January
Points of Light youth, Jimon Clark, was murdered as he walked in his East Oakland neighborhood. Police reported it as a homicide on Bancroft Avenue at 9:20 p.m on Wednesday, August 25th, 2010. Jimon left his home that evening, expecting to return safely from an errand. However, he was shot and left for dead that evening as his twin brother ran for help.
Read the full story here.
February
Enrique is nine years old and has been attending our program for six years. Early last year, Enrique was having trouble with his behavior and would get into fights at least once a week. After receiving one-on-one mentoring with one of our staff members, along with the support of school administration and his parents, we have seen the fighting stop. Enrique is now one of our leaders and loves to serve, especially in feeding the homeless community
Read the full story here.
March
We know firsthand how crucial it is for our youth and children to have access to meals, especially because many of them are food insecure. During this time of sheltering in place, many families were worried about how they would provide for their families. In response, Points of Light bought groceries for families and delivered them to their homes. We have since partnered with the Oakland Unified School district to help more families.
Read the full story here.
April
Every week I tell you that you can do everything God has called you too and that you will live to see every promise from God. I still believe those promises for your life. However, my heart breaks because we live in a time where you are afraid of losing your life to racism. I can see the anger in your eyes and hear it in your voice.
I promise to listen like never before. I promise to embrace and acknowledge your anger and fear. I promise to hug you and pray for you like never before. I promise to pray that God will send an army of angels to protect every step you take!
Read the full story here.
May
Makaylah was eight years old, sitting in the front row of our annual Christmas Outreach. A week later, she joined Mighty Blaze and brought her 3-year-old sister with her. In 2015 She wholeheartedly and sincerely accepted Jesus to be apart of all areas of her life, becoming a catalyst for her family’s salvation. She started a bible study at Castlemont High School, which built a bridge between this public school and POL, to bring hope to more youth.
Read the full story here.
June
Points of Light youth, Jimon Clark, was murdered as he walked in his East Oakland neighborhood. Police reported it as a homicide on Bancroft Avenue at 9:20 p.m on Wednesday, August 25th, 2010. Jimon left his home that evening, expecting to return safely from an errand. However, he was shot and left for dead that evening as his twin brother ran for help.
Read the full story here.
July
As many of you know, a vast majority of graduating students could not walk the stage or be celebrated publicly in front of their loved ones. For this reason, we decided to celebrate them uniquely. In partnership with the Ok program of Oakland, we put together a list of graduating students and embarked on a two-day celebration and car parade escorted by Oakland Police to the front of the students’ homes. It was a joyous occasion filled with sirens, cars honking, and people from the neighborhood joining the celebration of one of the most significant achievements yet for each student.
Read the full story here.
August
This past month Boys Team Charity partnered with Points of Light in providing grocery meals for our families. The families were extremely grateful to have received meals for their families. One particular family stated how groceries came right at the moment they needed it the most. They even made dinner with the groceries they receive that same afternoon as a family, each member collaborating in creating dinner.
Read the full story here.
September
Ruben and Yurem have been attending Points of Light for almost a year now. They started from afar watching youth play, run around, and joined in basketball. Eventually, they went from participating once a week to being involved with weekly activities: bible study, prayer nights, and love home visits. Now every time their pastors visit them, they rally up their neighbors and encourage them to participate. Their curiosity about Jesus has deepened to wear; they are currently reading the bible and sharing with others.
Read the full story here.
October
Karla, Makaylah, and Chris are all pastors who each started attending POL as a youth. They all recall staying at POL because s of the love they felt, the friendships they made, and the message preached. As adults, they decided to join the team to make a difference in the youth’s lives, just as their pastors once did with them. We are happy to have all three of these pastors serving with us to make youth and children feel welcomed, accepted, and encounter God.
Read the full story here.
November
Aiden is 15 years old and has been coming to the learning pod since it began. He struggled with his math class and didn’t understand much of his schoolwork; this caused his attendance and grades to drop. With the help of Pastors, he has been excited and eager to do his school work. Aiden received an award in Algebra and Art for the best improvement.
Read the full story here.
December
Sariyah has been attending our program since she was four years old, and throughout this time, we have seen so much personal growth in her. As a middle schooler, we see Sariyah progress tremendously in her academics here at our homework center. Every Monday, Sariyah comes into our center ready to complete her school assignments; she is never afraid to ask for help and shows genuine enthusiasm to learn. Both Sariyah and her family have expressed how our homework center has positively impacted her as a student, especially with virtual learning.
Read the full story here.
Points of Light & Mighty Blaze | 4292 Keller Ave. Oakland, CA 94605 | 510-279-9125 | info@poloakland.org | Designed + Developed by Innovation Canopy