Doing good work on Global Concerns

Young Chang

One Newport Beach couple considers it as important to get the message

out as it is to bring the message in.

As co-chairs of the Global Concerns Committee at Newport Harbor

Lutheran Church, Virginia and Paul Hawker keep the congregants more than

just informed about problems outside of the church.

David Monge, pastor at Newport Harbor Lutheran, says the couple’s

leadership helps keep his members active in addressing spiritual as well

as worldly concerns.

“It keeps us in touch with the community and the world so we don’t

just focus on ourselves,� he said.

At the same time, helping with everything from housing for the

developmentally disabled to adopting families for holidays definitely

helps spread the Christian gospel.

The Hawkers, both retired Newport Beach residents, became leaders of

the six-person committee about six years ago. They’re everyday

churchgoers, not just Sunday visitors, as this or that charitable errand

brings them to the church at least a few hours every day.

“There’s so much need out there, I’ll tell you,� said the 74-year-old

Virginia Hawker.

The committee addresses some of these issues through groups including

the Good Shepherd Community, an Orange County-based group that helps

house people with developmental disabilities; Bread for the World, a

world-hunger group that involves letter-writing to Congress and other

representatives; the Orange County Child Abuse Preventative Center; and

efforts with a county social worker who works out of the Santa Ana

Regional Office.

“We’re on call for when the social worker needs us,� Hawker said. “For

any kind of need -- diapers or children’s things, and adults [can] need

furniture.�

On Sundays, the couple will stand before the congregation and ask for

donations for whatever cause it is they’re working on. Currently, they’re

collecting funds to give to the Daphne House, an outreach source of the

Good Shephard Community.

They’ll usually make announcements on Sunday mornings and ask for

contributions while holding a sign that reads various messages, one of

which is: “Help us help them.�

Hawker remembers a girl who years ago wanted to graduate but couldn’t

because she didn’t have the money to buy a graduation gown. After hearing

a church announcement about her, a woman from the Lutheran congregation

donated a check.

Paul Hawker remembers a Santa Ana family that received a double bed

and two single beds through these weekly announcements.

“We set them up with a couple of bedrooms and beds to sleep,� the

78-year-old said. “I had a wild ride down the 5 [freeway] with the pickup

truck, four mattresses and bed posts.�

When asked why they give of their time and care, Virginia Hawker gave

a quick answer.

“Oh honey, you can’t believe the reward we get out of doing it for

people,� she said. “From our church, to the person.�

Paul Hawker added that as much as they’re introducing global concerns

to a Newport Beach congregation, that the process is thoroughly two-way.

“We do a lot of good work, but we wouldn’t be able to do it if it

weren’t for our pastor and [if] our congregation didn’t support us,� he

said.