Pastor Elaine Mendes and her church are proving invaluable
Mendes, who is senior pastor of the Revival International Center, distributed more than 100 gifts at the festive celebration that was enjoyed by the children and their families, many of whom are members of the church.
Mendes’ most noteworthy effort of late has been the Center’s food pantry, which distributes food to more than 500 families each Monday.
“Providing food for families has been a major focus,” said Mendes. “Food For Free, an agency with an office in Cambridge, has been really helpful in giving us the food for distribution. Lovin’ Spoonfuls (a Newton-based food rescue non-profit) also helps out. And during the spring and summer, GreenRoots (Chelsea) has helped us with fresh herbs and vegetables.”
Originally from Brazil
Elaine Mendes said she came to the United States from Brazil in 2000.
“It’s been a long journey,” said Mendes, smiling. “I was a schoolteacher for kindergarten through fourth grade in Brazil. I studied in college there and then came to the United States. Most of my family is in Brazil, but my brother and his family are here. And now I live in Chelsea.”
Becoming
‘a community church’
Elaine Mendes, 49, has presided over the Revival International Center of Chelsea for 14 years, a dozen years in its location at 278 Broadway after starting in a building on Carter Street.
The Chelsea Center is part of an international network. There are 10 Centers in the United States, including five in New England.
“We have people mostly from Chelsea, but also from East Boston, Revere, Everett, and Lynn, who come to our church for our weekly services,” said Mendes.
Mendes said she was inspired to open the center to assist residents who were facing hardships in their lives.
“I saw a need and wanted to alleviate other people’s problems,” said Mendes, noting that the Chelsea Center functions differently from other Revival International Centers. “The other Centers serve as traditional churches, but at the Chelsea Center, I made a decision in my heart in 2016 to also make this a community church.”
Expanding the
Center’s programs
Mendes has dedicated her Mondays to the food pantry whose numbers continue to grow.
Mendes has started a health and wellness program on Tuesdays that includes classes for family in the Brazilian martial arts (Capoeira) “It’s such a happy, healthy, and energetic activity,” said Mendes.
Social activity programs are held each Wednesday night for men. English As A Second Language classes are conducted Thursday nights. On Fridays, Mendes hosts informational “Community Nights” for families. Dance, fitness, yoga and meditation classes take place on weekends.
Mendes said the number of people coming to the Center has increased significantly the past few months. “We’re seeing a lot of people from Peru, Colombia, and Haiti that have been seeking out our services,” said Mendez.
Mendes said she is grateful to a group of 12 volunteers who assist at the Center.
‘A lack of funding’
Despite serving hundreds of families each week, the Revival International Center of Chelsea does not receive much funding, according to Mendes. “We did receive $40,000 from the Boston Foundation, which was a beautiful and huge help to us,” said Mendes. “The City of Chelsea has helped us with administrative expenses. All activities at the Center are free.”
A valuable partner in GreenRoots
Mendes has been fortunate to have had GreenRoots as a community partner for the past five years, a relationship that grew stronger during the pandemic.
“Our urban farm has provided fresh produce to support her food pantry,” said GreenRoots Executive Director Roseann Bongiovanni. “The Center and GreenRoots got much more connected during the pandemic, and we stayed connected. We’ve figured out ways to work together and to collaborate and support one another. Elaine joined our board of directors last May.”
“We’re so blessed to have the support of Roseann and GreenRoots,” said Mendes. “We’re finding out that Chelsea is a very special community in which to live. We are a very diverse community. We work together here, that’s why Chelsea is strong.”