. . . and we aren’t talking about the weather!!!
Kids are back in school and Saturdays are buzzing with activities! It’s the beginning of a new SATURDAY SPORTS SEASON!
On a Saturday morning you can see ENP volunteers picking up lunches at Poverello House for delivery to Saturday Sports sites. At the schools, kids are anxiously waiting for the gate to open on the school campus – they are ready to play! Partnership volunteers are unpacking sports equipment, crafts supplies and hanging the Saturday Sports sign which draws kids and families to a safe place for kid to have fun.
This past weekend there were 12 active Saturday Sports Programs with more than 500 kids enjoying activities on a beautiful Saturday morning. In the next few weeks, all 30 programs will be active and filled with kids, taking place in neighborhoods across our city.
Churches have taken the lead roll partnering with the school and neighborhood. Volunteers from the churches serve in a variety of ways; at Saturday Sports, on the school campus during the week and by hosting events and activities in the neighborhood.
In the past few years however, more and more Fresno State Students have taken advantage of the opportunities to serve alongside our church volunteers. In a few of our partnerships, Fresno State students are actually taking the lead in running Saturday Sports Programs.
It’s a pleasure to meet and engage with these students and introduce them to kids who look up to them as role models and heroes! University students can have huge impact on young lives. They can influence these students to do well in school and pursue a college education . . . and they also have a ton of energy and LOVE to play with the kids!
ENP’s partnership with Fresno State is a huge win on SO MANY LEVELS!
Students get the opportunity to complete their required service hours while volunteering in our Fresno neighborhoods and they are getting some great insight to the needs and opportunities to serve in our city.
They are also learning about ENP and more importantly, the valuable roll of the church, not just as a building on the corner, but as PEOPLE with a heart to love and serve.
Many students are referred to ENP through the Jan and Bud Richter Center for Community Engagement at Fresno State, whose “mission” is to improve the education and development of students and helping create a better community through service and learning.
The mission is definitely being accomplished!
A number of Fresno State students continue to serve beyond their required hours and some beyond their graduation. Our partnerships are stronger because of these students, and our city’s future looks a little brighter when we envision the impact these young men and women will be making in years to come!
. . . . . .
Students are able to visit the ENP table at the Fresno State Volunteer Fairs and sign up to attend an orientation and get fingerprinted on the Fresno State Campus.
It can’t get much easier than that!
