Another wonderful day in SE Fresno!  Hundreds of children were able to pick out a new pair of shoes at El Encino Baptist Church at Faithful Feet 2014!

Volunteers from El Encino and Clovis Hills spent the morning blessing families while sharing a message of love.  A shiny red fire truck was there with water to wash the feet of each child before being fitted with new socks and shoes. Families were also fed lunch and entertained by a group of kids from “We Got The Beat”.

This annual event began in 2000. Over the past 15 years thousands of shoes and socks have been given to school age children in this neighborhood.  These families see “the church” as not only a place that gives their children something as a important as lunch and new shoes, but as a place that shares hope and love.

El Encino is more than a building across the street from the school.  Clovis Hills is more than a church somewhere in north Fresno.  When people hear the names of these two churches they probably think more about smiling, loving faces, than buildings

. . . maybe that’s the way it SHOULD be.

SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE DAY

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These two churches are a true presence in this neighborhood, offering Saturday Sports at Sequoia Middle School and Calwa Elementary.  This “presence” gives them the ability to see both needs and opportunities to come alongside families and be a blessing and encouragement throughout the year.

Wesley United Methodist Church hosted an evening of FUN on Tuesday for National Night Out.  This was the location of just one of the many events held throughout the country  National Night Out, held annually since 1984 to promote neighborhood camaraderie, police-community partnerships and to send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back!

Several groups planned this event that was full of fun for the kids and families in the neighborhood El Dorado Park neighborhood: 

Wesley United Methodist Church

El Dorado Community Leaders

Associated Student, Inc. (ASI – Fresno State)

Boys & Girls Club, and

Building Neighborhood Capacity Program (BNCP).

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The evening was filled with face painting, activities (including some of ENP’s new carnival games), food and resources for the families.  

Special thanks to all the volunteers who made this evening a success, including students from several Fresno State organizations, Fresno State Campus Police, Dave Corona (with his fun games) and Via Church who is a new partner for Wolters Elementary School in this neighborhood.

It was a GREAT evening!

You have most likely heard the expression, “It Takes a Village”. We are saying, “It Takes a City”! The story this week is about Cross Sector Collaboration, a very fancy term for ‘all of us working together’.

Our shared goal:  A THRIVING CITY!

Who is “All of Us”? It’s churches, universities, school districts, businesses, organizations, non-profits, parent groups, the city . . . it is literally ALL OF US! When we work together with a vision of a healthy city, great things begin to happen.

EXAMPLE: A few weeks ago, Peoples Church called and asked if we knew of any projects for a group of kids who would be attending a youth camp in late June. At about the same time, the City of Fresno Community Revitalization Department contacted us with a need in the Jefferson neighborhood. There was a home with a potential code violation and rather than giving them a citation, they asked if we might know of a volunteer team who would be interested in cleaning up the overgrown yard. The 1/4 acre lot looked much like a jungle!

It was perfect timing. Thirty kids and a few leaders spent 2 hours at the site and made quick work of a huge project. There is still a bit more to do, so some of the kids plan to find a Saturday when they can go back and finish up. These kids not only had the opportunity to see a need in another part of our city, they also saw first hand what Cross Sector Collaboration looks like (and they may not even know it yet).

In the past 6 years, our mission and vision have remained focused on partnering churches with elementary school neighborhoods, and seeing folks engaged with kids, families and the health of our city.  However, the path to get there has broadened. We not only know it will require ALL OF US, but see that we are simply better together! It will take the entire city working together to achieve that goal.

All of us at ENP are blessed each day to watch that happen and work alongside so many amazing people who share the same vision for our city!

“What do you ASPIRE to be?”  That was often asked of the girls who were part of an after school leadership program at Susan B Anthony. When asked what they want to be when they grow up, some may say teachers or veterinarians, dancers or lawyers. While helping them think about their future education including college and career goals, the main focus of the program was on ways they can be leaders at school, at home and in their community, which will ultimately affect their future!

“What are your strengths?” “What does it mean to be a role model on campus?”  “How do you respond to people who are rude?”   “How do you introduce yourself and greet new people?”  “How can you make a difference in your world?”  Those are just a few questions that were addressed.

This past year these girls also had the opportunity to help at the school carnival, volunteer and serve at campus events; they planted flowers in the school atrium, helped make posters to hang on campus, and decorated for special events.

A couple highlights of the year for the girls were a field trip to Break the Barriers and an end of the year celebration dinner.

At Break the Barriers they learned that each one of us has both abilities and disabilities. They watched veterans practice archery (one of whom was legally blind and another did not have use of his arms).  They were also able to watch the Junior Barrier Breaker team practice for an upcoming performance.  The girls were amazed at the ABILITIES of children who did NOT have both legs, or who used a wheel chair to get around.  They left with a new awareness and better understanding of how God has gifted each of us with different strengths and abilities.

At the end of the year the girls gathered for a special celebration, working in teams to prepare dinner which included salad, fruit kabobs and brownies. They also made place cards and set a beautiful table.  When the dinner was prepared they all ate together. Special guests were Principal Joy Nunes, and ENP Executive Director, Artie Padilla.

In a period of 8 months they became a family and it was hard to see the 6th graders graduate and move on.

Several ladies help lead this program and have found it so very rewarding to be part of these young girls’ lives.  Michelle Walter said, “Working with the Aspire girls makes my heart smile and brings joy and blessings to my life that I could never have imagined.”  The volunteer leaders would all tell you that they give their time, but get SO much in return.

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Fresno Unified  Mentoring Department has established programs at the high school and middle school level with Mens and Young Mens Alliance. ENP worked closely with FUSD this past year to help integrate programs at the elementary level  with “Boys to Men” and “Girl Power”.  The curriculum is provided by Fresno Unified with volunteers from our partnership churches leading programs at four elementary schools: Kirk, Slater, Olmos and Kratt.  We would love to see more partnerships involved in this valuable group mentoring opportunity.

When we invest time in our youth, the return on investment is HUGE!