“People do not know how a simple bus pass can make a difference at the right time and on the right day,” said Helen Hunt, Director of Missions for Temple Missionary Baptist Church in San Bernardino.
As Women’s Outreach Director for the Temple Community Outreach Center for more than 20 years, Ms. Helen has seen firsthand how something as basic as a bus pass can mean a life-changing opportunity to a person in need.
It can help a senior citizen get to a doctor appointment so he can receive the help and treatment he needs. It ensures that a single mother can get to parenting classes that will provide her with the support and education to build a good life for her family. It provides a man who has been out of work for months with the means to make it to that all important job interview.
Although that $1.50 bus fare may sound insignificant to most of us, for many of the people served by the Center it’s everything in the world.
“People have come back to us and told us that the bus pass we bought for them made it possible for them to turn their lives around,” Ms. Helen said. “We can’t afford to hand them out to everyone. We use them only for emergency situations where we know it meets an important need. But we have seen it make a big difference.”
The Temple Community Outreach Center primarily serves people in need within the San Bernardino , but no one is ever turned away. Omnitrans Director of Internal Audit Services, Dr. Samuel Gibbs, has served as a Trustee for the Center for the past four and a half years.
“The services the Center is able to provide for the community are so important,” said Dr. Gibbs. “People come to us for personal counseling, 12-step drug programs, food and clothing. We also have classes on topics like parenting, health, and job preparedness. These critical life skills help people get back on their feet so they can build better lives for themselves and their families. Recently we even held a health fair where we offered health screenings and free flu shots.”
Temple Community Outreach Center is located at 1777 Baseline Road in San Bernardino. For more information about the Center and how you can help, contact Ms. Helen at 909-383-9588.
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