Dear Friends of Grace in Action,

In every season, I am reminded that God is always faithful! Each year, He provides us amazing volunteers to do His work. In this season, I am reminded of the importance of compassion and connection.  As Executive Director I connect daily with other service agencies to provide our guests with transportation, referrals, and basic needs.  Each Monday and Wednesday, our compassionate volunteers offer friendship, listening ears, and prayers, along with a nutritious lunch.  Our ministry could not continue without the prayers and financial support we receive from our individual supporters and Davis churches.

People need to feel connected and valued in order to take advantage of services offered to them. Through our lunch program we try to form relationships with guests in order to provide more targeted case management. This year we were blessed to help with dental needs, car and bike repairs, gas money, transportation to out-of-town relatives, and the provision of short-term respite, such as a motel room for a night. At our lunch distribution sites we are able to provide local bus passes, new socks, and vouchers for a laundromat and a clothing store.  In addition, haircuts are offered the 2^nd and 4^th Mondays of each month, and a legal aid representative comes each month. Recently, Pastor Eric Dirksen began serving Communion to the guests at the Wednesday lunch.

I want to share a story that illustrates the community networking and case management that Grace in Action provides. The story is about a guest I’ll call Mr. D. Together with the city of Davis and Saint Vincent de Paul, GIA sheltered him from Dec 2021 to May 2022. Grace in Action then found him the congregate housing where he currently resides. We connected him with Meals on Wheels and In-Home Supportive Services.  We maintain contact with Mr. D and provide transition services, such as transportation to grocery stores, laundromats, and medical appointments. Mr. D is actively pondering his faith, while also trying to quit smoking.  God is working on his penitent heart.  This is where God works—sharing a meal, going grocery shopping, doing laundry, and sharing Christian friendship.

More people than ever are dealing with homelessness or a lack of resources to purchase even the most basic supplies. Serving this population is more than a matter of resource allocation. Grace in Action engages these individuals and truly connects in ways that make a difference in their lives.  We are hoping big, praying big, and now asking big. Your contributions to Grace in Action will help us to further connect with these individuals. Our financial resources have been stretched this year with the increased needs of our guests, plus the additional services we provided last winter for the shelter program. We would also like to connect with additional volunteers who would like to serve low-income and homeless people through Grace In Action.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Sincerely,

Edward Johnson, Executive Director

Dear Friends,

First, I want to say God is faithful. No matter the season, and no matter how things look in the natural realm, He is always at work. To everyone who contributed prayers, time, money, and resource development during this past winter season, thank you so much!

As you are probably aware, Grace in Action teamed with the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the City of Davis this past winter to provide housing for the most vulnerable of our unhoused neighbors. Considering the impromptu nature of this private and public collaboration to develop a feasible winter shelter model for 2021-2022, I feel that our combined efforts were a success. As a collective team, I believe we touched many more people than we originally anticipated, thanks to God’s grace and compassion in stretching us to accommodate the increased volume of calls for help. Some individuals found subsidized housing; some obtained medical detox and drug rehabilitation; some found employment; one found respite from domestic violence; and yet another found respite and a fresh start after a fire consumed her home.

The winter shelter season allowed us to forge stronger relationships with partners such as the police department, and its homeless outreach team; St. Vincent de Paul; CommuniCare and the Davis Respite Center; and Davis Community Meals and Housing-just to name a few. We have enjoyed the privilege of partnering with Grace Garden, which donated fruits and veggies during the winter season to our guests (and continues to share the summer harvest). We, in turn, have partnered with other organizations and volunteers to further distribute the surplus. These are just a few examples of God’s opening up avenues so we can continue to work to be a good partner within the community.

My prayer continues to be asking the Lord how Grace in Action can encourage the entire community to partner with us in advocating for the area’s unhoused, low-income, and vulnerable while continuing to provide our regular services. As one guests said, “Grace in Action is like an oasis we can count on to always be there.” We continue to serve lunch on Mondays at Davis United Methodist Church and on Wednesdays at Pole Line Baptist Church. Our faithful volunteers provide a hearty bag lunch of sandwiches and other items that the guests can enjoy while sitting outside, conversing with each other and the volunteers. We also continue to provide bus tickets, laundry vouchers, haircuts, clothing vouchers, hygiene items and much more. Our populations has numerous challenges from trauma; mental health and physical health impairments; substance abuse issues; skill deficits, including vocation skills; and lack of friendship and mentorship.

We take our mission seriously and we’re blessed that we could use our reserve resources, plus community-wide contributions, to provide funding and case management for the Winter Shelter Program. Now we need to rebuild our financial foundation so we can be ready for whatever God calls Grace in Action to do next. Whatever you can contribute in the form of money, time, or resource development will be greatly appreciated as we work with our partners to provide services to those without shelter and basic needs. Thank you for your continued support and prayers!

Sincerely,

Edward Johnson, Executive Director

Hello Friends,

              Thank you for your support of this ministry that makes it possible to serve this vulnerable population and to demonstrate God’s love in pursuit of our mission.  I am excited to be a part of Grace In Action and to collaborate with you all.  A little about me- I am the proud parent of a 13 year-old son, Ethan; and I love doing touristy things and taking day trips.   

              My favorite verses as an initial new believer were Proverbs 3:5-8 (ESV): 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths.  Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.  It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.

These verses always serve to remind me that Christ is the center.  And to truly experience, understand, and express love – we have to be connected to the One who first showed us love. 

This is where I believe Grace In Action has such an ability to be impactful in a force-multiplying way that a social service agency may not – because we have the ability to point an individual to the One who truly can transform and change.  Those in fellowship understand the impact of His grace, mercy, and love because we are recipients of it.  And because of it, we want to share with those who may not know… or may need reminding… that God is always good in every season.

How we fill that gap within Yolo County and work with our collaborating partners is something I am excited to be exploring with you all.  I am not interested in transforming Grace In Action into something that is divergent from its established identity or mission.  I look to strengthen our local partnerships and work with you all to find innovative ways to deeper connect with this community to express God’s grace and love – however and wherever we can.  Thank you for all your support and I look forward to an exciting season together!

Sincerely,

Edward Johnson

Dear Friends,

As we enter the season of Advent in anticipation of Christmas, we want to thank you for your support of our ministry at Grace in Action. Throughout the pandemic, we have continued our twice weekly meals as a platform for outreach to homeless and low income people in Davis. In addition, we have partnered with a number of local and county services to assist people in need.

We are particularly grateful to Davis United Methodist Church and Pole Line Baptist Church who have allowed us to use their parking lots to stage our informal gatherings and lunch handouts. In addition, our volunteers and food preparers have made commitments to help us offer this consistent presence of welcome and hospitality.

In approaching Christmas, many of us look forward to hearing the story of the birth of Jesus from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The Gospel of Matthew begins with Jesus’ nativity and ends with the risen Jesus’ assertion of his ongoing presence.

“Remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)

Our work at Grace in Action is an effort to express that assertion of Divine presence.  Just as we believe the image of God can be seen in the lives of people in need, we also hope that acts of kindness and generosity will allow people in need to sense that God is with them.  We thank you for having supported our work in the past. We also ask that you consider doing so this Season. We are fortunate to live and work in a community that tries hard to care for those on life’s margins. We take our role seriously as partners in that web of caring. We get involved with our time and resources to help people with a range of challenges. You make that possible, and we are privileged to show your love and caring.

At this turning of the seasons, we say farewell to Steve Smith, our Executive Director for the past five years, and welcome Edward Johnson as our new Executive Director. Edward comes to us highly recommended by those with whom he has worked in the past. He has extensive experience in social services management and advocacy which we believe will be valuable in helping our guests navigate the various agencies and programs which can provide assistance.

We hope and pray that those you bless will sense the One from whom all blessings flow, our true Companion.

May the blessings of Advent and Christmas be with you.

Grace in Action Board of Directors

April 2021

Dear Friends,

I’m writing to you on behalf of our volunteers and board members to express our thanks for your continued support of our outreach ministry to homeless and low-income people in our community.

We are grateful that during the COVID pandemic we have been able to hold twice-weekly outdoor lunches through the hospitality of Davis United Methodist Church and Pole Line Baptist Church.

We are thankful to these congregations for their continued support of our work, and we look forward to the day when our hospitality can be extended through their indoor facilities.

During these difficult days a number of churches and individuals have regularly provided sandwiches and other lunch items that we in turn share with our guests. We are privileged to share your generous gifts with those who trust that when they approach us, they will be fed. Those who come where we gather also know they can speak openly about life’s challenges. We continue to hear our guests speak with gratitude for the Spirit in which we relate to them. We offer words of encouragement, challenge and at times caution. We try to do so without judgement or criticism.  Especially during the COVID pandemic, we try to show God’s Grace in our actions.

In these beautiful springtime days and weeks that constitute the season of Easter, when Christians focus on the experience of new life, we try to minister in ways that enhance people’s sense of worth and dignity. This is often, but consistently, done in small ways. People can count on us to see that they have access to bus rides and bicycle repair, masks and hand sanitizer, toiletries and laundry service, clean socks and overnight provisions when they lack them. When they have legal or thorny personal issues too, we are experienced listeners with an awareness of good references and connections to access help.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is recorded as having touted the merits of kindnesses as seemingly insignificant as a cup of cold water given in the name of a disciple. (Matthew 10:42) In most of what we do, the names of the disciples are not uttered aloud. But when we are privileged to do such things, we think of you and the One we serve together as his disciples in these difficult days.

I recently attended an online church fellowship gathering. One person expressed a desire to sit in a familiar eating establishment. She desired to enjoy the food that had been prepared in that longed for setting, rather than having to take it home as a COVID precaution. I get it. But at today’s Grace in Action luncheon, I was struck by the stream of people arriving on foot and by bicycle, for whom we are presently that familiar outdoor establishment, a place of welcome, sharing and generous hospitality.

Thank you for being our partners in ministry during these trying times. May you experience the blessing of renewed life and hope as you have generously extended it to others.

Yours in Christ’s service,

Steve Smith

  Director – Grace in Action

November 2020

Dear Friends,

As we enter the Holiday Season, I am writing to thank you for your support of our ministry. I also ask that you consider a year end gift in support of our work at Grace in Action.  

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Grace in Action continues to provide twice weekly meals for people without enough to eat. We thank Pole Line Road Baptist Church and Davis United Methodist Church for allowing us to use their parking lots for those socially distanced meal distributions.

In addition to food, we also offer bus transportation for people to reach important medical and social services support. We offer clothing and access to laundry services for those who lack such essential things. We provide used bicycles and bicycle repair through our partnership with Davis Bike Collective. As the weather gets colder, we are particularly attuned to those who lack lodging. We advocate for a clean and hygienic approach when people must sleep outside. We provide sleeping bags and rain gear when we see that it is appropriate.

In addition to addressing people’s physical needs for food, warmth, clothing and transportation, we are a spiritually based relational ministry. We know people by name and are familiar with their life stories and current circumstances. Our volunteers don’t work miracles, but they make a difference. They pray with people and offer continued encouragement.

In writing to you, I want to thank you for the ministry you make possible. The volunteers and board members who do the work of Grace in Action are grateful to you. You provide monetary and prayerful support that we try to turn into tangible acts of kindness toward people who feel marginalized. Many of those to whom we minister are consistent in their expressions of gratitude. In asking for your continued support, I want to pass those grateful sentiments to you.

There is a story in the Gospel of Luke in which Jesus heals ten people who were suffering from leprosy.  He tells them to go and show themselves to the priests who also served as public health officers. Those officials had the authority to restore them to normal life in contrast to the continued state of quarantine that limited their lives. On the way to see the priests, the ten lepers were healed. One turned back to thank Jesus. He was a Samaritan, a social outsider, who suffered the additional stigma and isolation of disease. His gratitude endeared him to Jesus.

In this unusual and challenging time, it is easy to feel we are not up to the business of Thanksgiving. But just a few days ago, one of our regular guests thanked me for the atmosphere of hospitality, kindness and friendship that Grace in Action offers. His words are distinctly appreciative. He is the one in ten who wants to make clear that he understands whose love has touched him. Many others understand as well, even if they are more understated.

All of us at Grace in Action are thankful to you.

May the Lord bless you and keep you,

                                              Steve Smith

   Director, Grace in Action

April 15 ,2020

Dear Friends of Grace in Action,

Blessings to you in the season of Easter. The good news of resurrection is encouragement to
maintain faith and hope. To paraphrase St. Paul, “Nothing is able to separate us from the love of
God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:39) These days of COVID-19 are a challenging time for
everyone. I want to thank you for your generosity that has made it possible for Grace in Action to
continue our caring ministry. We work to serve people who live without much of what we
sometimes take for granted.

In these difficult days, the Board members and volunteers of Grace in Action remain committed to
serving the lives of homeless and low-income people in our community. We are continuing to
provide lunchtime food on Mondays at Davis United Methodist Church, and on Wednesdays at
Pole Line Road Baptist Church. We are using a reduced team of volunteers who engage in safe
practices that include social distancing. Instead of indoor gatherings, we distribute sack lunches
that our guests take with them. We continue to make monthly laundry vouchers available to our
guests through the Laundry Lounge, a safe practices facility in Davis. We are grateful to them.
When providing bus passes to essential services, we speak to our guests about safe practices
and social distancing. One of our supporting churches is making sixty masks for us to distribute.
In addition, we recently purchased hand sanitizers to distribute to our guests.

We are also grateful to special friends and partners who continue to do important work in these
extraordinary times. Alysa Meyer is the head of Legal Aid of Northern California for Yolo County.
While she typically meets with our guests on the first Monday of each month as part of our
gathering at Davis United Methodist Church, she is making her staff available to our guests by
phone. Thank you, Alysa.

Perhaps a couple of recent anecdotes from the lives of people we serve will give a sense of the
kind of things we have been able to continue doing.

You may have heard or read about a Davis family who lost a child from an accidental gun death in
their home. Grace in Action was part of a successful coordinated financial effort to relocate the
family as it sought to move forward in a time of trauma. That family has been rehoused in
Woodland.

Empower Yolo is an organization that we frequently partner with in an effort to assist people
threatened by sudden circumstances, particularly women – often with children. Through Empower
Yolo (EY) we recently supported a young mother in her successful effort to move from the EY
shelter to an apartment. We also gave financial support to her completion of cosmetology
schooling that will allow her to be employed and housed while providing for her children.

The Board members of Grace in Action understand that the COVID-19 pandemic has strained the
financial situation of nearly everyone. If you are able to contribute to our ministry, please accept
our thanks. Regardless, we thank you for your prayers as we seek to serve what Jesus called “the
least among us.”

May the Lord bless you and keep you,



Steve Smith
Director, Grace in Action