by Amanda Riley
“Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’ He said, ‘The one who showed him mercy.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do likewise.’” Luke 10:36–37
It was a particularly warm day in August, bright and sunny, when church member Naomi arrived at the Garden. I met her at the gate, and she was visibly upset.
“Rev. Amanda,” she said out of breath, “There is a man who needs our help. He’s about a block and a half away, and he’s sitting in the sun, and it’s too hot for him to be there, and he’s hurt and bleeding from his head. He doesn’t have any shoes on. I asked him if he could move to a shady spot because it’s too hot to be in the sun. He seems confused. He needs help, and I can’t help him alone.”
I began to look around at those present in the garden, as the setup for church was yet to be done. I was able to identify two members, Peter and Manuel, and explained to them the need. Energized by the opportunity to help, they headed down the block. After a while, I grabbed a cup of water, checked in with Connie, and headed down the block to check in.
As I drew close, I could see Peter helping a man stand up and Manuel tying shoes on his feet. It was a beautiful moment of service and love. After a brief conversation with them, they loaded him into Peter’s car and brought him to the garden with his cup of water.
When Naomi found this man, we’ll call him Bob (his name has been changed for this article), he had nothing save for the clothes on his back and the shoes Manuel gave him. He was confused and showed signs of a head injury. After the worship, we decided to contact a new group in our community, called the CIRCLE team, for support. The CIRCLE team is part of a non-profit that works specifically with people who are unhoused and/or addicted. That evening, after a medical examination and intake with the CIRCLE team, generous members of the church paid for him to stay in a hotel and took him to get clothing, identification, and meals the next day. Over the course of the next week, three volunteers from the Garden Church and Harbor Connects (a local non-profit, which The Garden Church helped found) worked alongside each other to ensure that Bob was connected to the right resources and had a safe place to sleep.
It was just three members from the Garden Church who were able to provide meals, transportation to and from service provider organizations, and function as a lifeline for Bob. We were able to help get Bob signed up for emergency food assistance benefits, complete an intake appointment with the area coordinator of Harbor Interfaith Services, get a new ID, start the social security benefits process, get connected to Veterans Assistance, and purchase a prepaid phone. This would not have been possible without our deep connections to resources within the community.
As a veteran, having served in the US Air Force, Bob qualified for veteran services. Thankfully, there is great support for veterans, and Bob quickly got a spot in a veteran shelter.
From being injured on the side of the road to shelter with lots of love along the way, we were all honored to be part of Bob’s story, acting as a team of Good Samaritans.
Read the full issue of the June 2025 Messenger
Meet Amanda Riley
Rev. Dr. Amanda Riley has served numerous Presbyterian churches, and is pastor at The Garden Church. She fell in love with the vision, work, and mission of the church, and became involved in 2016.
