SPOKANE, Wash. – Community organizer and Gonzaga student Rick Clark celebrated his 47th birthday at Second Harvest, when he showed up for what he thought would be a day of volunteering.

Instead, he was surprised by a crowd of family, friends and Delta Dental’s “surprise and delight” group, who honors people who give back to the community.

Delta Dental recognized Clark for his charity “Giving Backpacks,” which is in its third year of operation. The charity works to distribute backpacks filled with food, clothes and toiletries to the homeless.

Since the first year of operation in 2015, Clark has filled and distributed more than 2,000 backpacks.

Helping the homeless is very personal to Clark, who was living in his car just three years ago.