Maranatha Serves at PUC in California

This August, 38 volunteers arrived in the hills above Napa Valley, in Northern California. But unlike the annual 3.8 million tourists to this vacation destination, these visitors were not on vacation. They were at Pacific Union College (PUC), a Seventh-day Adventist institute of higher learning, to serve on a Maranatha project.  

“We got a lot done–a lot more than what we had planned to do,” said Ed Jensen, project leader. “It was a good project with volunteers from all over the United States and even a couple from the United Kingdom. We also had a strong showing of first-time volunteers.” 

One of the first-timers was 18-year-old Jeremiah Thompson, from California. Thompson heard about the opportunity from his grandmother, who caught wind of it from Maranatha’s television program, “Maranatha Mission Stories.” Since he was already headed to PUC as a freshman in September, he decided to join the project as a way to help out his future school. He also figured he might meet other young people on the project. But most volunteers on North America Projects are retirees–or close to it–and at 18 years old, he found himself the youngest participant by far; the average age on the project was 65. 

“It was kind of surprising,” said Thompson, smiling. “My grandmother told me ‘Oh if you’re going to go, there’s a lot of kids I see on TV that will be working there as well.’ And I come, and I’m actually the youngest person here!” 

But Thompson loved the experience and bonded with his fellow volunteers, despite the age gap. Most of all, he loved the daily grind of completing project tasks. “Honestly, I like the work here a lot,” he says. “It’s just very calming to be able to work on projects.” 

Each year, Maranatha works with organizations in the United States and Canada to provide volunteer labor for various construction or renovation projects at summer camps and retreat centers, schools, and churches. Work ranges from renovations of existing buildings to new construction, and saves thousands of dollars in labor costs. This year, Maranatha has 24 North America projects scheduled. 

PUC was the third Maranatha project based at a college or university campus in 2026. Earlier this year, volunteers served at Oakwood University, in Alabama, and Walla Walla University, in Washington. 

“We want to express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for the tremendous help that Maranatha provided to PUC,” said Sam Heier, vice president of financial administration. “It was a joy to see the volunteers in action. It uplifted everyone’s spirits to see how people were willing to invest their time in helping and improving our campus.”