Andrea McKenna • June 12, 2026
How Service Helped One Borrego Resident Heal
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A Hand Up for Neighbors in Borrego Springs
After the loss of her daughter, Shirley Vialpando found support, purpose, and community through the Borrego Ministers Association.
The Borrego Ministers Association brings together local faith leaders, churches, nonprofit partners, veterans, and community advocates to help residents facing hardship in Borrego Springs. In a remote desert community where access to services can be limited, BMA provides practical support, spiritual care, and connection for neighbors in need.
BMA's work includes food assistance, emergency support, transportation help, referrals to community resources, grief support, and community traditions that bring people together throughout the year.
Before sharing Shirley Vialpando's story, we want to express our gratitude.
A Story Worth Sharing
Shirley, a longtime member of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church and a dedicated supporter of the Borrego Ministers Association, reached out to share her experience with BMA. Her willingness to contribute her story and support this effort means more than we can express. Shirley is Borrego Springs. She represents the compassion, resilience, volunteer spirit, and neighborly care that have helped make this community what it is today.
Her story is also a reminder that behind every grocery coupon, every volunteer hour, and every act of assistance is a human connection.
For Shirley, that connection began during one of the most difficult periods of her life.
Grief, Loss, and Community Support
"It was 2017 when my daughter, Valerie, died that I began spiraling into a state of depression that was not unfamiliar," Shirley wrote. "I had experienced much the same in 1993 when I lost my son."
Shirley had achieved her dream of living permanently in Borrego Springs in 2005, a dream she had carried since first visiting the valley in the early 1970s. A few years later, her daughter Valerie moved to Borrego Springs and started a small business of her own. Tragically, Valerie passed away in 2017.
As Shirley struggled through her grief, she found support from Rev. Laura Brecht of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church.
"I will praise God for the rest of my life for just that blessing, that she was there!" Shirley wrote. "When she learned what happened, Laura was at my side and stayed there the entire day, talking, comforting, feeding when able, putting her all into getting me through the 2nd worst day of my life."
The Difference One Person Can Make
Some time later, Rev. Laura invited Shirley to join a meeting of the Borrego Ministers Association.
"I did sit in on that meeting and discovered I was watching the stirrings of an organization dealing with the sort of work I had been doing for fifteen years," Shirley recalled.
Having previously worked with Episcopal Community Services, Shirley immediately recognized the importance of BMA's mission.
Finding Purpose Through Service
"Being a part of BMA, especially as their impact was increasing, seemed like an opportunity to serve, and I had to view it as a gift from Rev Laura and God."
At the time, BMA's grocery coupon program was already helping local families, but there was a challenge. Many recipients shared post office boxes, and some coupons never reached the people who needed them.
Shirley stepped in.
"I volunteered to take on the coupon distribution and ask folks to come by the house to pick them up."
More Than Grocery Coupons
She saw it as more than a volunteer assignment.
"This was something I looked forward to as it would give me the opportunity to get to know the folks we served, many of whom were neighbors, and make more personal connections."
What Shirley didn't anticipate was the amount of work involved.
"There were weekly computer records to be kept," she wrote. "I kept huge 3-ring binders of every file I created on every family receiving coupons."
For about three years, Shirley managed distributions from her home, maintaining records and helping ensure assistance reached those who needed it.
Eventually, she stepped back from the role, laughing that it wasn't the paperwork that got to her.
"I gave it up because my dog's barking whenever someone came to the door finally got on my last nerve."
Why BMA Matters
Today, Shirley remains involved with BMA and continues to follow its work closely.
"I'm so proud of the BMA as it evolves into a very real social service agency, providing temporary help to anybody in Borrego without needing to go through a lot of qualifying applications."
She also wants people to know how seriously BMA takes its responsibility to the community.
"I can affirm that every dollar donated goes to help our beloved neighbors," Shirley wrote. "All Association expenses are taken care of by the actual members of BMA."
Her hope is simple.
"I hope you, dear Reader, will give serious consideration to joining those donors and share in the opportunity to provide a 'hand up' to your neighbors here in Borrego Springs."
Stories like Shirley's remind us that the Borrego Ministers Association is about much more than assistance programs.
It is about people helping people, neighbors supporting neighbors, and a community that continues to care for one another through life's most difficult moments.
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