St. Dunstan's Tradition of Caring

Volunteer duo promote ECS' Emergency Assistace program as an essential outreach opportunity for members of St. Dunstan's

July 17, 2008
St. Dunstan's Duo For many years, the parishioners of St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church have generously supported Emergency Assistance, ECS’ program that provides groceries, toiletries and other essentials to families in distress. Dick Maches and Ray Henson, parishioners of the church, work together to collect donations, shop for goods and deliver items to St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in Lemon Grove, where Emergency Assistance is housed.

“It’s all Ray’s fault,” joked Dick Maches, a retired accountant. “I offered to help him one day, and we’ve been working together ever since. I’m the collector, and Ray’s the driver. We’re a good team,” he added.

The two make a good team indeed. Each first Sunday of the month, Maches appeals to the congregation at both morning services. He passes a metal pail, wooden bucket or other container to collect monetary donations. Once, he used a large stainless steel mixing bowl. “Look into the bottom of the bowl and see your reflection. That person staring back at you - he or she is doing a good thing by giving,” he quipped. A large wooden cart in the narthex of the church holds diapers, toiletries, clothing and other items brought by parishioners throughout the month for delivery to Emergency Assistance. After the late morning service, Maches and Henson tally the day’s collection and load Henson’s car with the contents of the donation cart.

The next morning, the two meet at a nearby Costco, promptly at 10am. Before going into the store, they call Emergency Assistance to find out what items are needed to fill the program’s shelves. Sometimes, the program is short on canned vegetables. Other times, rice and beans.

St. Dunstan's Duo Heading straight for the canned goods aisles, Maches and Henson get right to work. Henson pushes a flatbed cart through the store as Maches pulls things off of shelves. With a pocket calculator in hand, Henson tallies the cost of the items to ensure they stay within budget of collected monies. The efficient shoppers are usually done in less than an hour and drive to Emergency Assistance to deliver the purchased goods. On average, members of St. Dunstan’s contribute about $600 each month to support the program.

“It’s a great feeling. We get to the program and the staff is so grateful. The shelves are starting to look a little empty, and then we fill them up. We’re really helping people out,” said Henson. In the first six months of 2008, over 1,000 clients were served by Emergency Assistance.

When Maches was asked why he enjoys his role as a donation collector of sorts at St. Dunstan’s, he replied, “Well, it’s easy! In less than three hours a month I’ve collected donations, shopped and delivered food. It’s fast, simple, I’ve done good and I feel good.”