Sanchez Family

When Karen and Ricardo Sanchez moved to this area last November, they began looking around for a church where they could go with their children. They found it at All Saints.

Now two of their children are actively helping Rev. Janet at the altar during the 10 a.m. service. "The kids really like it here," says Karen. The whole family enjoys getting to know people at their new church home.

"We like how close people are. Everyone was wanting to welcome us when we came here," she added. "I especially loved the way they welcomed the kids." The children are Ricardo Jr., 7, Nerak, 5, and April 1.

Karen was born in New Jersey but was raised in Puerto Rico. Ricardo and the children were born and raised there. They have been living in Lansbrook since November and the two older ones are in third grade and kindergarten at Cypress Woods Elementary School in Palm Harbor.

They moved here from Puerto Rico when Ricardo got transferred to the Palm Harbor Postal Station. They had wanted to move to Florida to be closer to his two older children who now live in Orlando. Luckily a postal worker in Palm Harbor wanted to move to Puerto Rico, so they both got their transfers.

Karen had a nutrition club in Puerto Rico. The couple met when Ricardo was a client at the club. She says she may start her business here someday, but for now she is enjoying getting settled in their new home and community. She volunteers weekly at her children’s school, helping with the Lunch Pals Program. The couple have signed up to be greeters at All Saints and the children are enjoying Sunday school. Karen says she would like to help out in Sunday school too.

Ava Sadowska

Ava Sadowska found All Saints Church through her work as a volunteer in the community. And now she says she's found a very special community here.

She met Claudia Sodaro while volunteering at the Salvation Army's Angel Tree project. Claudia introduced her to All Saints. Since she started coming here, she has been active with Pack A Snack and joined volunteers from All Saints to help at the Rotary project, Rise Against Hunger, recently.

"When I came to All Saints, that's what attracted me, the outreach here," she says. "There is so much happening, so much volunteering here, such warm people.

"There is so much community here. The people are so open." Ava adds. "It's what I was looking for at this stage of my life."

Ava was born and raised in Krakow, Poland, and came to Chicago in 1989 as a young adult. She graduated from National Louis University in Chicago with a masters in business. She worked at the University of Illinois as an auditor before moving to Florida with family. She lives with her two daughters in Palm Harbor. One daughter just started college and one is graduating from college this summer.

Ava works at AmiKids, a nonprofit, where she does internal auditing. She enjoys not only her job but also the volunteer work she can do with the children through AmiKids. "AmiKids helps empower disadvantaged kids, to learn their potential. it's a beautiful mission they have," she says. She recalls the chance she had last year to go with a group of young people and volunteers from AmiKids for a week of wilderness challenge in Hot Springs, N.C.

"There were 75 kids at the camp grounds and we got up at 5 a.m. to cook breakfast for them" she says, laughing at the memory. "I learned how long it takes to cook scrambled egs for 75 kids, it took an hour and 5 minute! That was a lot of scrambled eggs , but they were hungry and they were grateful for them. "

Sadly the whole camp and the town of Hot Springs, located on the French Broad River, were destroyed last fall in the devastating storm and flooding. But both town and camp are rebuilding and she says they hope to return there this year.

Asked what she likes about All Saints, she says, "Of course I love the coffee and pastries, and the chance to meet and get to know the people at the gazebo after church."

She adds, "It's smaller, more intimate here. This is a beautiful place."