With the excitement of homecoming in the air, students and teachers alike are doing their part to get ready. Football players prepare for the game; band, cheer and color guard work on their pep routines; and princesses get ready to strut the runway at half-time. 

Each class prepares decade-themed floats for their debuts. Students build, paint and decorate, as well as come up with ways to raise money for the charity of the year – The Poverello House. 

The Poverello House is a nonprofit organization willing to help anyone who comes to them in need, founded on an idea that came to life in the 1960-70s.

According to their website, the mission of the Poverello House is to offer the best assistance possible to the less fortunate. The non-profit has a variety of offered services, including food and shelter resources, as well as rehab and job opportunities. 

“Believing in the dignity of every person, at Poverello House we work to enrich the lives and spirits of all who pass our way by stewarding the resources made available to us through providential and community support.”

Fresno Christian’s student leadership advisor Aubri Foster is excited to partner with the Poverello House this homecoming to help achieve that mission.

“Just thinking about how we can help those who don’t have homes in our community during our Homecoming season,” Foster said. “It really brings joy to my heart.”

 

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Through the Poverello House’s partnering agencies and churches, food distribution went from half a million to one million meals over the past three years, excluding meals from their home-base building in downtown Fresno. At their own building, about 3,000 meals are served daily. 

The Poverello House tends to look at food costs on a per plate basis. However, over the past couple of years, meal prices have more than doubled. A plate of ribs, which used to cost $1.50, now costs $3-4.

The Poverello House serves a varied population who come from many different situations, however the majority of individuals who come their way are the homeless, impoverished or struggling with addiction or mental illness. 

To combat homelessness, the non-profit provides shelter by partnering with several organizations, including The Village of Hope. The Village of Hope is a community designed for homeless men who struggle with mental illness or substance abuse to stay until they get back on their feet. 

The residents of the Village live in one-bedroom houses, called “pallet structures.” Its sister organization, Naomi’s House, is for single homeless women. 

Other resources provided include water bottle, clothing, and blanket distribution. In the past couple of weeks, Poverello House gave out approximately 2,000 water bottles a day. They are now beginning to prepare for the colder months, prepping 1,000s of warming kits. 

The Poverello House was founded by Mike McGarvin, also known as Papa Mike, who passed away July 2017. As a young man,  Mr. McGarvin found himself living on the streets and struggling with addiction. He stumbled upon Poverello, a San Francisco coffee shop run by a priest. Eventually, Mr. McGarvin was asked to volunteer at the coffee shop, and since that moment, his life was changed dramatically. 

He discovered through the coffee shop experience that he loved serving others and was grateful to the Lord for turning his life around. He first began to serve the homeless community in Fresno by passing out peanut butter sandwiches and lending a shoulder to cry on.

Since then, his peanut butter sandwich service grew into what it is today, the Poverello House.

The Poverello House receives thousands of volunteers every year. If you are interested in volunteering, you can fill out a online registration form, handled by Nathanial Schnek. Minors over the age of 15 must have parent permission, while minors 14 and under must have a guardian with them.

People can be a part of Papa Mike’s mission by donating, volunteering, or attending fundraisers, like FC’s Homecoming, Sept. 23.

The Poverello House will be selling churros from their food truck and have an information booth available to potential volunteers at the 37th annual homecoming.

Post homecoming donation update from both elementary and high school is a total of $7,812. Cash donations totaled $3,530 while goods sold during homecoming equalled $4,282. 

For more information about Fresno Christian’s upcoming homecoming visit, Promo: 37th Annual Homecoming or Introducing freshman candidates.