February 8, 1938 ~ January 18, 2014
By Noel Smith
Annette Marcum was a force that even illness couldn’t stop and Valley Churches United Missions ensures that even death won’t overcome her legacy of kindness and giving. The last time we met, just two months before her passing, her only concern was that she was slowing down and there was still so much to do for VCUM’s Valley Christmas Project. She was worried about the seniors and the poor that she felt were her personal responsibility to rally the community in order to make sure they had a Merry Christmas.
Each year in December VCUM has the Angel Awards dinner at Scopazzi’s in Boulder Creek and in 2011 the Scotts Valley Times and Times Publishing had the honor of receiving the media award. At the event, Annette would put on her angel outfit and her enthusiasm filled the room as she held court and presented the awards. This was also the year that a fierce winter storm (remember those?) caused a power failure and the event was held in the flickering light of candles.
Annette’s earthly life flickered out on January 18, 2014. Her personal call to action happened ion 1982, 32 years ago, as her reaction to the devastation to her community of Ben Lomond when a deadly January storm killed 22 people in Santa Cruz County and 10 of those died in the Love Creek mudslides just a mile away from her.
The storm left many homeless and without food. Annette began organizing emergency relief efforts in San Lorenzo Valley with Ben Lomond’s St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church as headquarters. Her continuing efforts to help the less fortunate grew to include 10 local churches. Valley Churches United Missions moved to the center of Ben Lomond right on Highway 9, and became a central resource center for the needy and seniors in the San Lorenzo Valley with a $1 million operating budget.
VCUM provides food and services for thousands of local residents in need including paying for rent, utilities, clothes and other needs for families and individuals.
Her personal life was also extraordinary. In addition to raising her biological daughter, Marcum also was foster parent to 10 developmentally challenged children. There are three of them, now adults, which were still in her care. Rev. Bob Murrin, of Boulder Creek’s St. Michael’s Catholic Church, to which Marcum belongs, called her the “Mother Theresa of our valley.”
Annette continued to serve until the end of her life as director of VCUM. The ministries staff consists of volunteers who have contributed countless hours keeping administrative costs at 5.2% with Operations Director Linda Lovelace as the only paid staff. In 2013, VCUM provided food and assistance to more than 7,000 county residents and the annual Christmas Project raised more than $10 million to help those in need.
Annette enjoyed life and she took pleasure in helping others to find the joy in their lives.
Annette Marcum will indeed be remembered as an angel.