Submitted by Sharon Kaak
As we enter this season of giving and thanksgiving, many of us will take time to reflect
on all that is good in our lives. Being that we live in what we call “The Land of Gracious Living” many of us do not even know that there are those within our own community who do not find life very gracious.
I was both surprised and delighted to learn recently that Yorba Linda has its own Food Pantry that services residents who need a helping hand. Located on Main Street, this outreach has ties to both the Salvation Army and the Second Harvest Food Bank.
I’ve been in contact with two of the biggest hearts in Yorba Linda, Char and Carl Knapp, who along with others, dedicate time each and every Tuesday to distribute food to more than 50 Yorba Linda families, seniors and retirees. No person gets overlooked in their need for sustenance. During the holidays, they extend their impact by collecting toys for the families also.
In talking with Char, I was inspired by the love she has for these neighbors in need. She and others have been doing this for over 15 years! It reminded me of a story I heard in high school:
One morning an elderly man was walking on a nearly deserted beach. He came upon
a boy surrounded by thousands and thousands of starfish. As eagerly as he could, the
youngster was picking them up and throwing them back into the ocean.
Puzzled, the older man looked at the young boy and asked, “Little boy, what are you doing?”
The youth responded without looking up, “I’m trying to save these starfish, sir.”
The old man chuckled aloud, and queried, “Son, there are thousands of starfish and only one of you. What difference can you make?”
Holding a starfish in his hand, the boy turned to the man and, gently tossing the starfish into the water, said, “It will make a difference to that one!”
Each of us is but one person: limited, burdened with our own cares and responsibilities. We may feel there is so much to be done, and we have so little to give. We’re usually short of everything, especially time and money. When we leave this shore, there will still be millions of starfish stranded on the beach. Maybe we can’t change the whole world, but there isn’t one of us who can’t help change one person’s whole world.
One at a time. We can make a difference.
Author Unknown
Char mentioned several simple ways in which people can participate:
They collect food donations all year round. Items most needed are canned foods (chili, spaghettios, soups, canned meats), boxed foods (macaroni and cheese, cereal) and staples (peanut butter, jelly, rice, beans). They also take donations of gift cards to grocery stores and monetary donations with which they purchase their most pressing needs.
This time of year, they are also collecting toys. They will welcome any unwrapped toy but their shortages are most often for the older children. She mentioned things like box games, sports balls, nail polish and makeup items.
If you would like to participate, you can bring your toy/food donations on December 8th at the Holiday in Old Town Yorba Linda celebration on Main Street from 5-9 p.m.. Several of the merchants will have black containers marked for donations and they are hoping to have a truck present.
If you’d prefer to have donations picked up from your home, two local realtors from Coldwell Banker Excellence are doing a food drive on Saturday, December 3rd. You can email them for pick up:
Clark Keppel (soundinvest@earthlink.net ) for homes east of Village Center Drive.
Sharon Kaak (dskaak@sbcglobal.net ) for homes west of Village Center Drive.
If you’d like to make special arrangements for another time or anytime in the future, feel free to email Char directly at: charmaewat@netzero.net
This holiday season, let’s live up to our name by sharing our graciousness with others.
