On a hot Wednesday in July, Fresno Mission’s Vacation Bible School (VBS) was in full swing, kids gathered for lessons, crafting and water slides, when a different kind of surprise rolled up: a free ice cream truck!
On July 8, Lee’s Air, Plumbing and Heating partnered with Fresno Mission to bring its community ice cream truck to City Center, and VBS let out so kids so they could end their time together with a frozen treat alongside families, guest and staff on site that morning, no purchase required. The stop was thanks to their summer outreach initiative, which has taken its branded truck to neighborhoods, schools and community events across Fresno all season long.
For Fresno Mission, the moment was about more than beating the heat. It was a small piece of something Fresno Mission works toward every day: making sure the kids they serve have their basic needs met, but also get to have a full childhood, of fun, play, snacks and moments that simply feel normal.
“We are grateful for partners like Lee’s Air who see the people in our community and show up for them,” said Matt Dildine, CEO of Fresno Mission. “These children and families are walking through some of the hardest seasons of their lives. A day like this tells them they are not forgotten and that this community cares.”
City Center, located at 2025 E. Dakota Ave. in Fresno, serves as Fresno Mission’s primary campus and community hub. It is home to CC’s Kitchen, which serves hot meals seven days a week, along with VBS, and many other programs supporting families, youth and individuals working toward long-term stability. Here, a hot meal and a family-fun afternoon are treated as equally important; both are part of helping a child feel secure enough to just be a kid.
For Lee’s Air COO Derek Franks, the truck was built for exactly this kind of moment.
“We live and work in Fresno. These are our neighbors,” Franks said. “Fresno Mission is out here every single day supporting families and helping people rebuild their lives. The work they do is deeply meaningful, and the impact they have on this community can’t be overstated. Our mission has always been to serve people, and if we can show up with some free ice cream and put a smile on a few faces, those families deserve that.”
VBS was wrapping up for the summer and the kids got to close it out with popsicles in the sun. Proof that sometimes the smallest gestures, games/crafts, a treat, an afternoon that feels like just being a kid, carry the most weight.
