“When you leave, they will kick our kids out of that place!” — A concerned Garden City resident
This heartfelt cry captures the tension many in the community feel. However, this March, we witnessed God turn that fear into a story of reconciliation and hope. We were thrilled to host 20 university students (19 from Illinois State University’s Impact chapter and one from Howard University), along with three dedicated Impact staff members. These students chose to spend their Spring Break ministering to the children of the Acres Homes community during our 2026 Garden City Holiday Club.
Our outreach extended beyond the playground and into the halls of Eisenhower High School. Administrators graciously allowed our team to visit over 70 classrooms. The collegians connected with high schoolers through games, shared insights into university life, and offered powerful personal testimonies of faith. Along with high school outreach in the mornings they participated in community outreach at Garden City.
This year we were hosted by the Salvation Army’s Garden City Red Shield Center. Although this facility stands directly in front of the Garden City Apartments, very few children from the complex had ever stepped inside. A local resident even shared a scathing rebuke, noting that Garden City kids often felt unwelcomed. Because of the trust BPRC has cultivated in this neighborhood, we were able to facilitated a breakthrough meeting between the property manager of Garden City Apartments and the facility director of the Red Shield Center. This new relationship paved the way for the Red Shield Center to welcome the 2026 Garden City Holiday Club into its doors. It was a profound blessing to see about 80 kids cross that threshold to be ministered to by our university students in a place that once felt off-limits.
The work continues as we collaborate with the Red Shield’s excellent staff to ensure more Garden City kids find a permanent refuge in this facility. Your prayers and financial support are the bedrock of this progress, allowing us to turn “staying out” into “stepping in.” We invite you to hear more about this story and others at our 2026 BPRC Vision Dinner on April 16, 2026, at 6:00 pm at Houston’s First – Downtown. Register on this link. We look forward to seeing you there as we celebrate all that God is doing in underserved communities in Houston.
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