“We used to serve around 100 families per week, and during COVID, the number increased to 500. We had around 100 volunteers who would set up in a parking lot and place food supplies in peoples cars. This has been our strength, our team; 90 percent of the people who collaborate with us are volunteers,” he says.
When he was 12 or 13 years old, Pastor Eric R. Tietze traveled with his family to the beaches of San Clemente, California. During one of those trips, he went swimming and he felt like he was drowning. The water wanted to swallow him. And then he prayed.
“God, if you save me, I promise to become a priest, but save me,” he recalls saying in the water.
And he was saved. Years later, the young teenager of Mexican and German descent became a pastor and founder of one of the largest non-profit organizations in Los Angeles, Hearts of Compassion.
This organization, in addition to providing food pantries, also has sober houses, classes for developing job skills, and other services.
“A lot of people talk a lot about the problems the community is facing, the need for food, but they do nothing. On one occasion, when I was thinking about the name we would give our organization while we operated in Pico Rivera, I was reading the Bible. There I read a phrase that contained the words Heart of Compassion, and I said to myself, it is the perfect name for what we want to do,” says Pastor Eric, as he is known.
He calls the people who come to his food banks guests, not needy people or homeless. He aims to create a family, for everyone to feel the need for each other.
“God makes no distinction; He has shown us that since the beginning since He sacrificed His son Jesus to reaffirm our faith,” he says. “I always tell those who come to our food bank, ‘God will never forget you.’”
“Everything is free. Free is expensive, but I walk the path of faith,” he says, concluding, “Everyone can do what we do, but not everyone can do it without money.”
It all started several years ago in a small church in Pico Rivera, already convinced that he would fulfill the promise he made to the Lord when he felt like he was drowning in San Clemente.
“I saw the needs and invited people to start giving breakfast to people on the weekends. I prepared menudo, huevos rancheros for the Latinos, and pancakes and eggs for the Americans. We were like a Denny’s,” he says, laughing.
People kept coming and coming, growing in number until they no longer fit in the small parking lot where they operated.
In 2003, he decided to turn the operation into what is now Hearts of Compassion, located in Montebello.
Interviewing Pastor Eric is like attending a religious service. He constantly references the Bible, cites Genesis, and shows his devotion to God.
“If someone is hungry, give them something to eat,” he says.
Hearts of Compassion gets its resources by applying for grants and individual donations from people who know and recognize the work they do.
“We used to serve around 100 families per week, and during COVID, the number increased to 500. We had around 100 volunteers who would set up in a parking lot and place food supplies in peoples cars. This has been our strength, our team; 90 percent of the people who collaborate with us are volunteers,” he says.
He acknowledges that the massive need that arose during the pandemic has not ended. Inflation and the state of the economy are crushing entire families. Their partnerships with businesses and supermarkets have allowed them to distribute well-balanced food supplies, including fruits, vegetables, and protein, for up to a week.
“Society is increasingly divided between the rich and the poor,” he says.
“We all have an appointment to die. But I don’t think it ends there. Eternity is what awaits us, and we have to be prepared for it. We must have faith in God, faith in Christ, pray with them, understand.”
This pastor understood very early that the community’s problems are not just about food but also mental health, alcohol, drugs, and anger. That’s why he extended the services and installed recovery homes, job training, and anger management classes.
“Everything is free. Free is expensive, but I walk the path of faith,” he says, concluding, “Everyone can do what we do, but not everyone can do it without money.”
Every month, they distribute one and a half million pounds of food, almost 15 million pounds a year, a staggering figure that very few could mention.
Hearts of Compassion has helped thousands of families in need. It gives them a break in difficult times.
Pastor Eric’s life was tumultuous and agitated; he traveled through Mexico and other countries, lived through the euphoria of the 70s, and experienced Rock & Roll. “I did everything but I had nothing. No purpose. God changed that,” he says.
“I have unconditional love for God. If you do what you are passionate about, it doesn’t feel like work. I come here to serve, it’s my purpose in life. Many people come and cry, people who have abused alcohol, and drugs. To them, you have to give the gift of love,” he says.
For him, his life and purpose is to continue this movement to help the community.
“We all have an appointment to die. But I don’t think it ends there. Eternity is what awaits us, and we have to be prepared for it. We must have faith in God, faith in Christ, pray with these people, and understand them. If I die now, I will be happy. My life has been fulfilling, full of joy,” he says.
‘God asked me to come back and ask you your name and let you know you are not alone, you are with Him.’ His name was James, he started crying. Indifference is the worst thing that exists.”
Given the increasing needs of the community, he thinks there is a way to start a change.
“As Mother Teresa said, everything starts with the one. We can lead the horse, and tell people that they are not alone. It happens to me; all the people around me are here for a reason; we have the same goals and the same challenges. Ninety percent of the money that comes into Hearts of Compassion goes directly to the operation of the organization, that is, to the people,” he adds.
One of the fundamental pillars of his philosophy is to dignify human beings, to recognize and value them for what they are, a person, an element that the Lord put on this earth.
“I frequently go to Skid Row. On one occasion, I passed by and greeted a homeless person. And I continued walking, then I heard the Lord say to me, ‘Go back and ask him his name.’ I stopped in my tracks. I understood. I went back and said to this person, ‘God asked me to come back and ask you your name and let you know you are not alone, you are with Him.’ His name was James, he started crying. Indifference is the worst thing that exists; we must convey to people that no matter what they are or the conditions they are in, they are special. Money, cars, and luxury homes are nothing. Many rich people live in fear. I know a very wealthy couple in Newport Beach; the woman had very expensive jewelry but wore fake jewelry because she feared that if she wore the originals, they would be stolen,” he says.
“They seek happiness, but happiness is not freedom; they are men with diapers without purposes, I call them posers.”
He loves to tell stories; he tells me the anecdote of Rockefeller when he was asked what the limit of his wealth was. He thought for a moment and replied, ‘a little bit more.’
“The insatiability of the rich never ends, not generalizing, but for many. Life is too short, money is nothing,” he says. “Me? I’m not a taker; I’m a giver.”
He would like to see men in the community grow more, take on more responsibility. Many times, they spend more time blaming others than taking responsibility.
“They don’t understand that God will never leave them, but part of the community has forgotten God. He will always be waiting for them, but many turn to alcohol, drugs, or are on Prozac and other medications. Everyone wants to be happy, but they don’t do their work. They are dissatisfied, manipulative, saying what others want them to say,” he emphasizes.
For him, God created man to be a warrior; the devil is a bully, meddling and doing everything in his power.
“I always create this image for people, I tell them that living and dying is like choosing to go to the smoking section or the non-smoking section. Many insist on doing it their way and not the Lord’s way. They seek happiness, but happiness is not freedom; they are men with diapers without purposes, I call them posers,” he says.
And he concludes the interview, “When I go to sleep, I ask God for more time. I still have many things to do.”
