Porter Hill residents and volunteers at East County Transitional Living Center (ECTLC) wanted to do something to build community in their La Mesa neighborhood and also bless the ECTLC, so they organized a neighborhood drive to collect toilet paper dubbed the “Toilet Paper Caper” held on March 27.

Prior to the “caper,” the group delivered flyers and an ECTLC brochure to their neighbors. Then at 10 a.m. that Saturday, the team members drove a red pickup truck — with red, white, and blue balloons and a PA system playing marches from John Philips Sousa — up and down the neighboring streets.

The team members who were assigned to collecting the TP rolls had planned on knocking on all the doors to see if their neighbors wanted to participate, but a majority of the residents already had the toilet paper on their front sidewalk or were standing in front of their homes to give it to them personally. A thankful and happy spirit was visible everywhere by the team and the neighbors who were donating

The need for toilet paper at ECTLC is so great that ECTLC CEO Harold Brown calls toilet paper “gold” because the center uses 2,000 rolls per month to serve their 400 clients. After filling the red pickup and an additional car with the “gold,” the caperers delivered 1,493 rolls of toilet paper to the center — a three week supply!

It was a wonderful and fun day for the generous Porter Hill community and the ministry of the ECTLC.

— Submitted by Joanene Faulk