Church groups band together Volunteers unite to help community

By Sophia Fischersfischer@theacorn.com

More than 1,000 volunteers from area churches offered their services to local agencies and other worthy causes in an effort organized two weeks ago by Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village.

Activities included preparing and serving hot meals to the homeless in Ventura, organizing a storage area used by Senior Concerns for the Meals on Wheels program in Thousand Oaks, painting and making repairs at schools (including Wildwood and Aspen elementary schools and Thousand Oaks High School) and clearing a section of the Backbone Trail in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

Paul Harris of Westlake Presbyterian Church in Westlake Village was one of a group of volunteers who spent more than five hours helping a disabled woman clear out and organize her storage unit at a Newbury Park facility.

“It was a very daunting task because it was filled from floor to ceiling. It was a great opportunity to help her and improve her life,” Harris said. “She was grateful and gave us all hugs when we were finished.”

The communitywide volunteer program called ACTION began last year. Kirk DeWitt of Calvary heads the steering committee, which includes representatives from six churches.

The idea came from similar programs conducted nationwide.

“By having a big event like this, it gets people involved and excited, and builds energy,” Dewitt said.

The ultimate goal, according to DeWitt, is to encourage volunteers to help all year. By teaming congregations together, larger and more established churches can mentor smaller ones and help their members get involved, Harris said.

“Even in a community as good as ours, the needs can be overwhelming,” said John Franklin, a member of the steering committee and a pastor at Evangelical Free Church in Newbury Park.

“This gives us an opportunity to do things that no one church can do alone, but that 30 churches combined can,” Franklin said.