Partners in Mission

By: Alison Chardos

Pack a Back, our summer backpack and school supplies drive, is now in full swing. We hold this drive each summer in partnership with Sacred Heart Community Service. Sacred Heart gives away over 4,000 fully stocked backpacks to children ranging in age from PreK through high school. On the day the students receive their school items, volunteers guide registered families through a room full of neatly displayed backpacks. There, each child chooses just the right backpack. Volunteers then give each child a bag of grade-specific school supplies. It’s a fun and joyful day for parents and their kids, and a rewarding experience for volunteers.

Holy Spirit has been an important contributor to Pack a Back since the drive officially began 20 years ago. In fact, Holy Spirit has been an important partner with Sacred Heart since the early days of our Parish. In a sense, Sacred Heart and Holy Spirit grew up together. Holy Spirit Parish just celebrated our 60th anniversary and Sacred Heart is celebrating their 60th anniversary this year. Our parish and Sacred Heart both began during in an era when many Catholic faithful were revitalized in their faith and their concern for the poor.

Louise Benson, Sacred Heart’s founder, was 61 when she retired from the small floor refinishing business she ran with her husband. Louise saw great need in her neighborhood of Willow Glen. In response, she spoke with her parish priest, and began assembling food baskets in her own home. Soon, more parishioners joined her. They worked out of Louise’s simple home, sitting on the floor and storing donations wherever they could. Louise was a humble woman, who had grown up poor and worked hard her whole life. She had only a 6th grade education, didn’t drive, and wasn’t young. But she did not let any of those factors stop her from doing God’s work. Many who knew her described her as “The Mother Teresa of San Jose.” Like Saint Mother Teresa, Louise had confidence and tenacity, and showed bravado in boldly speaking up for the poor to anyone, no matter their power of position.

Holy Spirit and Sacred Heart Community service began independently, but they came together in the Spring of 1975. One day, almost 50 years ago, our youth ministry coordinator, Barbara Zanher, answered a phone call. The caller confidently informed Barbara that our Holy Spirit youth group would be providing 400 hand-crafted Easter eggs. “Easter is coming, the caller said, and I need 400 beautifully decorated Easter eggs. I’m going to put you down for some. And I want them really beautifully done because the poor don’t have too many beautiful things in their lives. They need to have something really beautiful.” ”Who are you?” Barbara asked, incredulously. ”Louise Benson, Sacred Heart Community Service,” the caller replied. Not long after, Barbara found herself driving to Louise’s house to deliver 400 hand-decorated eggs. The small house sat near the railroad tracks, and Louise had planted flowers along the tracks to add beauty. After returning home, Barbara told her husband, “I think I just met a saint.”

Since that time, Holy Spirit has built a strong relationship with Sacred Heart. We send groups of volunteers year-round through Saturdays at Sacred Heart. We also collect needed items through seasonal drives. Some of our most popular drives are Turkeys and Tarps, Christmas Toys, Winter Warmth, Spring Hygiene, and the Reverse Collection.

Please help us continue our robust partnership with Sacred Heart by supporting Pack a Back. You can help by donating school supplies or backpacks, giving monetary donations, volunteering on one of our shifts, and offering prayers for the children who will receive the items and for a successful drive.

Donation bins are in front of the church and more details can be found on our website.