Community Corner

Spring Valley Church Provides Thanksgiving Meals to Needy Families

Local families received free food, clothing, toys and other services during Saturday's "Season of Love" Community Block Party at New Seasons Church.

Thousands of people will be able to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal thanks to a local church.

Families lined up with bags, carts and wagons as early as Friday afternoon for free food, clothing, toys and other services during New Seasons Church's "Season of Love" Community Block Party Saturday.

First-time attendee Alicia Arroyo arrived at 4:30 a.m. from southeast San Diego.

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“This gives families that don’t have things a little push,” said Arroyo, who brought her daughter and neighbors. “It shows that someone is out there listening, and someone is helping the community.”

About 475 volunteers from the church and the community distributed food items, including turkey, chicken, ham, bread, fruits and vegetables, provided by church funds as well as donations from the San Diego Food Bank and Feeding America San Diego.

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“We are a community church,” said Carletus Patrick, a church member and volunteer. “If we don’t help our community, we can’t say we are a community church. These are our neighbors.”

Roughly 60 people from Bank of America were among the volunteers at the block party.

“We want to be able to give back and help the people in the community that we serve,” said Jimmy Watkins, senior vice president for Bank of America. “We serve people in all these communities, and we really feel it’s important to give back and help those that are in need in any way that we can.”

Miss Spring Valley Daniela Serna, along with other local titleholders, also welcomed attendees.

“I think it’s so nice how the community can get together and help out so many people,” said Serna, a Grossmont College student and graduate. “It’s needed for the community.”

The block party also featured a free hot lunch, a children's festival, live music and a prayer tent. In addition, the church offered free clothing, toys and other household items, as well as community resource information and a health fair with free screenings.

“It’s a wonderful place for us to be able to spread the word about what our clinic does and offer help and support to women facing unplanned pregnancies,” said Robin Brust, the office manager for East County Pregnancy Care Clinic. “We’re able to reach a lot of people here.”

Organizers prepared for 2,000 families, or more than 5,000 people, to arrive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. hosted 1,152 families and 473 volunteers.

Dr. A.B. Vines Sr., who serves as senior pastor of New Seasons Church, said the 1,000-member church raised more than $20,000 for the annual event.

“Our church believes in the mission in what we’re doing,” he said. “They believe in the calling to help people out and show love. We know times are hard, but we believe in sacrificial giving.

“It’s what God calls us to do in Spring Valley.”


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