As rising anger in society made headlines, Twin Lakes Church in Aptos launched the “Acts of Kindness” initiative, raising more than $300,000 for Second Harvest Food Bank, enough for 1.2 million meals in Santa Cruz County.
Pastor René Schlaepfer reveals the Twin Lakes Church food drive total to holiday food drive co-chair UCSC Chancellor Cynthia Larive at church services Dec. 6.
“It’s so easy to fall into despair at the division in our world. Instead, we wanted to be dramatically positive,” said senior pastor René Schlaepfer.
The church organized into teams and even provided “Acts of Kindness grants” to help fund ideas.
“There were hundreds of projects, large and small,” said Schlaepfer.
Members performed their “Acts of Kindness” through cleaned gutters, cleared dead trees, and repaired vandalized property. Others gave gift bags to every staff member at Mar Vista Elementary School and built a new shed for a CZU fire victim. Members delivered necessities to the Warming Center in Santa Cruz. Another gave every Santa Cruz city police officer a gift.
Chuy Gardiner, Kyle Matthews, and Cathy Vanderbilt volunteer at Martha’s Kitchen.
“The women at Freedom Women’s Center in Watsonville are all being provided Christmas gift bags by another group,” said Schlaepfer.
The dramatic climax to the project came when the church revealed the total raised for the food bank.
“Our goal was one million meals. I was frankly worried it was too big a challenge in these inflationary times,” admitted Schlaepfer.
The church’s “Acts of Kindness” campaign actually raised 20% more than that goal: 1.2 million meals.
Bruce and Sharon Fournier, Chuck Zimmerman, and John McBain clear storm damage for a new neighbor.
“This is such a gift to thousands and thousands of families who otherwise would have gone hungry in this season and beyond,” said Willy Eliot-McCrea, director of Second Harvest.
“Obviously we won’t stop being kind now that this emphasis is over!” said Schlaepfer. “But we felt we needed a boost to remember how good it feels to love our neighbors. This is not just being nice. In our cultural moment this is a revolution. There is only one weapon that can defeat our extreme polarization. Jesus said it: ‘Love your neighbor.’”
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The Second Harvest holiday food drive is ongoing for anyone who wants to contribute.
For more information, go to thefoodbank.org. • www.tlc.org
Top Photo: Over 1,000 new pajamas are collected at Twin Lakes Church for children in transitional housing.
Sara Bently, Andrew Summers, and their fellowship group clean gutters for a neighbor in advance of winter storms.
John and Diane Gerbrandt and their fellowship group clear five dead trees and other fire hazards from neighbor’s yards.