Guest speaker Sandra Sims of Christian Community Action (center) is joined by LNR past president Bill Lawrence and club member Sally Quezada. Sandra Sims, Corporate Relations Manager for Christian Community Action (CCA), visited the Lewisville Noon Rotary club last week with an update on the impact that CCA is making in the local community. After enjoying a successful professional career in retail training and management, Sims had planned to ease gracefully into retirement. But when she toured the CCA Resale Store on Business Highway 121 and heard how passionate the volunteers were about the non-profit, she felt called to become part of the team. “I didn’t have anything that belonged to me growing up,” says Sims, reflecting on her own childhood in the Texas Panhandle as one of ten children. “I grew up in the country, but I never went to bed hungry. There was always food on the table,” she says. Sims was touched by the fact that CCA provides food and clothing to help families in need in our local community, and initially started as a volunteer at the Resale Store. She eventually became the Manager and Director of Resale until Recycle 2 Support took over operations for CCA, when she shifted into her current role. Founded by Tom Duffy and the members of a small local Bible study group nearly 50 years ago, CCA has grown from a single resale store to a thriving charitable organization. The non-profit’s programs include financial aid for homeless families and those struggling to meet monthly expenses, GED classes, English literacy classes, and a huge food pantry. “CCA lets the people that walk through the door keep their dignity,” says Sims of the food pantry, which soon will be changing its name to a “food market,” because visitors get to choose the items they need. CCA has given out more than $2 million in financial aid and more than 3 million pounds of food since the beginning of COVID-19. This Christmas, CCA will be setting up Giving Trees at local businesses for locals, so residents can “adopt” a child to purchase gifts. The non-profit also runs a “Golden Angels” program to provide holiday cheer for senior citizens. To learn more about CCA, make a donation, or volunteer, visit ccahelps.org. |