Bakersfield Family Gives Back...

In Bakersfield, California, three generations of a family help support a vulnerable population. Francis Gonzalez, closely associated with the Bakersfield Mission, decided to make a difference in the community using her skills, her compassion, and, above all her family. Ms. Gonzalez’s daughter, Cheryl Clovis, and her granddaughter, Afiya Clovis, join her about every two months to feed the unhoused people that live in and around Martin Luther King Park in Bakersfield. The family uses Ms. Gonzalez’s kitchen to make food, and their own cars to transport the meal to the park. A lot of people turn up, indicating an ever-growing need.

Cheryl and Afiya Clovis work for Liberty Tax Service. They are both Office Supervisors, Afiya in Los Angeles, and Cheryl in the Lancaster/Palmdale area of California. The managers, like so many people to whom charity means more than mere gestures, have been slow to mention this generous use of their time and effort. Despite their reluctance to spotlight something that deserves mentioning, the family will accept donations, food, clothing, and household items locally. They also accept financial donations where possible. Please contact Afiya Clovis for details, at [email protected].?