Members and volunteers from Vallejo Drive church spent a Sabbath in December engaging with the community of Glendale and beyond. Children, young adults, and adults distributed a total of 473 blankets, 400 hot vegetable soups, hundreds of socks, hygiene packages, sleeping mats, and candy canes to about 500 people.
Audrey Zorek, Vallejo Drive’s children’s ministry director, came up with the “Kids Connection Blanket Project” within the children’s ministry program as a way to teach kids how to care for those in need. He started asking for donations to purchase 200 blankets—$ 8 each—at the end of October. With help from the congregation and Facebook friends, they raised enough money for 473 blankets.
In addition to the blanket, food, and clothing distribution, various outreach initiatives took place throughout the day. One group shared the Christmas spirit with staff, patients, and patients’ families at Adventist Health Glendale by singing carols. Another group visited a local fire station to share homemade cookies with the firefighters and offer prayer for both protection and gratitude. One of the ongoing outreach programs at Vallejo Drive includes helping children in need in Belize; this time, volunteers made Christmas cards for the children. A prayer group stayed at the church to pray for protection, for guidance, and for those served by each outreach team.
“Vallejo Drive church is becoming a church focused on reaching out to the community and sharing the love of Jesus,” said Zorek. “Under our pastoral leadership, we are excited to continue to minister to our community.”
Vallejo Drive organizes a large outreach day each quarter, plus smaller outreach initiatives each month. Plans are already in the works to collaborate with other churches.
“I was very blessed when I saw my vision coming true as we reached those 400 plus people on the streets,” said Zorek. “The best way to feel love is to share love.”
