A Spring Valley Servant's Heart: Meet Angela Kretschmar

A few years ago, Angela Kretschmar was a church secretary who gave food to a couple that asked for something to eat. Now, she directs a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to thousands of people.

“I kept doing all this community stuff because I just figured that’s what church secretaries do,” Kretschmar said. “Word gets around. So many people were coming in. My pastor said, ‘Why don’t you just do the community thing full time?’ ”

Not long after, New Seasons Church, located at 2300 Bancroft Dr. in Spring Valley, formed Heaven’s Windows, a nonprofit charitable organization to provide even more resources and services for the community. As the director of Church Community Relations, Kretschmar creates and coordinates the programs.

“We’re the direct arms and hands and feet from the church to the community,” Kretschmar said.

What began as a few cans to a needy couple is now a food pantry that provides emergency groceries for individuals and families upon request and referrals. 

Kretschmar collaborates with a number of agencies, businesses and organizations to obtain resources. She is active in the Spring Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Spring Valley Youth & Family Coalition. She works with the San Diego Food Bank, Feeding America San Diego and local stores such as Ralphs, Walmart and Henry's Farmers Market. Because of their assistance and donations, the food pantry serves about 100 people a day, she said.

“If someone says they want to give us something, we go and get it, we bring it back and we give it out,” she said. “It’s like an open hand—your hand has to be open. When God puts stuff in it, you leave it open and it goes back out. When it’s empty, he fills it back up again. That system works perfectly. We have never been empty, ever.”

Heaven’s Windows offers more than the Windows of Heaven Food Pantry, which is open five days a week. 

In 2009, the nonprofit began sponsoring the Child Nutrition Program. Through the Department of Education, the nonprofit helps provide summer meals and snacks to children in East County. Last summer, Heaven’s Windows served 2,823 meals. 

Every Wednesday, the nonprofit cooks and serves hot meals to homeless and families in need through their "Seasoned With Love Hot Meals" program. 

The nonprofit also reaches out to the senior community. It provides employment and training to seniors. Heaven’s Windows originally worked with three seniors and now works with 12.

Through the “Heavens on Wheels” program, the nonprofit delivers hot meals to homebound seniors and disabled persons in Spring Valley once a week.

Every fall, the nonprofit hosts the annual . Last November, the nonprofit distributed 1,000 turkeys, 11,000 pounds of chicken and 28,000 pounds of groceries.

These are just some of Heaven’s Windows' programs. In fact, the nonprofit organized or sponsored 17 different community outreach programs last year. And Kretschmar helped launch all of them.

“Each one of these, I had a hand in everything, and I love it,” she said. “I start them, and then I hand them off.”

Kretschmar has always served San Diego, but in a different way. Before she was hired as a secretary at New Seasons Church six years ago, she had a civil service job with the Navy. For 25 years, Kretschmar calibrated and repaired aircraft parts.

Still, she said her previous work isn’t much different from her current work.

“When I’m looking at this thing, I know what it’s supposed to be. I have to figure out how do I get it from this to that,” she said. “I see this the same way. This area needs food. Where am I going to get the food? How am I going to get the food here? Where am I going to store it? When I see a problem, I have to analyze it because I know what my outcome is supposed to be.”

When she developed carpal tunnel syndrome, Kretschmar looked for a different job. The church secretary position was the first job she applied to.

Ever since, she has wanted to help the community of Spring Valley and the surrounding areas.

“When I first came here and I drove around, my heart just goes out to the people—the young people standing around, the condition of the houses. I didn’t realize there were still places in San Diego that had unpaved streets,” said Kretschmar, who grew up in San Diego. “The poverty level here is very bad, and it shows. I don’t see the difference between this place looking like Del Mar. If we come together and we go to our local government, it can change. I just see the possibilities. I know it’s possible.”

She strives to make change possible.

“Back in the day when there was a tragedy or something happened, they’d ring the church bell and everybody would go to the church because that’s who is going to help them,” she said. “New Seasons Church wants to be that bell in the neighborhood where everybody comes and they can get help and they can trust us.”

Kretschmar said her work wouldn’t be possible without the support of others. She is one of six full-time staff members. There are also 10 core volunteers, as well as a congregation of more than 600 people “always ready to help.”

“There wouldn’t be a Heaven’s Windows without the congregation’s compassion for this community. It was birthed from that compassion,” she said. “It’s not easy to do; it costs money. It takes a decision to do it; it doesn’t happen overnight.  I couldn’t do it without the support of the pastor and the congregation.”

Heaven’s Windows plans to eventually have a community center at other New Seasons Church locations in Indio, Sacramento and Texas. Kretschmar hopes to also open other centers throughout San Diego County.

“I can’t see doing anything else,” Kretschmar said. “If they got rid of me, I’d do it some place else.

“The fun part about this is it’s bigger than me. It’s building something,” she said. “It started out with a couple of cans. I can’t wait to see where we’re going next.”