A Morning of Mulch and Service

Every few years, our inclusive playground needs a fresh layer of mulch—not because the old mulch is completely replaced, but because it settles and compacts over time. What looks like a simple maintenance job is actually an important part of keeping the playground safe, usable, and healthy for the trees around it. The mulch helps with drainage, cushions the play area, and keeps the grounds in good condition for the children who use them every day.

This was not ordinary landscaping mulch. It was International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA)-certified mulch, an engineered wood fiber designed specifically for playground use. The job required shovels, wheelbarrows, buckets, organization, and a great deal of labor.

The work became a community effort. Volunteers from the Community Health Awareness for Adolescents and Teens (C.H.A.A.T.) summer day camp program, children and teachers from the BT Early Learning Center summer camp, and several other adults came together to take on the task. C.H.A.A.T. was involved because the group needed a community service project, they were already on the BT campus, and the playground mulch project gave them a practical way to serve.

The amount of mulch was impressive. Several truckloads were delivered, and future work would bring even more—four trucks carrying seven yards each, for a total of twenty-eight yards, or roughly eighteen tons of mulch. In the past, the job had always been done with volunteer labor, creating tremendous savings while also giving people a chance to work together for a shared purpose.

Steve Grinnell began the day working alone, the morning felt a little slow and uncertain. When the children and other volunteers arrived, however, his attitude changed. The work was no longer his burden alone. What he had expected to be a frustrating morning became, in his words, a blessing. Children, teenagers, teachers, and adults moved together across the playground, filling buckets, pushing wheelbarrows, and spreading mulch into play areas.

The children brought an energy that changed the whole atmosphere. Some wanted to shovel. Others preferred carrying buckets. A few of the younger children wanted to push wheelbarrows. The BT Early Learning Center summer day camp children came with smaller buckets and hurried back and forth with excitement. The adults had to remind them to slow down so no one would get hurt, but their enthusiasm made the hard work feel lighter.

The adults were organized and steady and worked alongside the children, helping them stay focused and safe while allowing them to choose jobs they were excited to do. Music played through a small sound system, adding to the sense that this was more than a chore; it was a shared experience.

By 11 o’clock, the work was finished. The enormous piles of mulch had disappeared, and the playground had been renewed. What had seemed at first like a heavy job became manageable because so many hands joined in. The children were hard workers, the adults provided structure, and everyone contributed to something that would benefit the community.

The most memorable part of the day was not just the amount of mulch moved, or the money saved on labor. It was the way the project brought people together. One adult who had started the morning working alone admitted that he was not happy at first. But when the children and volunteers arrived, his attitude changed completely. What he thought might be a difficult morning became a blessing.

In the end, the mulch project showed how ordinary service can become meaningful when a community works together. Buckets of mulch, shovels, wheelbarrows, and a playground became the setting for teamwork, responsibility, and joy. The children learned that they could contribute, the adults saw the power of organized cooperation, and the playground was renewed through everyone’s effort.

A Hot Meal, a Warm Welcome, and a New Beginning

Linda “Qween” Davis has always worshiped God. “I’m always praying to God, asking him to help me and take care of me,” she said, “but I have a long way to go.”

Her first encounter with the Highland Park Community Assistance Network (HPCAN) came when she and her husband, who died a year ago, attended one of the Tuesday night community meals. He suggested they go out for a hot dinner.

“And I’m like, where?” Qween remembered, “and he said, ‘At the church.’”

She remembers the warm welcome that came with the hot meal, especially from Kathy Lopez.

Later, Qween became part of the Monday ceramics class, where she met Angelina Guajardo, program director for Divine Women, a support ministry for women. At Guajardo’s invitation, Qween participated in the group for a while.

Eventually, she began volunteering in the kitchen for the Tuesday meals, the same ministry through which she first encountered HPCAN. “I’ve always liked to cook, and I like to help people as much as I can,” she said. “I try not to miss. I’m there helping in the community, serving the food and everything.”

Daniel Arredondo, Minister of Outreach, calls her a great worker. “She’s a valued member of our kitchen team,” he said. “Her heart is growing.”

Coworker Bobann Moore agreed. “When we’re in that kitchen, she will do anything, anything at all to help,” Moore said.

Vernon Liverett remarked on Qween’s cheerful attitude and the way she relates to guests. “Qween has a good relationship with the people that come through the line,” Liverett said. “She makes them comfortable. She makes it feel relaxed and kids around with them. And then just makes the whole interaction very positive.”

“When I’m up there serving the food and stuff, I’m always telling them, ‘Welcome. Have a happy Tuesday. Don’t forget to thank the good Lord for this day,’” Queen said. “I know half of the people that come and eat at the church.”

Among the Tuesday night volunteers, Qween has found more than a place to serve. She has found community. “We’re always laughing and joking and playing around with each other,” she said. “And whenever something’s wrong with me or I’m sick or something, they always check up on me.”

That kind of care stood out to her. It was not what she had experienced in churches as a teenager. “That’s what made me give up on churches until I found this one here,” she said.

Arredondo has seen growth in her life. “She’s come a long way,” he said. “She was very unreceptive at first, but over time, she’s learned to take the Word of God and let it discipline her and purify her and conform her.”

Qween eventually started attending worship and Bible study. The Bible study is led by Liverett and Kay Richardson, who coordinates the Tuesday night meals. Qween appreciates the way the teaching is easy to understand and the opportunity to ask questions. “With Miss Kay, I’m learning stuff that I never knew about,” she said. “And she makes it so simple.”

Recently, Qween was baptized and committed herself to a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. For her, baptism marked an opportunity “to let go of all my sins and move forward with the help of the good Lord to do better.”

Faith, Legacy, and the Fruit of a Life Rooted in God

Guest Blog by Roxanne Arredondo

Gardening has always been more than the work of planting and harvesting. To me, it has become a sacred reminder that growth requires time, care, patience, and faith. In many ways, the garden mirrors our spiritual life. Seeds are planted in hope, roots stretch silently in hidden places, and fruit appears only after steady tending. So, it is with our walk with God. Growth is not always immediate or visible, yet through prayer, trust, and time spent in His presence, He brings forth beauty in its season.

Since I was a little girl, I have seen the fruits of my father’s labor. He was a man of many trades, but farming was one of his greatest gifts. He could make almost anything grow. My father worked acres of land throughout my childhood, and we always kept a garden at home. Because of his dedication, I did not have to run to the store for cucumbers, tomatoes, and other fresh vegetables. My summers were spent in the harvest alongside my father and family. We rose before sunrise to head to the ranch and returned home only after the sun had gone down. Those long days in the field taught me the meaning of labor, sacrifice, and provision. Looking back, I realize I was witnessing more than hard work—I was witnessing devotion, stewardship, and a quiet, enduring faith. Those days still remind me of the biblical truth that those who sow faithfully will, in due season, reap.

To this day, my mother, Olivia, still keeps a garden at her home in remembrance of my father. My father, Julio, passed away ten years ago, yet his memory and the seeds of wisdom he planted continue to flourish. What was once the labor of his hands has become part of our family’s legacy, a quiet testimony of love, memory, and devotion. Even more meaningful, my nephew Jaime has taken up this practice as well, not only to honor his grandfather, but even more to honor God. In this way, the garden has become more than a family tradition; it is a living expression of faith passed from one generation to the next.

One of the most meaningful things my father ever told me was that while he tended to his garden, he also prayed. The garden became a place of meditation, conversation, and communion with God. As he worked the soil, he was also cultivating his spirit. That image has never left me: hands in the earth, heart lifted toward heaven. It reminds me that time with God does not always have to look formal or polished. Sometimes it is found in the quiet rhythm of daily work, in stillness, in reflection, and in simple moments of faithfulness. By our fruits we shall be known, and the fruit of a life rooted in God will always reveal His goodness.

Gardening teaches us that growth cannot be rushed. It calls for care, attention, and trust in a process we do not fully control. Our spiritual life is much the same. We must make room for God, return to Him daily, and trust that even when nothing seems to be changing, He is still working beneath the surface. As I reflect on my father’s life, my mother’s remembrance, and the example now carried forward by the next generation, my heart is filled with gratitude.

I thank God for all fathers—both blood and spiritual—whose lives, prayers, labor, and example have helped honor the Great Commission of our faith. Their faithfulness leaves behind a harvest that reaches far beyond what the eye can see. As Galatians 5:22 reminds us, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.” May our lives bear this kind of fruit as we remain deeply rooted in God. As we honor fathers this season, may we also reflect on our own walk with the Lord. How do we spend our time with Him? Do we make space for Him in our daily routines, quiet moments, labor, or rest? Just as a garden flourishes when it is tended, our souls flourish when we remain connected to the One who gives life. Happy Father’s Day to all fathers, natural and spiritual, whose faithfulness continues to plant seeds that will bless generations to come.