Community Outreaches
“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about”
– Margaret J. Wheatley
In a place where neighborhoods are often divided by class or race and marked with violence, it becomes increasingly important to engage the community to bridge the gap between diversity and harmony. A key priority for Stay Focused is to harness the compassion of the community to increase the visibility of issues and to build trusting relationships.
Stay Focused hosts many community events that help facilitate a culture of unity and charity in a place often marked by violence and poverty. These community events provide opportunities for social engagement and development, economic opportunity, volunteering, and forming compassionate connections.
Easter Blast
Since 1991, Stay Focused Ministries has teamed up with Bakersfield Parks and Recreation, community organizations, churches, and city government.
Easter Blast
Since 1991, Stay Focused Ministries has teamed up with Bakersfield Parks and Recreation, Community Organizations, Churches, and City Government. This annual event is held at Martin Luther King Jr. Park, where families line up early in the morning so their children can participate in a large easter egg hunt that includes thousands of plastic eggs filled with candy and certificates for prizes. Families are then invited to enjoy carnival-style games and activities, such as rock climbing, a petting zoo, face painting, and cake-walks. There is also live music, crowd participation activities, and prize giveaways from the stage, as well as lunch and a variety of resource booths for the community. We are dedicated to bringing hope, encouragement, and the word of Christ to all the families in attendance.
Halloween (Hart Park After Dark)
Stay Focused, in partnership with the Kern County Library, the Kern County Administrative Officer, and Kern County Parks holds a family-friendly…
Halloween (Hart Park After Dark)
Backpack Giveaway
Stay Focused Ministries holds a yearly Back 2 School Backpack Giveaway for the local community every…
Backpack Giveaway
Stay Focused Ministries holds a yearly Back 2 School Backpack Giveaway for the local community every July and August. With the start of a new school year comes great excitement, but for many families, the start of a new school year can also be a time of stress and financial strain. Stay Focused Ministries is passionate about easing the financial burden of families by offering new backpacks to students in need. Stay Focused partners with community agencies and churches to help send kids back to school.
Thanksgiving
Every November, Stay Focused Ministries has made it a tradition of serving the community Thanksgiving Dinner. Three years ago, we adopted…
Thanksgiving
Every November, Stay Focused Ministries has made it a tradition of serving the community Thanksgiving Dinner. Three years ago, we adopted the California Senior Center, located across the street from our office. Volunteers from local churches, high school students, civic organizations, and caring citizens come together to hold a Senior Thanksgiving Feast. The feast includes turkey, mash potatoes, dressing, vegetables, and pie. Our volunteers are gracious enough to help deliver meals to the doors of those seniors who could not walk to the event.
Toy Giveaways
Toy Giveaways
Stay Focused Ministries’ year-long mission is to help families experiencing financial difficulties by sharing the love of Christ with resources and toys for children as an incentive of joy. During the holidays, we host our Annual Christmas Toy Giveaway, where we partner with the Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots to give the children of Kern County a joyful Christmas. Stay Focused also hosts neighborhood events leading up to Christmas. These pop-up events bring hope and toys to families unable to attend other events due to a lack of transportation. Stay Focused Ministries is also passionate about helping families outside of Kern County during the Christmas season and supports many other organizations, both within and outside our community, with toys and teddy bears. This allows us to expand our reach in helping hurting families in our community and in extended communities.
Neighborhood Outreaches
Neighborhood outreach is the backbone to Stay Focused Ministries. We believe to have a strong neighborhood, you have to help the families that live there…
Neighborhood Outreaches
Neighborhood outreach is the backbone to Stay Focused Ministries. We believe to have a strong neighborhood, you have to help the families that live there. One of the biggest concerns is a hopelessness that is brought on by fear from the violence. Neighborhood outreach events are designed to create an atmosphere of joy through free games for the kids, food, giveaways, entertainment, and a message of hope. All neighborhood outreaches are free and open to everyone in the local community.
Field Trips
Our Reach 4 Greatness Mentoring Program offers multiple Field Trips for students throughout the academic year. The focus of Field…
Field Trips
Our Reach 4 Greatness Mentoring Program offers multiple Field Trips for students throughout the academic year. The focus of field trips is to give students a break from the norm, by exposure to New Life Experiences, Culture, Education, Recreational Fun, which includes offering students the opportunity to train alongside former and current LA Rams players, along with coaches at the La Rams Clinic. One student was awarded MVP and earned a football signed by players and coaches for having a great attitude and perseverance. Another student was personally approached by a coach simply because he refused to give up every time he fell. Other Field Trips included visiting USC and UCLA campuses, the Museum of Tolerance, hiking trips, wakeboarding, fishing, picnics, and swimming trips. Students also went to Fort Tejon where they got to step back in time to 1854 and relive a day out of the past. They visited the Blacksmith at his forge, the soldiers in the barracks, and got to try different activities and hands-on experiences like candle-making.
Food Distribution
Stay Focused Ministries is an official Kern County Foodbank (CAPK) Commodity center and Food Pantry. On the 4th Friday of every month, CAPK delivers…
Food Distribution
Stay Focused Ministries is an official Kern County Foodbank (CAPK) Commodity center and Food Pantry. On the 4th Friday of every month, CAPK delivers pallets of all nutritional groups of food that our volunteers then box and distribute to families in need. If you or anyone you know is in need of help in medical bills, rent, etcetera and buying nutritionally fulfilling foods, there are food secured and ready for you. We understand the crisis that food insecurity brings so, we are also an Open Pantry that is available for individuals from 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have distributed over 1.45 million meals.
Learn more about how you can get involved: If you or if you know someone who is in need of food assistance, call us at 661-322-4673