FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Torus Tammer

For the past 3 years of his life, Oden Fong has volunteered at

Covering Wings in Huntington Beach. In doing so, he has helped provide

warmth for a fraction of the many people in this world who are cold and

homeless.

Fong, 51 has been a pastor for 15 years. Although he is no longer

pastoring a church, he still helps people in need the best way he knows

how . . . by selflessly giving of his time.

“I volunteer 3 days a week out here in our Huntington Beach

warehouse,” Fong said. “Basically, I oversee the warehouse and do the

shipping and receiving. I get the blankets, socks and hygiene kits to

where they are supposed to go.”

Covering Wings has been in Huntington Beach since 1985 when local

appliance store owner Ray Fico decided that rather than giving the usual

charitable Christmas presents to those in need, he would take that money

and buy blankets to those who were cold in the community. Soon, this

gesture transformed into a nonprofit organization, which has since been

able to keep multitudes of people warm. Covering Wings also developed a

special blanket called the protector which serves as a blanket, a poncho,

a ground covering and a waterproof shelter. Fong said that although they

do purchase other blankets, the protector is the blanket most given out.

“We distribute blankets all over the nation and even to places like

South America,” Fong said. “We stockpile them in the warehouse and if a

disaster happens in another place, we pool together with other

organizations and ship the blankets out. The funding comes from people

and we have no grants.”

There are many other paths traveled by these providers of warmth. For

instance, Covering Wings also gets yarn donated to them, which they turn

around and give to people in the community to knit warm beanies for

street distribution.

“It’s wonderful how they come together to help people,”

The goal of Covering Wings according to Fong is to help people who

can’t help themselves. Fong also added that one of his favorite things to

do is to go out and hand blankets to the needy.

“Doing this is an exercise of unconditional love,” Fong said. “It’s

important to give to those who can’t give back.”

Volunteering at Covering Wings helps put a spotlight on the often

invisible world of the homeless. Fong adds that the love of the

recipients for what Covering Wings does is what keeps him in action.

He empathizes, saying that a lot of the people who are homeless are

perfectly normal but have just had a rough time.

“This is a real world that exists more then just when you look out of

your car window,” Fong said. “There is no greater feeling then to love

these people and let them know that they are worth something. To not just

help them to survive, but to give them hope.”

If you are interested in donating time or money, call Covering Wings

at (714) 968-3358.