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Aren Rennacker is a busy man. He鈥檚 a full time student. He plays varsity basketball. He鈥檚 a resident assistant in Grainger Hall dormitory. These things are all major time commitments. You鈥檇 think this 21-year-old would take advantage of his weekends for a little rest and relaxation. But like many other student volunteers at Pacific Union College, he鈥檚 up at dawn on Sabbath mornings鈥攕huttling local children of broken homes to KidzReach, one of PUC鈥檚 most powerful student ministries.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just an amazing ministry that鈥檚 reaching out to those who really could use it,鈥� says Rennacker. 鈥淎nd I see it as a direct response to Christ鈥檚 command to deny self and serve other people who are suffering.鈥�

KidzReach connects children of incarcerated parents and similar troubled backgrounds with volunteers who are committed to providing a positive influence. On Sabbath mornings, the student volunteers fan out across Napa and Lake counties to pick up the children at their homes and bring them to church. The children are fed breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Beyond that, the kids spend the day in the care of the volunteers鈥攑laying in the park, or just hanging out with stable, loving, Christian young adults.

KidzReach was born out of a local prison ministry, when the founder of that group began to worry about the families the inmates he was serving had left behind. To assist with this project, he began recruiting PUC students to help take care of these kids, providing for their spiritual and emotional needs.

Many of the children remain with KidzReach for years, and the change in their attitudes and behavior becomes evident with time. 鈥淵ou always see the impact that they鈥檝e had from growing up in a rough environment,鈥� says Rennacker. 鈥淪pending the time with them you see that they still have the heart of a child, and that comes out.鈥�

Perhaps even more importantly, this program creates a path to Christ and a community of believers that might not exist otherwise for these children. 鈥淭hey want to go to church,鈥� says Lauren Waychoff currently the longest-serving PUC student in the program, and the unofficial leader.. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 not because they get to go sit in a pew鈥攊t鈥檚 because they get three meals, they get to hang out with people they don鈥檛 see all the time, and they get that positive attention.鈥�

That positive experience becomes an important part of the lives of both the children and the student volunteers. 鈥淭he kids wait for this all week long,鈥� says Waychoff. 鈥淒uring the summer, it鈥檚 the worst time of the year for them because the PUC students go home. They鈥檙e always calling me asking, 鈥榃hen are we gonna do KidzReach?鈥�

鈥淲hen I鈥檓 with them, it doesn鈥檛 feel like I鈥檓 giving my time,鈥� says Sonia Moses, another volunteer who has been with KidzReach for a year. 鈥淭hey make me feel so happy!鈥�

So perhaps the time volunteered by a busy student isn鈥檛 so important after all. 鈥淗alf of [what keeps me involved] would be that it鈥檚 a great ministry,鈥� says Rennacker. 鈥淎nd then you start to love these kids.鈥�