2006 Projects and Goals

Great Harvest Baptist Church Master Plan includes the following:

1. Build 8-10 one-bedroom two-story independent senior housing for low and middle-income seniors. Renters will complete the appropriate application process, including background checks, etc. Monthly rents will be applied towards salaries for the Senior Activities Coordinator, Program Manager, as well as maintaining the needs of the Senior Day Programs and the Health and Nutritional Senior Program.

2. Expand the current edifice by widening and/or adding on a balcony which, will house and audio visual room, finance room, additional pews and multiple classrooms.

3. Build a Family Life Center which will house administrative offices, classrooms for After School Tutoring Programs for youth within the Sacramento community; classrooms for conducting senior day programs, health and nutritional educational programs for youth and seniors; teen mentoring programs, domestic and violence abuse programs, drug and alcohol abuse programs and a free community clothing and feeding program for the underserved population.

The goal is to provide outreach, advocacy and education to youth who may be involved with alcohol and other drugs and who may suffer from learning disabilities. Parents, grandparents, caregivers and other community members will receive education classes on how to deal with family member’s lifestyles and situations.

Many youth suffer in silence and do not feel or realize that they can obtain treatment services. Youth dependent on alcohol or other substances often leads to academic difficulties, health related problems, eating disorders and criminal behavior, not to mention motor vehicle crashes, unwanted sex and conflicts in social and family relationships.

Identified youth will receive an application assistance and advocacy from our church staff. The health related objective is to assist youth who lack the means to gain access to treatment services such as services through Medi-Cal. The project will only the health status of our youth population by providing them with culturally sensitive substance abuse and dual diagnosis treatment regardless of their income or age, but it will also change the way that youth receive services in Sacramento.

Project will reduce the number of participants who are active alcohol and/or substance abusers by 70%; decrease the number of youth who return to the juvenile justice system; reduce hospitalizations; increase the number of youth who return to the mainstream school; increase the participating youths’ level of knowledge about the effect of drugs and alcohol and co-occurring disorders.

4. Purchase a mini-bus with a lift to provide transportation services for church members, as well as the elderly and disabled population with Sacramento County. The primary focus of this mini-bus and expected participant change is to: a. Increase the access to healthcare for seniors, therefore, improving seniors overall health and well being. b. Provide safe transportation to seniors living in high crime areas, therefore, reducing the incidence of injury, abuse and victimization. c. Increase the access of seniors to community nutritional services, therefore, improving nutrition and health. d. Increase the access of seniors to community centers for social activities not provided at Great Harvest Baptist Church, therefore reducing feelings of isolation and depression.

Great Harvest Baptist Church will retain qualified staff that respects seniors. The bus driver will have an extensive background check. No money will be charged. The service will be demand-response and door-to-door in nature. The van will travel inside the Sacramento Metropolitan area.

The drive will assist seniors with packages, etc., and a rider ship log will be maintained. The program will target, but not be limited to, people ages 62 and older that reside in the low income and high-risk neighborhood of Sacramento County.

This project meets the primary focus requirements by increasing access to healthcare (medical, dental and behavioral health services by assisting people in overcoming frequent barriers due to lack of transportation) and by providing services for the elderly population (providing access to social and nutritional services and preventing injury and reducing elderly abuse and victimization).

This project is also designed to improve healthcare and nutrition and reduce feelings of isolation/dependence and depression by providing over 500 trips to seniors over a 12-month period. The change in attitudes about independence and changes in the 12-month period. The change in attitudes about independence and changes in the health of the community will be measured by surveys from participating seniors. Additionally, bus rider logs demonstrating service usage will be maintained.

•     Exterior painting completed in June 06

•     Window replacement for all windows

•     Replaced the church janitor

•     Website created at no charge

•     Held 2nd Annual Men's Brotherhood Fashion Show & Dinner

•     Held 2nd Annual Parking Lot Bazaar sponsored by the Women's Ministry

•     Youth attended 2nd Youth Retreat with St. John Baptist Church

•     Women's Ministry attended Northern District Baptist Association monthly Women's Retreats.

•     Recruited a Choir Director and Praise Dance Coordinator

•     Youth hosted Annual Santa Cruz outing in August with two busses

•    Joined Sacramento Chapter of Southern Baptist Churches

•    Hosted Northern District Baptist Association's Women's Prayer Retreat

•    First Lady represented Great Harvest in the Sacramento Valley First Ladies Brunch &
     Fashion Show

•    Church advertisement is featured in the Sacramento Observer Newspaper

•    Joined a Christian Basketball League with four teams

•    New circuit breaker installed.

•    Restroom remodel drawings completed

•    Pastor & Sis. Woodson attended various grant workshops, special luncheons and meetings
     relative to faith based programs sponsored by the County of Sacramento, PGE and SMUD.

•    Began Tuesday Night Teen Bible Study Class

•    Combined Sunrise Services with St. Matthew Baptist Church and First Baptist Tabernacle.

•    Held Free Thanksgiving Feeding Program as part of the Street Witnessing Ministry.

•    Pastor & Sis Woodson received the "First Family" award sponsored by the California State
     Association of Minister's Wives and Widows in April 2006.

•    Sis. Woodson serves on the County of Sacramento Faith-Based Initiative Committee,
     representing Great Harvest. This committee was looking for representatives from small    churches, and Great Harvest was appointed by the County to serve on this prestigious    committee.