A tamale-making guru with kind eyes and a warm smile, Phoenix resident Ilda Ortiz is a woman on a mission.

Committed to funding improvements at a church mission in the Mexican state of Jalisco, Ortiz is working to make and sell 15,000 tamales before 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon.

It is not her first rodeo. Ortiz went on a tamale-making marathon last summer, and she’s hoping to surpass last year’s count.

Ortiz said her tamale-making endeavors began out of her desire to always help wherever she is able.

Two years ago, she began making monthly treks to the Hogar Casa Simeon mission, which provides a home and medical care for elderly people who are alone in the world, with no families.

Volunteers travel to the mission to spend time in a variety of ways, perhaps cleaning or cooking or spending time with residents. Run entirely by volunteers and with donated funds, the facility is in dire need of funding to buy everything from medication and adult diapers to funding to complete the church and chapel.

Ortiz decided she wanted to do more to help, so she started making tamales.

Last year, she sent nearly $30,000 to the mission from making and selling tamales, helping to fund an outdoor garden space for residents to enjoy.

On Tuesday morning, as she formed masa and filled corn husks, Ortiz grinned from ear to ear.

Estrela Rivera, the director of Hogar Casa Simeon, who traveled to the Rogue Valley this week, worked alongside Ortiz, filling bags and sharing stories.

Bagging a trio of tamale flavors, including pork, chicken and a poblano-and-cheese option, Ortiz said she hoped to surpass her goal.

“We want to make 15,000 again,” she said, pressing masa and fillings into a corn husk.

“Maybe even more.”

Originally from Santa Ana, California, Ortiz spent much of her childhood in Mexico and moved to the Rogue Valley when she was a teen. With a passion for “telling people about Jesus,” Ortiz said she came up with the idea while praying about wanting to help the old people at the mission.

Surrounded by orchards and her own large garden tucked between Interstate 5 and her home along Highway 99, Ortiz, who speaks limited English, became emotional when she shared photos of Hogar Casa Simeon residents.

Smiling as his mother bagged dozens of tamales, Sal Ortiz said he’s never surprised by his mother’s generosity.

“She’s always been able to help so many people in need. I think it’s amazing that she’s doing this again. Whenever she comes across people who need help — family or friends or people at church — she does whatever she can,” he said.

“When the fires happened, we donated food for the fire survivors. We donated about 200 pounds of meat. We made tacos and just started feeding people.”

Sal Ortiz said his mother always has ideas for ways she can do good in the world.

“She’s like this all the time, always there for other people,” he said.

“It’s a little bit of what we like to call ‘planting a mustard seed.’ She just does so much behind the scenes. She’s a wonderful person.”

Tamales can be purchased — and volunteers can offer to help — by calling 541-842-0202.

For tamale lovers traveling between Phoenix and Talent, a “Tamales” flag is waving at the end of a long driveway, just south of Rising Sun Farms and Four Corners, at 5219 South Pacific Highway.

Ortiz will sell bags of tamales — $15 for a half-dozen and $30 for a dozen — from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Saturday night and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Supporters can donate directly to Hogar Casa Simeon by visiting any Wells Fargo Bank (Amigos Casa Simeon, 9060534774) or by donating extra money when they pick up tamale orders. Tamale orders can also be placed — and picked up — at the family’s food truck, Tacos el Paisa, which is parked in front of D&S Harley-Davidson on Highway 99 in Phoenix.

Orders can also be placed on Instagram, via direct message, @TacosElPaisa541.