Last Friday, twenty-one of Fresno Mission’s transitional youth traded the weight of the week for sunshine, laughter and a boat ride out on Millerton Lake.
The day was organized by Francisco Pelayo, Director of Youth Services, along with Mark Snee, Pastor of City Church, and his family, and Timothy Davison, our Youth Case Manager. Together, City Church and our Family Center gave these young people something they do not always get enough of. A day about fun, not survival.
Caring for youth in our programs is not only about a roof and a bed. It is also about showing them what it feels like to simply be young, even for one afternoon.
The centerpiece was wake surfing, made possible by FMS Wake, a nonprofit that gives water sports access to people who would not otherwise have the chance. Founder Kevin Manning provided the boat and spent the day teaching each young adult water safety. For many of these kids, Kevin was not just an instructor. He was a role model.
Fresno Mission holds this day every year, for students making real strides and students who need a break from the chaos still surrounding their lives. On the water, something beautiful happens. The highs and lows become something they move through together, with every fall off the wakeboard met by laughter and encouragement to climb back up and try again.
One student shouted, “This is the best day!”
These are young people facing homelessness, group homes and foster care. For one afternoon, they were simply kids on top-of-the-line boats at Millerton Lake.
We do this work every day hoping to make a difference, but nothing compares to watching someone who has been fighting through their hardest days simply smile, laugh, simply be present in a good moment. That is when the work stops feeling like work. It becomes joy.
Pastor Mark Snee reminded the group that growth like this does not happen overnight. Sometimes we plant. Sometimes we water. Every so often, we get the privilege of being there for the harvest, though none of us can take credit for the growing itself. God does that part. We just show up for it.
Days like this do not happen without support. They take a partner willing to bring the boat, staff who plan and show up fully for these students and donors who believe transitional youth deserve real joy, not just survival.
These young people spend most of their days fighting for stability. For one afternoon, your generosity gave them something rarer, a reason to laugh.
Will you help us give them another day like this one?
