Food donations given to Lathrop community
By Joe Romero
In a small town called Lathrop that is only known for not being heard of and for its many hotels and fast food joints, sits a place of sanctuary for anyone and everyone to seek a valuable offer.
Prayer Valley, a church located in Lathrop, offers the public peace and food through its food bank called “Love Reaches Out” where donated items are distributed to the community every second and fourth Thursday of every month, said Lisa Iavarone.
The food is distributed from the church’s location at 14172 Avon Avenue from 10 a.m. to noon.
“Prayer Valley Family Worship Church is a Christian Bible based church that is run by Pastor Ron Taylor and co-director Pat Iavarone,” said Pat Iavarone. The co-director of Prayer Valley said that the church receives the donated food from an urban retreat center called “Bread of Life” that is known to donate food to smaller food pantries in the area where it is then distributed throughout the community by places like Prayer Valley.
Preparation for the Thursday giveaway begins on Tuesday, when Pat Iavarone, his wife Lisa and a few volunteers arrive at “Prayer Valley” at 8 a.m for preparations.
“We mainly receive food in boxes from ‘Bread of Life’ and we prep the food that we will give out in sixty five individual boxes that we hand out on Thursdays that is a first come first served service,” said Pat Iavarone.
Lisa Iavarone is the creator of the “Love Reaches Out.”
She said she created the food bank to help those in need in Lathrop. Lisa Iavarone has been serving the community of Lathrop through feeding people, a service that is particularly in demand due to recent inflation.
On Thursdays citizens are instructed to show up in a vehicle where they’ll drive towards the back of the church, state their last name to Lisa and then wait for Prayer Valley members to place a box full of food in the individual’s trunk of their car.
“We do what we can do with what we got going here, the Lord would be asking us to do this,” said Lisa Iavarone.
The volunteers that help around the church are mostly attendees from church services and close friends. One of the volunteers named Thomas Don Ford said the people of Prayer Valley changed his life for the better.
“Three years I have been coming here now, and I can’t thank them enough when they saved me from my run with the devil. The lord blessed me,” said Ford.
Prayer Valley offers church services every Thursday at 7 p.m and Sunday at 9 a.m. Pastor Ron Taylor offers God’s wisdom to preach to the community who wish to receive love and hear the words of God to those who attend, said Pat Iavarone.
During church sessions singing songs is a tradition to the “Prayer Valley” members in order to bring people’s spirits up.
For those who bring their children on Sundays, children could either sit and enjoy the pastor’s preaching or go outside behind the church where there is a mini playground, a tetherball court and basketball court for kids to pass the time.
With so many kind people coming together to make days of hardship blow away with comforting church services and a hearty welcoming of food from “Prayer Valleys” food bank as well.
Bread of life
Distributor for Love Reaches Out food bank logo and contact information.
The Prayer Valley church is a miracle of miracles that brings the presence of God in this church that doesn’t get enough recognition then it deserves. It is a place that is much appreciated from the community for the amount of people that show up during food bank giveaway days and church services. Pastor Ron Taylor has already made a name for himself with his fellow church members and will eventually become a bigger name for others to hear all across the land when the time, patience and work finally pays off for the Prayer Valley to gain more followers.
