Janice Walker is the person who runs S.A.V.E., a volunteer organization based in Chico, California. S.A.V.E., Salvage All Valuable Equipment, has been holding and redistributing medical supplies for future use since 1996. In 2004, Janice Walker became aware of the organization and took it over. S.A.V.E. had been floundering, and was about to disband when Janice felt a call from the LORD to serve in a significant way, and was made aware of S.A.V.E.’s existence. I do not believe in coincidence, I believe in God. Janice is God’s perfect instrument in Chico.
My father and I spent about an hour on Tuesday morning with Janice, touring the warehouse and storage units that S.A.V.E. operates out of. Since 2004 this organization has sent 99 shipping containers full of medical supplies to some 40 countries. The Chico facilities are also available to receive supply donations and to distribute small amounts of supplies to individuals on Tuesday mornings. While the three of us were walking around, a hospice nurse drove up looking for a bath chair, a floor-to-ceiling pole and a transfer bed. It took Janice about five minutes to outfit the stranger with all three, blessing her as she sent her on her way.
After the tour I spent about an hour helping with the unpacking, labeling, and repacking of supplies, and then the morning was over and it was time to close the warehouse. Janice offered to take me to lunch with three of the other volunteers. We had hamburgers, sodas and fries. Janice had one more thing to take care of before her day’s mission was over; the delivery of a scooter to a woman in need. The scooter did not run, and we went to three local businesses for help in troubleshooting and repair. In all I think the entire undertaking took four to five times as much effort and energy as Janice had expected.
At the bottom floor apartment unit, in a cul de sac part of town, we found Pam. Pam recently lost her foot to an emergency amputation following a rash of odd sounding injuries and mishaps. The conversation between Janice and Pam was polite, but mechanical, until we were about to leave. I shook Pam’s hand and, as we made eye contact that neither one of us would break, I said “God bless you.” The woman began to cry, and Janice asked if we might pray for her. Pam accepted, and we prayed, and it was really a beautiful feeling. “I want to help people,” Pam said, through tears, “I want to build things for people.” And I believe that is what God wants for Pam too.
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