR

Angels in the Air

In the far southwest corner of Arizona, adjacent to the California and Mexico borders, is a town named Yuma, the home of Children’s Safe House. This program, offered by the Catholic Social Services of Tucson, AZ, helps refugees or abandoned US children. It’s stocked with various items and donations secured by Angel Heart, an organization managed by Patty Lopez, who is a parishioner at the Salvatorian-led parish of Most Holy Trinity in Tucson.

Angel Heart periodically asks Fr. Tom Tureman, SDS, Most Holy Trinity Pastor, for help with donation deliveries. A member of the National Association of Priest Pilots (NAPP) and Civil Air Patrol (CAP), Fr. Tom takes to the skies to deliver pajamas, pillows, books, and more, which help make a difference in basic hygiene and quality of life for these marginalized children and refugees.

The one-way trip is typically a four-hour drive but a mere 90-minute flight. For these humanitarian flights, Avra Valley Flyers donate plane time, and fuel costs are covered by AVF and the Angel Heart Ministry Group.