ENP Blog

Organizations add EXTRA dose of FUN!

March 26, 2014 andrewfeil Community Outreach, Saturday Sports

On any given week-end there are as many as twenty-five Saturday Sports Programs going on in Fresno. On Saturday mornings you can see kids wandering toward elementary school campuses anticipating fun activities with encouraging volunteers. Partnerships run the programs and do an amazing job consistently investing in the children and families in our Fresno neighborhoods.

Over the past year we have seen an increase in the number of organizations who have asked how they can be involved. ENP and our partnership leaders are encouraged and blessed by the ENERGY these groups bring to Saturday Sports and various events in our neighborhoods!

Here is an overview of a few of the groups we have enjoyed seeing this past month:

AT OLMOS SATURDAY SPORTS – Fresno State SNDA members (Student Nutrition Dietetic Association) students brought some fun and educational activities for the kids to enjoy.

The Fresno Pacific Water Polo team joined in the fun with more that 25 volunteers who engaged the children in basketball, football, arts and crafts.

WOLTERS NEIGHBORHOOD – (El Dorado Park) Fresno State volunteers beautified the neighborhood and made Saturday Sports extra special with breakfast, face painting, water balloons, and and EXTRA dose of FUN. Volunteers also painted a mural, organized a food distribution, worked on a beautification project at an apartment complex and the neighborhood resource center.

KIRK SATURDAY SPORTS – Volunteers from Junior League spent the day at Kirk Elementary Saturday Sports, bringing with them an assortment of crafts, activities (and yummy snacks) for the kids to enjoy! All the kids are hoping they come back again VERY SOON!

The kids love it when new volunteers come to Saturday Sports, and volunteers feel very much appreciated. It doesn’t take much to add an extra dose of fun to something they already love!

City Summit 2014

March 25, 2014 andrewfeil ENP News

City Summit is an annual weekend gathering held in Fresno each year. It was started originally to equip those already engaged in Christian Community Development work, but has now become a conference that invites a new generation to become engaged in the work God is doing in our city.

This year’s theme was “Imago Dei: Seeing in New Ways.” Guest speaker, Rev. Dr. Soong Chan Rah, from Chicago Illinois gave a challenge to mourn and embrace the struggle in our city, yet see the rebuilding God is doing amidst the rubble. Attendees were encouraged to focus on the assets and gifts of our city, coming in as partners and support systems where God is at work.

The 2 day conference also included networking and breakouts sessions with topics such as “No More Slumlords”, Reimagining the War on Gangs”, “Beyond Immigration: Uncover a Biblical Point of View”, “Addressing the Issue of the Hardcore Homeless”, “Urban Farming and Community Gardens”, “Responding to Human Trafficking in our Community” and many more.

More than 300 attended this year’s event with folks of all ages and ethnicities from churches throughout Fresno. It was exciting to see a gathering of so many with a heart to “seek the peace and prosperity of our city”!

Lunch was prepared by several groups representing Fresno’s rich cultural diversity. ENP had the privilege of inviting one of our parent leaders, Sandra from Jackson Elementary, to serve her delicious tacos!

We are confident that City Summit will continue to be a support for the work that God is doing in Fresno. If you missed it, we invite you to consider attending next year.

Be sure to check out the FRESNO CITY SUMMIT website, and facebook page so you don’t miss it next year!

Schools Seeking Partnerships

March 19, 2014 andrewfeil ENP News

The core mission of ENP is to partner local churches with the 80+ elementary schools in the Fresno community. Since our inception in 2008 we have seen significant growth. Currently there are 48 schools with partnerships, and 65 churches investing in these schools and neighborhoods in a variety of ways. We are certainly on a good path.

This past year, however we have received calls from several principals who have expressed a desire for ENP to find a church partnership for them. They would love to invite folks from the church to volunteer on campus during the week or host a Saturday Sports Program (or both).

If your church isn’t currently serving at a school and you would like to know what that could look like, please contact us. We would love to talk to you and share how ENP can support you in that role.

. . . . .

Currently these schools are hoping a church will want to partner with them; Wilson, Del Mar, Williams, Mayfair, Ericson, Burroughs, Greenburg, Bethune, Yokomi and Easterby.

Artie Padilla

Fresno Christian Students Serve

March 19, 2014 andrewfeil ENP News

On March 6th several buses of Fresno Christian students “ditched” school for the day and went out on a mission to bless our city! They served in 9 different locations including:

Victoria Park (Clinton & 99) where they raked leaves and painted picnic tables; Raintree Convalescent Home where they blessed the residents by spending time with them, painting nails, drawing, and just hanging out; Graffiti Clean-Up (Marks & Ashlan) working alongside the City of Fresno; Community Food Bank, packing food boxes; Neighborhood Thrift: handing our flyers in the Tower District; New Life for Girls: yard clean-up; Kepler school where they just made themselves available to help where needed.

It’s AMAZING what a bunch of kids can accomplish in a few hours! They blessed and beautified our city and at the same time were able to get a glimpse of some of the needs, challenges and opportunities to continue investing in Fresno in the days, months and years to come.

ENP was pleased to work alongside Fresno Christian and help coordinate their Serve Day. We look forward to the opportunity and look forward to working alongside them in the future!

Check out the short video Fresno Christian students created with highlights from their day.

Addams Saturday Sports – “What rain?”

March 1, 2014 andrewfeil Partnership Spotlight, Saturday Sports

Neither rain, nor cold, nor muddy fields . . . will keep the kids in the Addams neighborhood home from Saturday Sports! What a fantastic time the kids had! It was a bit chilly, and it may have been raining in other parts of the city, but not more than a few drops of rain at Addams while the kids were there.

The morning was filled with football, basketball, jump rope, crafts and games. At the end of the morning Pastor Wil gathered the kids together and told the story of Noah! Quite appropriate for the weather we have been having!

What a great morning!

Thanks Northwest Church for doing such a great job loving the kids in the Addams neighborhood!

The “Peace Place” at Pyle

February 22, 2014 andrewfeil ENP News

Saturday Sports at Pyle . . . it was the first day back for the kids and volunteers following the winter break. They were dedicating “The Peace Place” which is an octagonal area on the playground under the trees with benches which was built by a group of volunteers from The Bridge. It’s a place available for classes so they can have class outside sometimes. It is also a designated place for kids who are getting angry or frustrated. Before they get in trouble, they can take a personal time-out and go to the “Peace Place”.

On this first day back at Saturday Sports about 50 people from the church came to dedicate “The Peace Place” and pray for the school. They also did some campus clean-up and then ended the morning with a big BBQ lunch for everyone.

Projects like this, and weekly events like Saturday Sports that draw members of the church onto the school campus and into the neighborhood bring awareness of the many opportunities for The Church to engage with the community and be a part of the lives of the children and families.

Once you spend time with a bunch of kids on a Saturday morning, your heart just keeps telling you to to come back!

A CONVOY of HOPE

January 6, 2014 andrewfeil Community Outreach

A Convoy of Hope invaded the Fresno Fairgrounds at the end of November! Hearts of compassion, grace and love were evident in the 2000+ volunteers that spent the day serving meals, giving haircuts, fitting people with shoes, taking family portraits and sharing valuable information with more that 6000 guests who were welcomed, served, prayed for and loved that day; and those are just a few of the things that took place at Convoy! Health & Dental Services were also provided, flu shots were given and resumes were prepared. It was HUGE!

The follow through started as people had their groceries carried to their cars and new doors are being opened as the Convoy team now engages in connecting people with churches, small groups, organizations, etc. At the end of the outreach, before Saturday was through, impassioned Convoy volunteers took some of the leftover prepared meals to folks in need in downtown Fresno, feeding them, engaging them, continuing the Day of Hope and extending it beyond the Fairgrounds. Guests that responded “yes” to offers of connection to a local church are being followed up with follow phone calls and conversations.

People are being connected, resumes are being submitted, transportation is being arranged back to churches through bus tokens, and workshops are being planned with much more to come. It was an impactful day, but it’s not just about ONE day! The doors are open now for many to continue to build upon the connections made.

Lowell Moms Giving Back

November 24, 2013 andrewfeil Community Outreach

“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” I Peter 4:9-10

The moms at Lowell Elementary were eager to show their gratitude to the teachers for the time and energy they pour into kids on a daily basis. Many of the mothers at Lowell, however, are not able to communicate effectively in English. But they found a way they could give back and bless the teachers in a meanginful way!

Food is nourishment to both the body and soul! Food connects people! These moms sent a strong message of thankfulness through their loving act of service. The meal was fabulous! The teachers LOVED it! The moms felt blessed by the opportunity to serve and now recognize that their cooking skills are a gift that can be used to bless others . . . this week it was the teachers that teach THEIR children who were on the receiving end!

It’s exciting to watch these ladies use their gifts to be a blessing to their neighborhood!

– Ariana Martinez

Heart + Vision = IMPACT

November 4, 2013 andrewfeil Community Outreach, Economic Development

The relationship began a few years ago when a group of people from The Well Community Church were challenged to “be the church” and find creative ways to serve our city. Rather than choosing from a bunch of planned service opportunities, folks were challenged to look around and find impactful ways to reach out. Jerry DiBuduo’s life group got together with some others and decided to pick 5 Boys & Girls Clubs in Fresno and take 15 kids from each club to a Fresno Grizzley’s game. Twenty-five chaperones and seventy-five kids – they had a fantastic time!

That started it all! They really connected with the kids that day and from that point, decided to “adopt” the Pinedale Boys & Girls Club. Once the relationships were formed with those kids and their families, other needs were discovered and this group was committed to do what they could do to bless this community. “For YEARS”, they said, “we had all written checks to various causes, but rarely shared our TIME!” WHAT an impact! Not only in the lives of the kids, but the volunteers as well.

Last year they decided to take on a bigger project and transform the alley behind the Pinedale Boys & Girls Club into greenspace, with a raised bed garden area and a shaded patio, greatly expanding the usable space for the kids in the neighborhood. It was a huge project that involved hundreds of people and thousands of dollars. It is beautiful!

A few weeks ago they hosted a Farmers Market with 40 volunteers and 2000 pounds of quality produce provided by several generous farmers. The produce was sold to families at significantly reduced prices, providing healthier foods for the families. The proceeds benefited the Boys and Girls Club as well as “Off the Front” who repaired 50 bicycles that day. HUGE IMPACT!

Who knows what they will think of next, but there is no doubt that they will continue to reach out with their hands and hearts with a vision to see Pinedale become a healthy and thriving community.

Heart + Vision + The Gift of Time = HUGE IMPACT!

True Neighborhood Presence

October 21, 2013 andrewfeil Neighborhood Presence

World Impact is a national organization that plants missionaries in neighborhoods for the purpose of them being salt and light in that community. Here in Fresno ENP works with several World Impact families.

The Contreras family has been faithfully serving in the Hidalgo neighborhood for several years. They remodeled a small, older apartment and turned the first floor into a Recreation Center which is used for week long outreaches to kids and families in the neighborhood. They host after school programs, game nights, Bible Clubs, parent gatherings and summer programs.

Most recently they teamed up with Northside Church to host a very large Block Party for the community. They closed the street and had bounce houses, basketball games, carnival type activities, face painting and live music. Over 600 residents participated in the event and they all walked away with some fresh produce, prizes, a full stomach and most importantly, a knowledge that there’s a safe place in the community that they can come to when there’s a need in their family.

ENP is proud to support the Contreras family and their year round efforts. They are providing true neighborhood presence in the Hidalgo Neighborhood.