On August 1st, 2023, we joined communities and neighborhoods across the country to celebrate National Night Out with around 300 students, families, neighbors, friends, partners and volunteers joining us. Due to the generosity of Hope Horizon EPA church partners, we were able to offer a variety of back to school items to our students and families.
Some highlights from the evening:
200+ sports items were given away including balls, cleats, bats, mitts and rackets
150+ backpacks along with school supplies were distributed
100+ boxes of girls scout cookies were shared
75 individual students were given computers
20 graphing calculators were raffled off
1 lucky student won a brand new bike
new and returning students registered for fall programs
prayer was offered for anyone needing prayer
Our students were encouraged by River of Life Foundation Pastor Tong to Dream Big, Pray Continuously and Step Up as they head into the new school year.
We would like to extend a special thanks to Abundant Life Christian Fellowship, Bethany Lutheran Church, Menlo Church, Palo Alto Vineyard, River of Life Foundation, Shiloh, True North and Vive Church for providing computers, sports equipment and other back to school supplies for our students at our National Night Out event!
We'd like to share a few of our partners' comments as we celebrate the role they played in hosting National Night Out for our community:
River of Life Foundation
In our heartfelt effort to support academic excellence in underprivileged communities, River of Life Foundation is very excited to partner with Hope Horizon EPA in our annual Laptop Giving Program this year. Aligning our belief in the mission of addressing needs to bring hope and a sustainable future, we proudly support Hope Horizon’s unwavering dedication in their endeavor of bringing hope locally to EPA for nearly 40 years. Together, we believe we can help bridging the digital divide, enhancing academic performance, and empowering young minds to achieve more and accomplish further.
Participating in Hope Horizon's National Night Out event at East Palo Alto was an absolute honor. Witnessing the joy on the faces of deserving students as they received laptops was heartwarming. Hope Horizon's dedication to uplifting underserved communities is commendable, and we at ROLF feel privileged to have been part of this impactful initiative.
Menlo Church
Last May, we organized a sports equipment donation drive at the Menlo Church Mountain View campus. The church community came together and donated over 300+ pieces of equipment. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to redistribute sports equipment - including soccer balls, footballs, basketballs, cleats and more - to the Hope Horizon community at the National Night Out community event. It was amazing to witness the kids' faces lighting up with joy as they received their sports equipment. When you see a child smile so big when they find a helmet that fits them or when you place a ball in their hands, you realize how much it means to them. We hope that each of the kids that received equipment will have the chance to play sports today and build life skills for the future. Thank you to Menlo Church and Hope Horizon!
True North Church
True North Church was delighted to be able to partner with Hope Horizon for National Night Out – an opportunity to build stronger bonds with the community and support local families in a practical way. Our outreach ministry team held a school supply drive and also raised funds towards purchasing additional school supplies.
We were stunned by the outpouring of generosity and support shown by the church body. We think a prior cleanup event at Hope Horizon’s campus allowed many of our members to interact with Hope Horizon staff & witness first-hand the incredible impact they’ve had in the East Palo Alto community.
During National Night Out, three members of our outreach team staffed tables to give away school supplies. We loved seeing the joy of children picking a favorite backpack and loading it with pencils, notebooks, and sports equipment. We were excited to be able to equip 20 high school and college students with graphing calculators that they’ll be able to use for math classes and SAT tests. We enjoyed seeing how the staff recognized different community members and greeted them with smiles and hugs. We were humbled to partner with Hope Horizon in opening doors to hope and a future. Our church’s vision is to point the Bay Area to the True North in the gospel. Our prayer is that we’d be able to open doors to an ultimate hope and eternal future in the love of Jesus Christ.
We are grateful to be part of such a beautiful and loving community!
Check out Hope Horizon EPA's National Night Out celebration in the news and view more photos below.
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