Newbreak Church: a good neighbor to Scripps Ranch High School
By Terry L. Wilson
Webster’s Dictionary defines Samaritan as a benevolent person, or in the case of this story, an organization that embraces a community, eager to assist, providing a helping hand whenever the need arises. Newbreak Church in Scripps Ranch has been that friend to many, none more so than Scripps Ranch High School (SRHS).
“Newbreak Church has been providing donations and assisting us for years; both during COVID times and prior to that. They consistently ask us, ‘what can our congregation do to help?’” said Scripps Ranch High School clerk Laura White.
“As a church, we believe that we are in this community to help it,” said Ashley Henson, Newbreak Church spokesperson. “The high school is across the street from us, and because I work in student ministries, the school was one of the first community groups that we reached out to.”
When the high school ran into a paper shortage, it turned to Newbreak Church for help, hoping for possibly a few dozen or so reams of paper.
“Before COVID, the school was running low on copy paper, which isn’t provided by the district,” White said. “So, the church responded with a mountain of paper. In fact, they packed a 15-passenger van with an entire pallet of colored copy paper.”
During the COVID restrictions, SRHS once again needed more paper, and once again Newbreak Church came to the rescue. Following a year of lockdown, the school staff reported back to work abiding by strict COVID distancing regulations. To welcome them back, Newbreak provided the faculty and staff with a coffee break: $5 Starbucks gift cards for everyone.
“Because of the social distancing regulations, the staff couldn’t sit at the same table and have coffee with each other, so Ashley brought over the gift cards, which was greatly appreciated by everyone,” White said. “I believe the church also provided Starbucks cards to some of our local elementary schools as well.”
Taking the social distancing dining concept to a new level, Newbreak Church contracted RomBomb Burger to cook hamburgers in the school’s outdoor quad for all of the teachers, providing a picnic atmosphere before the first day of school.
Facing a shortage of disposable masks for the nurse’s office and staff, the high school once again turned to Newbreak for assistance.
“We had been trying to get more masks through a government grant when Laura told me the school was in need of masks. So, instead of waiting on the grant, we went ahead and purchased the masks for them,” Henson said.
“Ashley ended up delivering us 48 boxes of 15 disposal masks each,” White said. “It’s really quite amazing how quickly Ashley, and the Newbreak church, respond to our needs.”
On Oct. 29, Newbreak will hold a “Trunk or Treat” carnival in the church parking lot from 6 to 8 p.m. at 10635 Scripps Ranch Blvd. This will be a family friendly, fun, safe and free event for the public.
“People sign up, park in our lot and decorate their trunks with different themes,” Henson said. “We have games, booths and the kids get candy.”