On June 2014, Tom wrote us an email expressing his desire to participate in the Saturday Blessings project. We happily accepted.
Since that Friday afternoon in last June when he came over to volunteer, Tom has been a wonderful and ever-present supporter of the project.
Almost every week for the past year, Tom has set time apart Friday afternoon after work, to dedicate to Saturday Blessings project. He starts with shopping and continues with help in preparation of the breakfast bags. Agile and accurate, he fills the brown bags, and in "no time," they are ready to be packed in the car.
One of the things that is easiest to notice, is the love and dedication Tom has for his role in this project. His generous spirit allows him to be ready any moment, any time to help the poor and needy through Saturday Blessings. He helps us think about the importance of sharing our work and message so that Saturday Blessings can receive more support, more volunteers and thus grow to serve more of our homeless friends.
Tom's big smile and soft spoken personality is well suited for connecting with our homeless friends. On Saturday mornings, while giving breakfast bags, he politely addresses them with a courteous and friendly "good morning sir". They feel respected and sometimes the conversation starts there. Tom likes to walk down the street to reach to the people who are far away and make sure that everybody receives a breakfast bag, clothing, etc. engaging in a casual chat or simply listening.
Over the past year, Tom has become a vital part of this project. During our summer absence, he will take over the weekly responsibilities of Saturday Blessings. His wife, Sandra, with Spanish fluency, is also an active volunteer so together, we have no doubt, they will continue to deliver breakfasts and love to our homeless friends in DTLA.