S.A.Y. Yes! Celebration

It’s finally happened. The first cycle of S.A.Y. Yes! has been completed.

       S.A.Y. Yes!, our biblically-based after-school program, grew out of the anguish following the riots in Los Angeles in 1992. The goal was to track with at-risk children during their entire school career — kindergarten through high school — pouring into them spiritually, academically, and emotionally.

       The longest-running S.A.Y. Yes! Center is at Calvary Baptist Church in Compton, just south of L.A. Poverty permeates the area, and it has a reputation for gang violence. Here’s Life’s City Director Mike Herman and his wife, Tonya, live here with their two young children. The Hermans helped establish this Center in 1994.

       Ramiro is one of the first "crop" produced by this dedication to long-term ministry. He came to S.A.Y. Yes! as a kindergartener. In spite of the tough neighborhood and a difficult home situation, Ramiro thrived at the Center and developed a tender heart toward the Lord.

       He graduated from high school last May. Today Ramiro is a freshman in college, a leader on his college soccer team, and active in the church. He led the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for his last two years of high school. His goal? To finish college and remain in Compton — to give back to other kids what he received through the church and S.A.Y. Yes!

       Roy also came to the Center as a kindergartener. He persevered to graduate from high school; today he has a steady job. Through the influence of the Center and the church, his mom came to faith in Christ. She married the father of her children and is actively involved in church. Roinesha, Roy’s older sister, was also involved at the Center. She too has graduated from high school; she’s completed a nursing program and works as a nurse in a retirement home.

       Not all S.A.Y. Yes! stories are straight upward paths, which is not surprising given the dire circumstances these children face. But 13 years of S.A.Y. Yes! has left a strong legacy that will continue to bear fruit.

Previous Stories of Hope:

• Urban Immersion: One Life-Changing Day
• Reach a Child, Impact a Family
• It Started With a Fishing Trip
• Hope Grows in Brooklyn
• A Transformed Family
• S.A.Y. Yes! Long Term
• Partnership in Brooklyn
• S.A.Y. Yes! for the Long Term
• Moving Toward a Career
• Breakthrough at S.A.Y. Yes!
• We Don’t Ever Have to Go Back!
• Prison Prevention Ministry Helps Redirect Lives