Charity that started with a phone call

Charity that started with a phone call

I am Kevin Guo, a member of Saddleback Church and the founder of GFM.News / Global Finance Media Group.

Today, June 14th, I stood at the entrance of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, near the food donation and distribution area, and had a very meaningful conversation with Candy.

This is not a formal interview.

This was just a quiet conversation under the Southern California sun. A simple yellow sign stood nearby that read:

Drop Off Donations Here

Please place your donated supplies here.

At first glance, this is a place where people donate food and people in need can take it.

But the longer I listened, the more I realized that this wasn't just about food.

Food is often the first need that is noticed.

But behind a box of groceries may lie a deeper story: a lost job, unpaid rent, a legal problem, an immigration dilemma, a language barrier, a child who needs tutoring, an elderly parent who needs care, a family under pressure, a person living in their car, or someone silently burdened with anxiety, shame, and fear.

True charity begins here.

It didn't start with a public gesture.

It didn't start with a single photograph.

It didn't start with a slogan.

It begins with someone being willing to sit down, listen to another person’s situation, and help them find their next step.

Through the Peace Center/Community Resource Center of Saddle Peak Church, those in need can receive food assistance and be connected to resource counseling, legal aid, immigration assistance, ESL support, tutoring, psychological counseling, recovery groups, prayer support, and other community resources.

What touched me most was the protection of human dignity throughout the entire process.

People aren't asked first: Are you a Christian?

You won't be asked first: Do you attend church services?

They will not be judged based on their background, race, language, or immigration history.

The first thing they saw was a person.

From a Christian perspective, this is extremely important. Every person is created in God's image. Every person is born with dignity—poverty cannot erase it, failure cannot erase it, hardship cannot erase it.

As a media founder, I often think about systems: capital systems, information systems, institutional systems, and social systems.

But today, standing at the entrance of the church, I saw a different system:

A compassionate system.

It has a structure.

It has boundaries.

It has volunteers.

It has a process.

It has a responsibility mechanism.

Most importantly, it has the warmth of humanity.

This is not charity that creates dependency.

This is charity that acts as a bridge.

A person might need food today; but tomorrow, what he really needs might be a clue to a job opportunity, a safe place to sleep, legal advice, a phone call someone makes for him, a short training course, or simply someone who is willing to believe that he can get back on his feet.

Sometimes, helping someone doesn't mean solving their entire life for them.

Sometimes, it's just about helping him take the next step.

For those in Orange County facing food insecurity, housing difficulties, legal issues, immigration questions, language barriers, family stress, mental health challenges, or other urgent needs, a phone call may be the start of another path.

Saddleback Church Peace Center

270 Saddleback Parkway

Lake Forest, CA 92630

Phone: (949) 609-8111

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.saddleback.com/peacecenter

Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, 9 AM–5 PM

If you need help, please make this call.

If you know someone who needs help, please share this number with them.

If you want to help others, this might be a place to start.

Because sometimes, charity doesn't begin with a large foundation, a public campaign, or a perfect plan.

Sometimes, it all starts with a phone call.

And on the other end of the phone, perhaps someone will finally hear this sentence:

You don't have to carry all of this alone.

We will walk with you.

God is with you.