Park Place Foundation Group Pays it Forward at Father Joe's Villages and Then Gets Paid Right Back

Joe Costa embarked on his new foundation's, Park Place Foundation Group, first volunteer event at San Diego's Father Joe's Villages. In attendance were Joe's twin boys Hudson and Presley Costa, his Co Chair, Marni Wolf, and her two daughters Jordan and Carly Wolf, and a friend Mason Sandford. It was a great experience helping serve lunch to people that would otherwise go hungry if not for the all of the wonderful people at Father Joe's.

When we first arrived we were taken back to the kitchen where we washed our hands and put on aprons, gloves, and hair nets.  Everyone was given a job from taking plates to serving the different food options.  The kids ages 11-13 did a great job keeping the line moving along and making sure that everyone got exactly what they wanted.  It was a very humbling experience to be able to help people who are basically in survival mode.  To see a mom and her five young children really hit home especially since we were doing this with our own children.

Everything seemed to be moving along very smoothly until my youngest daughter tapped my shoulder and said she couldn't see and that everything was black.  I held on to her tightly when Joe walked up to me noticing that something was not quite right. He grabbed onto her just as her eyes started to roll back into her head and her legs collapsed and she went unconscious. We placed her gently on the ground and rolled her on her side.  At this point I was so panicked, but luckily she quickly came to.  All of the people at Father Joe's were at her side fanning her and putting ice under neck to make her feel more comfortable and safe while they were calling the paramedics.

In the end, Park Place Foundation Group's first volunteer event encompassed two very important life lessons: giving back and appreciating the delicacy of our lives.