WEST END OUTREACH
The west end is a neighborhood in downtown Butler. Broad Street Elementary School is located at the center. It is one of the many neighborhoods in downtown Butler that is often neglected.
The mission is simple. We aim to break strongholds of generational poverty in downtown Butler one neighborhood at a time. Our approach is to connect with families in the west end neighborhood and disciple them with a Kingdom mindset. Poverty cannot be broken without (1) a change in one’s own identity in Christ, (2) a break in generational strongholds by the power of the Holy Spirit and (3) a renewed mind.
Since the early summer of 2011, we connected with families in this neighborhood through block parties, cookouts and flood relief. We even had city approved the closing of Broad Street for an entire afternoon on 3 different occasions to host our largest neighborhood block parties. On one occasion, we had over 100 families in the neighborhood attend.
This year, 2022, will mark the 5th year anniversary of the flood that affected over 100 homes and families in the west end neighborhood. This flood was the most damaging in over 100 years as it engulfed vehicles parked on the street, covered the entire Broad Street Elementary School playground and displaced families and destroyed homes. By the favor of God, we were positioned in the right place at the perfect time.
By God’s supernatural provision and the assistance of many local businesses and individuals, we provided truckloads of groceries, meals, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, clothes, small appliances and replaced 54 homes with washers and dryers. We delivered pizzas to every home affected within 48 hours of the flood. The impact was so immediate and enormous even county officials and agencies referred families to us. More importantly, we were in position to reveal the power God’s miraculous healing and, in turn, lead individuals and families to Christ.
On a side note, we were on the front lines. During the aftermath of the flood, we walked the streets of the west end and entered over 100 homes in a 4 month period and not once did we find anyone receiving financial support from local United Way or county officials. We informed the local news outlets with no interest in reporting. To this day, we continue to challenge United Way of Butler County to give a list of homes in this neighborhood who received financial support from the local flood relief funds.