CHICAGO (CNS) – Melva Arbelo, director of the Santa Teresita of the Child Jesus Children’s Home in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, has been named the winner of the 2016-17 Lumen Christi Award given annually since 1978 by Catholic Extension.

Arbelo and her team help 24 children ages 3-7 who were removed from their homes after being severely neglected, physically beaten, or emotionally or sexually abused. The Lumen Christi Award, Latin for “Light of Christ,” honors a person or group who demonstrates how the power of faith can transform lives and communities.

Santa Teresita was started in 1999 by the Dominican Sisters of the Presentation and members of Santa Teresita parish.

Arbelo, a longtime member of the parish, was one of the home’s first volunteers, helping to raise funds for its launch. She became its director in 2007.

Bishop Daniel Fernandez Torres of Arecibo, in nominating Arbelo for the award, said: “There is no better ministry than to take care of those less fortunate and show them that the Lord is good and will always take care of them. That is what Arbelo and her team provide for the children.”

“For me, this is more than work; it’s a mission,” Arbelo said in a Sept. 19 statement. “Our motto is: ‘If nobody loves you, it is our joy to love you.’”

The award will be given to Arbelo during an Oct. 19 Mass in Arecibo. She is the first recipient from Puerto Rico.