Bethany was the original home of the South Sacramento Interfaith Partnership Food Closet. The food closet was begun in a tiny closet next to the pastor’s office, It started in 1970 because Bethany’s deacons wanted to do something about local hunger. Deacon Sally Souza took the lead. At that time, the SSIP (which was founded in 1969) was called SSEP (South Sacramento Ecumenical Parish) and consisted of 13 local churches. Sally was presented with an award by the governor in 1982. She and her husband Bob Souza were the food closet’s biggest cheerleaders and spent dozens of hours every week there, serving others. By 1977 the food closet was feeding 500 people a month. Keith Rauh, son of former Bethany Parish Associate Rev. Gail Cullerton, was the contractor who constructed the current food closet building ,,, a facility that has already outgrown its space because of the increased number of those in Sacramento who are food-insufficient.
Breaking ground for the new SSIP building. Bethany’s Bob Betts (second from right) served as SSIP Chair for several years.
Manh Ong is one of Bethany’s most faithful Food Closet volunteers, serving on “fifth Mondays” and also as needed by the Food Closet.
Several Bethany members continue to volunteer regularly at the food closet, and Bethany fields a team of five volunteers every “fifth Monday” of the month. More than 50 different Bethany members and friends have helped with the annual food closet Hot Cocoa Ministry, which had its start more than 15 years ago. For numerous years Bethany hosted the “Sing-Along Messiah” concert as a fundraiser for the food closet, attracting hundreds of people each time. (Click for video.) Several Bethany members, including Bob Betts, Jessie Carter, Cathy Betts Sapunor and Susan Just, have served as on the SSIP Board and as committee members.
Another SSIP project begun at Bethany was an English as Second Language program, launched in 1970 by Bethany Elder Wes Ault to help incoming Southeast Asian refugees. These classes and the support services that scaffolded them eventually became a nonprofit organization—the Southeast Asian Assistance Center—led by Bethany Elder Jan Hunt. Rev. Ninh Van Nguyen, who eventually became pastor of what was to become Grace Community Church (housed at Bethany) worked with Jan, as well as Bethany member Nga Chau. That agency was housed at Bethany for more than a decade.
