Melissa Truong - Impact Story
Junior High Science Teacher
Every year, the Love Gift has been such a blessing to our family, and I hope I can describe just how deeply it has impacted us.
This gift has always seemed to come right when we needed it most. Last year was especially difficult — with rising costs and growing bills, we simply didn’t have money set aside for Christmas presents. Because of the Love Gift, we were able to buy gifts for our children and our extended family and even pay down a credit card balance. It allowed us to breathe a little easier and experience the joy of giving again.
In my first year at Valley, we were even able to replace our refrigerator with the Love Gift. Though we rent, we try not to bother our landlords because they already bless us with an affordable place to live—a true miracle in the Bay Area. My husband works as a blue-collar phone technician for AT&T, much like my dad once did for PG&E. Those kinds of jobs used to make Christian education and home ownership possible here, and I’m reminded often how much things have changed.
The Love Gift lifts a burden during a season that can feel heavy for many of us, and it renews my gratitude for this community’s generosity. I never expect it, but I always thank God for it. It reminds me that He provides through His people.
When Pastor Anna shared recently about a miraculous Love Gift that came at just the right time, I couldn’t help but think of how God’s love gift to me was being hired to teach at Valley Christian. Here, my gifts have been valued, my heart has been protected and cared for, and I’ve been blessed not only as an educator but also through tangible expressions of generosity like this one. That kind of care is rare in Christian education. In so many schools, teachers are expected to quietly suffer because “it’s ministry,” but at Valley, we are valued as professionals—and that means so much.
I love my job and my students deeply. It’s a privilege to serve in the same school where my faith was first nurtured as a child and to now see my own children blessed by teachers who give so selflessly. Please share my heartfelt thanks with those who make this gift possible. Their generosity continues to echo further than they may realize.
With Gratitude,
Mrs. Melissa (Culbertson ’96) Truong
JH 7th Grade Life Science Teacher & a proud alum
