Photo Courtesy of Shepherds of the Meek Mission 

PEACHTREE CITY—From classroom and chapel improvements to the purchase of computers and school supplies, volunteers with Shepherds of the Meek Mission have logged a dozen-plus years of acts of mercy, supporting children in need in Colombia and Guatemala. 

The Peachtree City nonprofit had humble beginnings. It all started with a washer and dryer. 

When Colombian-born Father Dairo Rico was a parochial vicar at Holy Trinity Church, he learned of a pressing need of the Congregación Siervas de Cristo Sacerdote. The order of sisters works in Bogota, Colombia to keep poor and abandoned girls off the streets. 

“They were washing everything by hand,” recalled Father Rico. 

Parishioners of the Peachtree City church were “very eager to help,” said the priest. Several church members stepped up to buy the appliances for the sisters. 

From that first donation, the parishioners begin to think, “let’s do a little more,” said Father Rico. 

While growing up in Colombia, Father Rico’s family life was enriched by the work of sisters, and that connection extended into his seminary days.  

“The nuns took care of the seminarians, he said. 

For him, it’s a way to give back and provide for children living on society’s margins. 

Looking back, Father Rico initial group of supporters “were the right people to help us be great.” The mission received official non-profit status in 2014 and has worked since to meet the ongoing needs of religious orders who work with young people. 

Father Dairo Rico, parochial vicar of St. Benedict Church in Johns Creek, visits with the Daughters of the Holy Family in Colombia. Father Rico and parishioners of Holy Trinity Church in Fayette County formed Shepherds of the Meek Mission to partner with religious orders in Colombia and Guatemala and the vulnerable children in their care. Photo Courtesy Shepherds of the Meek

Shepherds of the Meek has funded improvements to children’s living quarters, bath and kitchen facilities, classrooms and playgrounds. The group has provided computer printers, a van for the safe transport of children, soup kitchen equipment, educational mentors and has constructed pavilions over play areas.  

“They couldn’t do that without our help,” said Father Rico, who now serves as a parochial vicar at St. Benedict Church in Johns Creek. 

The group has no employees and is volunteer run with longtime Holy Trinity parishioner Daniel Worley serving as the organization’s president. Its work is guided by four pillars for the communities served—safety, health, education and opportunity. While the volunteers work to meet the children’s daily needs, it’s also about strengthening opportunities for young people to become productive members of their communities. 

Shepherds of the Meek raises funds through a fun run, an annual gala and Christmas tree sales to support the sisters.  

In addition to Bogota, donations go to religious orders in Medellin, El Carmen, Cali, Monteria and Barranquilla, Colombia; and in Saint Cosme and San Damian, Guatemala. 

A delegation from Shepherds of the Meek travels to Colombia twice a year to see firsthand the homes run by the sisters and the fruits of their service. 

The mission enjoyed a good turnout for its fun run held in Lilburn in September. Its annual gala, Denim & Diamonds, will further the work to assist vulnerable children. 

Denim & Diamonds will be Saturday, Nov. 6, at the CAF Airbase in Peachtree City from 6:30-11 p.m. It’s an evening of live music and dancing, food, a silent auction and raffle for guests 21 and older. Tickets are $65 per person with tables for eight available.