Church's act of kindness eases gas prices

Getting gassed up on the cheap brought relief to some Yumans, thank's to a local church's community service project.

"We call it random acts of kindness," said The Vertical Church's pastor, Jason Taylor.

This is the second year the 3-year-old Yuma church subsidized the cost of gas to help ease the soaring price of fuel for Yuma motorists. This year the church doubled its "kindness" projects budget to $4,000.

On a first come, first serve basis, drivers purchased $3 per gallon gas with a 10-gallon limit per motorist. The lines were backed out onto 20th Street as motorists waited patiently to reap the bargain at Sellers Petroleum, who teamed up with the church to help soften the blow of skyrocketing fuel prices.

Mike Arviso of Yuma pulled up to the pump in his 5.0 Ford Bronco. Arviso is a collection specialist for TRS Home Furnishings and uses his vehicle every day to collect payments from customers spread out from Wellton to El Centro. He also delivers and picks up returned merchandise and was on his way to work Saturday when he stopped to top off his tank.

"Gas is is too expensive," Arviso said. "It's outrageous. People need to buy groceries and other stuff but it's hard with gas the way it is."

For those living on a fixed income high fuel costs can be a severe hardship, especially for Susan Erwin, a retired disabled resident from Vista Del Valle.

"I think it's great," Erwin said. "Gas went up a dollar in three weeks' time. We might have to go back to a horse and buggy. But I try not to drive every week, it's just too expensive."

Reading about the gas buy down in The Sun early last week, Stephanie Espinola, a cashier at Mervyn's arrived with her Chihuahua, Dunga, in her Ford Explorer.

"Today, everything is expensive," Espinola said. "So I'm grateful for them doing this. It's really helpful to the community."

Barbra Legan, a member of The Vertical Church for a year and a half is the kindness project coordinator. Legan said the gas buy down wasn't as busy last year but she thinks that is because prices are so much higher this year.

"Gas prices are high," Legan said. "I have a 2000 Honda Accord and I'm glad I didn't trade it in. It still runs good."

Legan said she gets 34 miles per gallon with her car. The gas buy down is a way to show God's love and the church tries to perform a kindness project once every month. During Christmas they helped wrap gifts at Yuma Palms Mall. On tax day, April 15, they gave away stamps at the post office. And when milk prices ramped up recently they had a milk give-away at Frys.

Taylor said The Vertical Church tries to find a need and fill it. All through last December they asked parishioners to contribute toward their Christmas fund. Ten percent each was donated to Crossroads Mission and the Shane Davidson Missionary in Marseille, France, while the remaining 80 percent is devoted to kindness projects in Yuma.

"We wanted to change the way people think about church," Taylor said. "We want to be a people of God and not just a building or a program. We're the hands and feet of Jesus, so to speak."

Taylor said Dave Sellers, owner of Sellers Petroleum, opened up his heart by forming a partnership with the church's gas buy down project. Sellers said he was glad to be of service.

"I did it to help out." he said. "It's over in a flash. People around town get to save money and it's a nice way to give back to the community."


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William Roller can be reached at
wroller@yumasun.com or 539-6858.