Susan Beckman, a fairly new member of the Peoria/Sun Cities Church in Peoria, Ariz., found a way to connect weekly with the Valley’s homeless population by providing assistance in a direct way. Her first personal awareness of their plight occurred while driving to work on a downtown street.

Curiosity got the best of her on Jan. 1, 2003, when she stopped at a downtown temporary agency that hired day laborers. "Most of those hired were homeless," she says. "Each day these workers, primarily men, arrived at 4 a.m. to obtain work on a first-come, first-served basis. Many arrived before the doors opened and had not eaten yet."

On Wednesday mornings at 4 a.m., Susan began delivering several boxes containing sack lunches as well as clothing, new work boots and socks to those in need — providing much of these out of her own funds. On several occasions, her husband and sister helped prepare the lunches the night before.

Susan’s employer at the time supported her humanitarian efforts, allowing Susan to organize a fund raiser at work. The $110 first raised went toward the purchase of new eyeglasses for a homeless man, who later obtained a full-time job at a local supermarket. Her co-workers continued to donate clothing, money and shoes. One donated $100, which was used to purchase new work boots for five homeless men who regularly showed up for work at the temporary agency.

One of Susan’s co-workers was so touched by the work she was doing that he wanted to get involved in the community. He asked her to meet with the principal of a local high school to discuss the humanitarian needs of their students. The next day, he and Susan presented the school principal with $450 worth of Famous Footwear gift certificates to be used for the purchase of tennis shoes for needy students.

The local Adventist church is very supportive of Susan’s humanitarian work. Members have contributed money, sleeping bags, backpacks, warm clothing, jackets, gloves, hats, blankets, tennis shoes, socks, T-shirts, boxer shorts, towels, wash cloths and personal hygiene items. The church’s main Community Services Center has also donated items to her for the benefit of the homeless. Even the Arizona Animal Welfare League made a donation of dog food for a homeless man’s canine companion.

Susan first walked into the Peoria/Sun Cities Church more than two years ago after becoming convicted that the seventh day is the Lord’s Sabbath. She had dropped out of church for 17 years after having earlier attended the Methodist, Baptist and Mormon churches.

When she began reading her Bible and learned about the Sabbath, she looked up the Seventh-day Adventist Church on the Internet and read the doctrines. The next Sabbath, she appeared at church. The warmth and love of the church has kept her there ever since. In April of 2003, Susan was baptized and is a very active member of the church. "We serve God by serving others," is her motto.

As an expression of appreciation, a day laborer, R. D. Martinez, composed and presented Susan with this poem in her honor:

Your comely smile, your azure gaze

Does sweep the soot from off our porch.

It’s dusk now — though the casting of your beam

Ignites the latent torch

That sees us off upon that path

What practice fills our daunting day;

Where otherwise we’d bend to winds

Of evil’s easy sway.