Benevolence Fund

In my first year as a member of CCC, I noticed that the giving envelope changed on the first Sunday of the month. On it was an option to put money toward something called “The Benevolence Fund.” Once I got to know a few people, I asked about it. The answers I received were varied: “Oh, they provide meals for the homeless,” or “They pay people’s rent,” or “They help people with their bills.”

In truth, the Benevolence Fund does all these things and more. This is how it works:

If you have a request for assistance, please download and print the Benevolent Fund Request Form (Adobe Acrobat is required). Fill out the form as completely as possible and bring it to the front desk at Camarillo Community Church. If you are not able to print this form, go to the front desk and ask for a copy. Once your request has been reviewed, someone from the Benevolent Fund will get back to you as soon as possible.

Please note: The Fund is supported solely by members of Camarillo Community Church and is reserved for church membership. Approved requests generally require at least three working days to process a check. All checks are made payable to businesses or entities that are owed money, not to individuals requiring assistance. Cash is never dispensed.

If the board feels the request for assistance is valid, the Fund will assist with a variety of expenses including rent, mortgage payments, utilities, etc. It’s probably easier to list items the board will not assist with. These include items that are not considered life necessities, including cell phones, cable television, Internet connections, etc. Life throws curveballs of all kinds and we review every request with prayer and hard thought. Our goal is to provide assistance to those who need it most.

The Fund does not ask for repayment when assistance is given, but many recipients go out of their way to give back to the Fund when they’re on solid financial footing again.

In addition to our support of the church membership, the Benevolence Fund also sponsors the Jehovah Jireh Food Pantry. The Fund pays 100% of the rent, electricity and telephone service, and pays the food bill for groceries purchased through FOOD Share. The Pantry, run by our very own Cecilia Rexford, feeds the working poor in our community and is not limited to church membership. We see it as an excellent opportunity to serve Christ to those less fortunate, right here in our own town.

So next time you’re in church on the first Sunday of the month, look for the giving envelope and consider supporting the Benevolence Fund. By doing so you are helping to ensure the well-being of our church family and the community of Camarillo.