A Helping Hand for Those in Need

It’s a small group, but one with quite a bit of heart. Twenty-Seven men and women of all ages line up under the shade of a tree in Marston Point, Balboa Park on February 28th, as members of The Rock Church of San Diego prepare to feed the homeless that reside in this area of San Diego. Every fourth weekend of the month members of the church set up in various places around San Diego county in an effort to distribute and feed the more misfortunate members of the community, as part of their “Neighborly Outreach” movement in an effort to strengthen the community.

“It’s not a large movement, even if we do it so often,” says Jennifer Maldonado, “But what’s important is that some effort is being made to begin with.” The movement, launched in late 2012, has been a staple of the various outreach movements conducted by the Megachurch.

Balboa Park in particular has been recognized in the past for having a large number of transient and homeless members. According to an article from late 2012 from the San Diego Union Tribune, the population skyrocketed to around 8,500 of homeless residing in the area.

The members of the Neighborly homeless outreach have a few small tables laid out with food being prepared to feed those that exist inside one of the many park areas in the country. On the right of the table is a variety of clothes laid out on a piece of tarp, donated by members of the church.

“We get at least 20 to 30 families donating their clothes and even supplies each time,” says Laramie Banks. Outside of clothes there is also various forms of canned food stored in boxes, as well as water, supplies such as rope and tape, and sleeping bags for those that lack them.

One such person benefitting from this movement is 37 year old Naeem, one of the members of the homeless community residing here for the past 4 months. “I used to be an car mechanic for a bit after I was a marine, but if you couldn’t tell it didn’t really work out,” he said with a slight chuckle. Previously a resident of Oceanside county in San Diego, Naeem is one of the many that have traveled to Balboa Park. When asked why, he simply stated, “The weather is nicer here,” before he accepted a bowl of freshly made macaroni and disappeared into the park.

The members of the group are constantly in prayer, with one elderly woman in particular drawing a quick cross like motion across her chest whenever someone comes to accept their aid. “It’s not just helping them out, we do believe it’s also a way for them to get on the right path of Jesus Christ,” says Maldonado. The members do not shy away from showcasing that this is first and foremost, a religious movement, in an effort to “bless” those who come by and partake in the program.

The event lasted three hours, from 10 AM to 1 PM, with the final hour of the event dedicated to cleaning up and giving away whatever items still persisted on the tables. In total, 23 people came by to receive aid, and despite how low the count may seem, to George Wilde it was a success no matter what, stating, “We came to help the less fortunate, and that’s what we did. We can’t try to help everyone, but hopefully those that do accept the aid will move on towards a better future, not just with our help, but with God’s as well.”