Backpack give away

About 2 weeks ago we helped out with a backpack give away. It was cool. This community center partnered with City Team Ministries and Reliance Church (our new church) to help families get ready for school. They invited needy families to a dinner and afterwards we gave out back packs and boxes of food. Jeff and our friend Noe spoke on the message of hope. Noe's story was really cool to hear. Noe had gotten into some really bad stuff, gang stuff and drugs, and finally got kicked out of school in 9th grade. He wasn't able to return to school for almost 2 years. During that time he got involved at this community center, the Gardener Center where he began to see how his life could change and he could get back control. He was also led to faith by one of the members of the center. He went back to school and somehow got his diploma. While finishing high school he ran track and one day a coach at a junior college saw him running. He said to Noe that he wanted him on his team and helped get Noe financial aid to go to college. Noe graduated with his AA and went on to San Jose State University with his Bachelors in English Literature. When he finished he realized after a while that he missed school and went on to San Luis Obispo and got his Master in English Literatre. He got back this summer. It was such a cool story for him to tell to this group of struggling families who come from the same place he did. We gave out backpacks with the hope that maybe we could help these families and kids find hope in Christ and stay in school another year. I hope for some that Noe's story gave them hope to go further than maybe they ever thought possible.