Serving the community since 1922
Serving the community since 1922
Eli and Bethany Lopez, James A. Forrest Elementary School students, enjoyed the snow cones, popcorn and new backpacks.
New Generation Church Pastor Frank Sanchez and his wife, Marilu, a couple known for their selflessness, have been married for 43 years. She said he has a very big heart and puts others before himself.
Palm Avenue Middle School student Elva Echeverria said she loved taking home all her prizes, including a ball, a bubble wand, a drawing pad and school supplies.
Three-year-old Benjamin Salazar tries his luck playing the bottle-toss game.
Volunteer Cristal Sanchez served up snow cones to the Balderas family.
On Saturday, New Generation Church hosted its 9th Annual "Loving Our City" community outreach event, designed to offer families a safe and enjoyable experience. The free event featured food, games, prizes, raffles, live music and preaching. This year, they distributed 450 backpacks.
Pastor Frank Sanchez proudly said, "We are a diverse, bilingual church. We have Anglo, Black and Hispanic families. Our church is very committed to helping the community, and to give you an idea, we have 120 volunteers today."
"One of the important goals of this event is not only giving back to the community but also sharing the word of God," Pastor Sanchez emphasized. "Today, I will share a message about 'Where will you spend eternity?' The Bible gives us very specific instructions about what God wants from us, and the Bible says in Romans that He wants all of us to come to repentance."
The event drew almost 1,000 people. Attendees enjoyed music from a DJ and the church's worship team, who performed Christian songs in both English and Spanish. Funded entirely by the church, this year's event cost over $30,000 to organize, with additional donations bringing the total closer to $45,000.
Pastor Sanchez believes the expenditure was worthwhile. "Just seeing the families enjoy themselves without worrying about expenses is worth every penny. They can come in and have a good time."
"It's really family-oriented. I like it because the children have fun and interact with others from the community," said Sara Romero, who came with her 4th-grade son, Izayah Cortez. "Events like this are great because they bring us together, and it's all free. He took home a backpack today, which arrived at the right time, since school starts this week."
"I like it. It's something different in Wasco. It's good for the people to unite. You get to see old friends and make new ones," said Thomas Aguerria, who attended with his wife, Lorena. "I'm grateful for the church that they organize this. It's a chance to bring people into the church and save souls. There are a lot of hurting people out there, and maybe this will help them with that and give them an opportunity to be free from drug and alcohol abuse."
Volunteer Priscilla Baltazar has been a member of New Generation Church for three years. "God puts it in my heart to volunteer-to serve him and the community. This year, it's a good turnout. Some people think that 'Loving Our City' is about religion, but it's not about religion; it's about spreading a message that we are all brothers and sisters."
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