Community members rally around woman who created The Giving Bench

Francine Papadimitrakis created The Giving Bench to help those around her.

After the bench was stolen Sunday night, community members rallied around her.

CREATED THE GIVINGBENCH.A BENCH WITH VARIOUSITEMS..

LIKE FLOWERS ANDFOOD..

THAT ARE FREE FOR ANYONETO TAKE.BUT AS 23ABC'S KALLYN HOBMANNTELLS US.

THE BENCH WASSTOLEN AND NOW COMMUNITY MEMBERSARE GIVING BACK TOHER IN A TIME OF NEED.

KALLYN?I'M HERE AT THE GIVING BENCH ONLANDFAIR DRIVE.

WHEN I WAS HEREEARLIER TODAY..

I GOT TO WITNESSPEOPLE DONATING ITEMS OF THEIROWN WHILE TAKING SOME FOR THEIRFAMILIES TOO.

AND AS YOU CANSEE...IT WAS VERY POPULAR TODAY.I SPOKE TO THE WOMANBEHIND IT ALL... AND SHE SAYS ITALL STARTED WITH AN ACCIDENTALGIFT."SOMETHING BIGGER THAN ME HAD ADIFFERENT PLAN AND IT TURNEDINTO A GIVING BENCH."FRANCINE PAPADIMITRAKIS' MOTHERTHOUGHT SHE HADPURCHASED HER DAUGHTER A TABLE.BUT IT TURNED OUTBEING A BENCH.

FRANCINE USED ITTO CREATE THE GIVING BENCHTHROUGH HER CHURCH.

BUT IT HASSINCE EXPANDED IT TOTHE REST OF THE COMMUNITY."IT JUST GREW.

AND THE NEED GREWINOUR COMMUNITY BEYOND JUST OURCHURCH, SO THEN IT DEVELOPEDINTO THIS.IT WAS SERENDIPITOUS, SEAMLESS.IT WAS MEANT TO BE."FRANCINE SAYS THAT NEED ISESPECIALLY STRONG RIGHTNOW DURING THE COVID-19PANDEMIC."THESE ARE UNPRECEDENTEDTIMES THAT ARE DEMANDING OF USUNPRECEDENTED KINDNESS."FRANCINE'S FAMILY PROVIDES MANYOF THESE ITEMS... BUT VARIOUSPEOPLE AND BUSINESSES DONATE ASWELL.

AND FRANCINE SAYS SHE'SGRATEFUL FOR THE HELP.

"ICOULDN'T DO THIS BY MYSELF.

I'MJUSTONE PAIR OF HANDS WITH MANYHANDS INVOLVED."STAND UP AT BENCH: WHETHER IT'SSOME EXTRA FOOD TO PUT ONTHE DINNER TABLE.

OR FLOWERS TOBRIGHTEN YOURDAY.

THE GIVING BENCH ALWAYS HASSOMETHING TO OFFER.EARLIER THIS WEEK THOUGH... ITNEEDED SOME GIVING OF ITSOWN.."TWO NIGHTS AGO, IT WAS TAKEN.SO MYHOPE IS, SOMEONE REALLY NEEDEDIT."FRANCINE LEFT THE BENCH AND ITSREMAINING ITEMS OUT OVERNIGHT...AND IN THE MORNING IT WAS GONE.SHE SAYS THERESPONSE SHE SAW ON SOCIAL MEDIAWAS OVERWHELMING."I HONESTLY SHED SO MANY TEARSPERIODICALLY YESTERDAY.

I WASWORKING AND TEACHING AND I'DREAD ANOTHER COMMENT AND STARTCRYING AGAIN."FRANCINE HAS ALWAYS POSTEDUPDATES ON THE BENCH IN THISGARDENING FACEBOOK GROUP.

ANDITS MEMBERS RALLIED AROUND HER.ONE FAMILY EVEN DONATED A NEWGROUP.

AND ITS MEMBERS RALLIEDAROUND HER.

ONE FAMILY EVENDONATED A NEW BENCH MONDAY.FRANCINE SAYS THIS IS JUST ONEEXAMPLE OF A MOTTO HER FAMILYLIVES BY."IN ANCIENT GREEK WE HAVE ASAYING THATNOTHING IS PURE GOOD AND NOTHINGIS PURE BAD SO OUT OF SOMETHINGTHAT IS VERY HARD ANDCHALLENGING FOR MANY OF US.THERE'S SOMETHINGGOOD."AND FRANCINE'S GRANDDAUGHTER...KILEY.

IS ALREADY LIVINGBY THIS MANTRA AS WELL."TRY AND STAY SAFE, AND WE'LLGETTHROUGH THIS."FRANCINE ALSO JUST RECENTLYCREATED THIS GIVING GARDEN..AND SAYS SHE IS HOPING TO EXPANDIT ACROSS THISENTIRE LAWN.

SHE SAYS SHE ISALWAYS UP FOR A HELPING HAND.WE'LL HAVE A LINK TO THEFACEBOOK PAGE WHERE SHE POSTSABOUT THE GIVING BENCH ON OURWEBSITE TURN TO 23 DOT COM.FOR NOW HERE IN SOUTHWESTBAKERSFIELD...KALLYNHOBMANN..23ABC...CONNECTING YOU