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Press Release: Adopt-A-Block Outreach Makes A Difference The Search & Rescue Dream Center, a Christian outreach organization based in Tracy, California, has made powerful strides in reaching the hurting and lost in its community. One of many outreach programs within Search & Rescue is the Adopt-A-Block program. Adopt-A-Block, led by ministry leader Rick Bartholomew, has truly touched the lives of many people in the community. Every Saturday morning from 10am to 12pm, a growing group of volunteers venture out into the streets of hurting neighborhoods and serve people in any way they can. You can spot a volunteer sporting a "Search & Rescue Dream Center" T-shirt and toting rakes, shovels, garbage bags, brooms and lawn mowers. The goal is to build relationships with the community - the vehicle is servanthood. You've heard time and time again how the best sermon preached was the one that used no words. Knocking on doors and presenting themselves as servants for whatever the need, for free, speaks loudly to the community and also is a great reflection of Christ. Volunteers do not necessarily see the outreach as a preaching forum, but rather an opportunity to show what Christ-like living should be. Often times, people on the receiving end of the outreach will offer to donate a couple of dollars to support the effort, but are even more surprised to hear, "No thank you, this is already a blessing for me." And it truly is. Giving up a couple of hours on Saturday to help change someone's life, through the power of God, is well worth the investment. The philosophy maintained by volunteers is this: in order to truly understand how to reach people outside of your world is to place yourself in theirs. Adopt-A-Block services have included lawn maintenance, walkway sweeping, general home repairs, raking leaves, alley clean up, and most of all, tons of garbage pick up. God has blessed the ministry by bringing business partners in to help with the effort. Tracy Delta Disposal has provided the organization with a six yard dumpster specifically designated for Adopt-A-Block use. With a simple phone call, the disposal company will come and empty the dumpster, all for free. Currently, the Adopt-A-Block program has "adopted" eight residential city blocks in the most needy areas in Tracy. Property owners in one area have offered encouragement by informing the organization of its impact thus far. Drug traffic has declined and the overall appearance of the area has improved noticeably. Additionally, and most importantly, several families that were reached by the program have decided to make the local church their home.
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