Living God’s love in Tulare

During the 2020 holiday season, Adventist Health Tulare partnered with the Tulare Salvation Army to help support fellow community members facing food insecurity.

There is no doubt that the past year saw many community members experience unforgettable and challenging repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, including losing their jobs, being furloughed and having to find new ways to pay their bills and feed their families.

To help meet this need, Adventist Health Tulare responded to sponsorship request from the Tulare Salvation Army, providing a monetary donation to assist with their mission of helping the most vulnerable in the community. Connecting and collaborating with community partners is a way to address areas of need and help close the gap on the social determinates of health. It’s a sentiment shared by Cynthia Escobar, Lieutenant for the Tulare Salvation Army. Below, she shares her story:

“As a Salvation Army officer, we have made a commitment to serve those who are less fortunate and to serve suffering humanity without discrimination. As our founder William Booth once said, ‘I’ll fight, I’ll fight to the very end.’ This is a great reminder that there are members of our community that are hurting, many of whom have different battles going on in their lives.

This holiday season we had families who faced food insecurities, had children go to bed hungry or wonder if they would receive anything for Christmas. We are here to fight for them. 2020 brought a higher need in our community and, at times, I wondered if we were going to be able to provide basic needs for our community members. I sat and wondered… all I could do was pray to God, that He would provide for every need and help us rescue Christmas for families in Tulare. I couldn’t help but have a heart filled with joy and gratitude toward God and our community for helping us supply every need that comes through our doors.

On Christmas day, I sat and saw my children open their Christmas presents. My heart was overwhelmed to know that other families throughout our organization and communities were able to get the support that they needed and had the opportunity to celebrate Jesus. I was reminded that I was one of these children in need growing up, and someone fought for me. I am beyond grateful for the calling God has placed into my life, being able to serve our community.”

We thank the Tulare Salvation Army for the important work they do to help build a healthier community. We are honored to support their efforts in service of our mission of living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope.