Press Telegram Article on Bellflower Easter Egg Hunt

CHURCHES KEEP BELLFLOWER EASTER ALIVE
By: Pamela Hale-Burns Staff Writer
Posted: 04/10/2009
Link: http://www.presstelegram.com/search/ci_12121087

BELLFLOWER - The economic crisis continues to affect lives, but there are people determined not to let it stop a beloved event like Bellflower's Easter Egg hunt.

Jane Nishimoto, learning that limited funds had led the city of Bellflower to cancel several community events, including the annual egg hunt, decided to find a way to rescue the Easter weekend tradition.

"We've been trying to build a better relationship with the community as a church and this was a good opportunity to show them that we care about the kids in our community," the Bellflower Brethren Church parishioner said. "So we wanted to provide them with a fun day and also provide them with the Easter message."

Nishimoto went online and made phone calls, trying to find others to donate time and money for the egg hunt.

Her hard work has paid off, and the hunt starts at 10 a.m. today at Caruthers Park, 10500 Flora Vista St.

"I Googled churches in Bellflower and started calling, and most of the churches already work with Kingdom Causes," she said.

Kingdom Causes is a nonprofit community mobilizing organization with a mission to be a catalyst that inspires, connects and mobilizes people for personal and community transformation.

"We worked through Kingdom Causes' director and then we used those people to contact other people and to see if others would be willing to volunteer," she said.

Ten churches and more than 150 volunteers agreed to donate and fill plastic Easter Eggs for the hunt.
After 29 years in the city of Bellflower, Pastor Tom Hocking of Bellflower Brethren says he has seen a major change in the past four or five years.

"I feel like the city has made some significant attempts to build a stronger sense of community, he said. "The city has sponsored these annual egg hunts as well as (other events throughout the year)."

"Because of the state of the economy," he continued, "the city is no longer able to fund many of these events. Therefore, what will happen is a powerful statement to other civic groups and clubs about how nongovernmental organizations can `step into the breach."'

Although Nishimoto lives in Lakewood, as a member of Bellflower Brethren Church and a Bellflower schoolteacher her ties to the city are strong.

"Jane is both an inspiration and an encouragement to me because of her constant and consistent passion to be both a redemptive influence in our city and to encourage and motivate others to bless the city as well," Hocking said.

Great opportunity for us to Bless Bellflower... please check out

http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_11955612?source=rss

The city's funding has been cut for most of our community events this year (including Streetfest, Movie Nights & Easter Egg Hunt). A group of churches have decided to work together to host the Easter Egg Hunt for the city on April 11th. If you're interested in helping (WE NEED HELP!) please email us at easterbellflower@kingdomcauses.org

More about this later.

Community Health & Resource Fair THIS SUNDAY!

Bethel Reformed Church is hosting a Community Health Fair this Sunday (March 22) from 11am-3pm. The people at Bethel care about the well-being of our community. The following services and/or screenings will be available:

vision
dental
blood pressure
cholesterol
glucose
body fat
bone density
immunizations for children K-18

Click here to get more information from their website.

Thanks for coming out!

We'd like to thank all of those involved in last night's city wide worship service... Especially Hosanna's youth band, Canaan's sound team, and the local businesses for staying open late for us. Christians from 6 different churches gathered to pray for our city and worship God. Our next city-wide gathering is scheduled for Sunday, May 31st. Put it on your calendars!

Bless Bellflower

Check out www.blessbellflower.org and click on the blog!

THIS SUNDAY: City Wide Worship at the Town Center Plaza

bBring your lawn chairs and blankets out on Sunday evening to the Town Center Plaza for our quarterly City Wide Worship Service. A group from Hosanna, led by Mike Winger, will be leading us in worship. Come out to worship and pray for Bellflower with other Christ followers in our city. Service starts at 5pm this Sunday (3/8).

Bring a few extra bucks to grab a cup of coffee at Casa de Luna (the old Perks Coffee House) located in the plaza. There’s a coupon for 30% off in the Bless Bellflower Bulletin insert:

A different kind of memorial service...

A week ago Sam and I hit the streets with some sack lunches for our weekly outreach to the homeless neighbors in our vicinity. Sam is a recovering addict who deals with some pretty tough disabilities (bad heart, partial blindness) yet who feels compelled to give back. He has been well loved by one of the local congregations and he wants to share that similar love with our other neighbors. His story is probably worth a separate post.

Anyhow, our first stop last Tuesday led us to Jim, a man who lives in his 90's Oldsmobile Cutlass. He was parked in the Big Saver Grocery parking lot and when we shared a lunch with him we asked him if he had seen Dean. Dean is a regular in the area who we have seen in and out of rehab. He's an average sized man in his fifties with thinning gray hair and a face with an appearance that tells of years of outdoor living and alcohol abuse. We've known Dean for several years. We once helped him get into the Salvation Army rehab center, only to have him kicked out for smoking indoors. After he was kicked out of rehab last fall he ended up back on the streets in Bellflower, and in rougher shape than ever. He was experiencing auditory hallucinations and fairly incoherent.

Jim, the man with the cutlass, immediately told us that he "was sorry to be the bringer of bad news... Dean passed away yesterday." A sadness came over me that I didn't expect. We had just seen him two days earlier... and now he had passed away? Quickly, I started calling people and encouraging our homeless neighbors to share the news that we would be having a memorial service a the community center the following week. The word went out and the homeless community was saddened.

Last Saturday, a few days before the memorial service was planned, the team at Kingdom Causes Bellflower was hosting a training at the center for local churches. WHile I was presenting, another homeless neighbor named Jim peeked his head in the door and interrupting my training said, "Dean's not dead." What? He's not dead? Could this be true? I dismissed it as the hopeful musings of an inebriated friend. So, yesterday, the day before the memorial service, I sent Joel to the hospital to find out and sure enough, he confirmed the news...Dean was alive. He had had a seizure of sorts and was in bad shape but he wasn't dead... WOW.

Rather than cancel the service and try to inform everyone before hand we instead decided to continue with our plans and to gather his friends for a time of prayer and a celebration meal. About 15 friends showed up, all in varying degrees of sobriety. We talked about how the story of Lazarus in the Bible tells us that Jesus knows what it is like to have a close friend who is sick and dying... and that he has the power to heal, and even raise people from the dead! Our prayer time was incredible... raw, scriptural prayers prayed for a friend close to death. Sam was back and he shared a challenge that only a recovering addict can give... "What's happened to Dean should cause us all to look in the mirror. He's in the shape he's in because of his drinking... and self abuse. If we don't change...then we might go down the same road."

Everyone said they were thankful for the time to come together to pray for their friend... to have a meal together. Many stayed to help clean up. It was one of the most meaningful experiences I have had since I started getting involved in work with the homeless.

My prayer remains that God would continue to surprise us. That many more of hour homeless neighbors, especially those who we have assumed are too far gone in addiction, or too self destructive, would be found to be alive, renewed. Lord come quickly to save.

Redeemed Memorial Service

Last week we got some bad news about our friend, Dean. He died. We made arrangements for a memorial service at Our Place for tonight and invited all of his friends. On Saturday during the middle of our "How Do We Help" training with local churches, a homeless neighbor busted in the door to let us know that Dean is alive. We were confused but excited to hear the good news. He is sick but he's not dead. We decided to hold a prayer service for him instead of a memorial service. So as I type, his friends are sharing their prayers for him. It's amazing to hear their raw conversation with God about a friend. They are vulnerable and honest. God hears them. I feel blessed to listen in. I feel blessed to serve a God who hears us all.

How Do We Help?

Thirty people from 10 different congregations attended a training this Saturday on how to help people in crisis. Especially during these hard times, churches are overwhelmed with the need in the community. We discussed different options for how to help and what resources already exist in our area. A theme throughout the morning was the importance of building relationships with the people asking for help and not just giving them a handout and sending them away. It was encouraging to hear God's people conspiring different ways to bless their neighbors.

The church in our city needs to be equipped to help the families that will lose jobs and homes. Being proactive now will better prepare us to be of help and share God's love through our actions in the future.

If you'd like to talk to us about how you can help, email us or give us a call at 562-804-2189.

Back in the day...

Check out these pictures from Bellflower in the 50s! I wasn't around in that era, but I heard that Bellflower Blvd. was the street to hang out on. Wouldn't it be great to see our downtown buzzing like it did back then? What businesses would you like to see downtown?

Joel's a neighbor!

Joel moved onto Eucalyptus Avenue to be a strategic neighbor... but he needs our help. Do you have any of the following items that you're willing to donate to his apartment?

Bed

Bookshelves

Television

Speakers

End Tables

Kitchen or Dining Room Table & Chairs

Lamps

If so, call us up at the office (562-804-2189) and let us know!

Thanks for counting!

Last Wednesday night Our Place NRC served as a launching point for volunteers to count homeless neighbors in Bellflower, Lakewood, Norwalk & Hawaiian Gardens. Thank you to all who showed up and stayed late to count.

Local Coffee Shops

Make sure to check out Bellflower's newest coffee shops: Mos & Eclipse. Both are opening in the next week or two. Our local businesses need as much help as they can get. Make sure to stop by and buy a drink at either of these places before you drive off to another city to buy a drink there.

Mos Coffee Shop officially opens this weekend. They are located in the Town Center Plaza on Belmont (near Bellflower Blvd.) where Perks used to be. They've remodeled inside and it looks lovely. I think they use organic coffee beans. Also, they'll be selling pastries from Porto's Bakery. Check them out. Normal hours will be from 7am-10pm Mon-Sun and 7am-midnight Fri-Sat.

Eclipse Cafe should be opening in the next few weeks where the downtown Starbucks used to be. Besides coffee they offer gelato, soups, salads & sandwiches.

They Count. Will You? - LA Homeless Count 2009

This Wednesday at 8pm we are meeting at Our Place Neighborhood Resource Center to count the homeless in our community. We are helping LAHSA (Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority) get an accurate count of the homeless in our county in order to better help them.

We will lead a short training at 8pm and then send teams of 2 out to different neighborhoods in Bellflower.

Will you help? Contact us at 562.804.2189 and register online at www.lahsa.org.

Neighbor Profile: Jimmy

Each Saturday morning at 6:25 I head out the door to pick up my friend Patrick and bring the towels over to Calvary Church where 30-40 of our homeless neighbors and neighbors in crisis gather weekly for a hot breakfast, warm showers, and some good conversation. It is always a blessing to me to see the regular volunteers and to meet some new neighbors.

This morning I met a man named Jimmy. He hasn't been to a breakfast before so I "cornered" him and I wanted to hear his story. He told me that he lost his job at the local wheel shop after he injured himself on the job in October and is staying with a friend at one of the local trailer parks. He's been living on $75 per week and his roommate notified him that he needs to be out at the end of the month. He'll be homeless in weeks.

In the last few weeks and months we are beginning to see more and more homeless neighbors who don't fit the stereotypes. They are not addicted to drugs or alcohol. They are not mentally ill. They are neighbors who have hit hard times and are dealing with hopelessness and despair. They are neighbors who are ready to hear the gospel if we are ready to demonstrate it.

Please pray with me for Jimmy. Pray that God will heal his back and that he will be able to stay off of the streets.

Known

Today as I was walking home to eat lunch I ran into Jim. Jim is blind but walks around our neighborhood every day managing well with his white & red walking cane. I called out "Hi Jim!" while he was still 10 feet away. He replied "Hi Chrissy! Where have you been?" He knew who I was by my voice and he noticed that I'd been away for a few weeks. How cool is that? Things like that make me so happy to live in my neighborhood. I've been away for a few weeks on vacation and my neighbors noticed. When I arrived home from the airport last night I was greeted by the junior high aged boys skating in my front yard. "Welcome home! How was your trip?"

I am blessed to be known by my neighbors. I'm glad to be home.

Successful Christmas Store

Barbies, dolls, stickers, jewelry, pink, sparkly, purple... girl or boy table?

Thank you to all who donated gifts and volunteered at our Neighborhood Christmas Store in December. We had 70 families register and a few extra that showed up the day of to shop. Thanks to you there plenty of quality toys to choose from.

A story about Bridge Builders: Caring Community

Aura Gonzales, is the case worker for Bridge Builders, a program housed at Our Place Neighborhood Resource Center. She helps individuals who are receiving government assistance but cannot manage their own budgets. She and her family recently took one of the clients she serves out for his birthday. Here's what Aura wrote about the outing:

"With the help of my family and a friend, we were able to take Bobby to Hometown Buffett as he wished for his 54th birthday last Saturday. He was like a little kid in a candy store. He was especially touched when we and the crowd sang Happy Birthday to him, and he actually shed a few tears. Every chance he had he would thank the waiters for the food and commented on how good it was, and I was amazed at how such an ordinary thing can be of such extraordinary importance to someone like Bobby. After the meal we took him on a shopping trip to Target where he purchased a Timex waterproof watch that he so wanted and a few clothing items that he needed. He said he wanted to drive the Target shopping scooter so he steered while I pressed the go button. We made it down a couple of isles before we crashed into a clothing display in the men's section, and we had a good laugh, and so did everyone else."

As you can see, God is using Aura and the Bridge Builder program to bring peace and good news to the lives of people who are lonely and in need of a caring community.

Háblame Class Party

We finished our 7-week reciprocal language class, Hablame, this week with a Christmas brunch. If you're interested in helping with an ESL class in February, please contact Chrissy or Aura at 562-804-2189. Thank you to all the church partners and neighbors that worked together to make this a success!

Christmas Tree Lighting & Cookie Party

This Friday we had our third annual Christmas Tree Lighting & Cookie Party. We walked down to see the city tree lighting and frolic in the fake snow. After the ceremony we walked back to my house where we feasted on cookies, hot chocolate & apple cider. The boys started a fire in the backyard firepit and people hung out until almost midnight. I think there was over 50 people in and out of the house throughout the night. I love to see different groups of people mingling and having a fun together. Here are some pictures from the night...

the boys hanging out in the backyard

Full house!

Irene helping with the cookies

The girls having fun on the way back.